 
Seekers Ask

# 500 Questions

### Tarun Pradhaan

This work is a free E-Book and is being released in public domain under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0).

First Edition, August 2019, Pune, MH, India

Seekers Ask

By Tarun Pradhaan

Copyright 2019 Tarun Pradhaan

Smashwords Edition

Table of Contents

Preface

Questions : 001-100

Questions : 101-200

Questions : 201-300

Questions : 301-400

Questions : 401-500

About the Author

Resources

##  Preface

During my attempts to spread light and knowledge, I tried several experiments, several mediums, forums, and ways to approach seekers. One of the experiments is an Android app (and a corresponding Web app), which was launched by the name of "Self Talk", where the users could send in their questions related to spiritual matters. There is no login, no names, it is completely anonymous. Of course, the one who answered them is also anonymous and refers to themselves as the "Self". This book is a compilation of 500 selected questions, out of thousands, that were answered via this app.

Later the app was renamed as "Self Enquiry" and a self-evaluation quiz was added to it. The reason for that was to filter out non-seekers, who mistakenly thought that it was some sort of talking search engine or a fun app. This reduced the number of queries and increased the quality of questions.

Many selected questions and answers are also being published on an online forum. Interested readers will find all the relevant links in the Resources section at the end of the book.

How were the questions answered? Well, the answer simply came. I cannot claim them as my answers, it is not my knowledge. It is the Self talking to Self via many forms. No research was done, no information about the users was available (except their quiz score). So you will find that the answers are very general and sometimes similar questions received different answers. A lot of questions were repeated, frequently asked, and they all got the same answer. Interestingly, the most common question was – What is the purpose of my life? Some people did ask questions of a personal kind, and an attempt was made to twist the answer into some spiritual insight. So whatever the question was, the seeker was encouraged to search. Later the app was updated to include helpful links to my other content, audio-video or text, in order to assist in their search. These links appear as "Gifts" below the answer, and have been left intact for the readers of this book.

I am publishing these Q&As hoping that they will be of some use for other seekers. This book is free. I apologize in advance for any spelling or grammatical mistakes in answers. Mistakes in questions have been left as they were.

I am grateful to all the teachers because of whom this knowledge has been revealed to all.

Tarun Pradhaan

Pune, MH, India

August 2019

गुरुर्ब्रह्मा गुरुर्विष्णुर्गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः ।

गुरुरेव परं ब्रह्म तस्मै श्रीगुरवे नमः ॥
Questions 001-100

1. How does one deal with family?

Self Talk 1.0.0 2017-12-27 09:09:45

How does one deal with family? I feel like when I'm around them, there are times when i get irrational and get emotional too quickly. and as a seeker, I feel that i shouldn't, so it's another layer of suffering to the suffering that is already there.

One should deal with relatives in same manner one deals with everyone else - with love and kindness.

Relatives are a test, relations are there to teach us, to train our mind to behave in a certain way when it is cornered into a specific situation. It is not possible to corner a mind when we are with a stranger, but relatives are with us all the time, there is no escape. Our minds have dark areas, uncultivated habitual behaviours or programs that spring up into action when the mind encounters a situation. It goes into habitual mechanical action, it can be of many kinds - emotional outburst, hurt, violence or even something positive. It is mostly an irrational act, an Egoic act that is a result of past conditioning of the mind.

People spend their lives like this. But a seeker will notice it. Once you start becoming more aware of your mind and your actions, you will see that the mind acted irrationally, it was something unnecessary and produced even more negative consequences. You will also notice that the mind will come back later with thoughts that blame itself for "bad behaviour"ン, or it will blame others, or may go into self-pity or guilt. Yes, that is like trying to cover up the past suffering with even more suffering.

Becoming aware is the first step. When you find that the mind is slipping into preprogramed behaviour, pause it, focus inwards on the activity of the mind, do not take any action, do not react, just observe. It will slowly become peaceful, then you can take a conscious action, which can be no action at all. Repeat this practice every time you are going through a test, a learning situation with relatives. This will reprogram the mind. This is cultivation.

Mind has a tendency to own the action, and identify with it. You are not the mind, you are the Self, the consciousness that witnesses a mind. Its actions are not your actions, you can only watch, you do not act, there is no actor, there is just action. This is how we dis-identify with the mind. Once you see your mind as merely a tool for experience, you will be able to control it. The mind controls itself when the light of awareness shines on it.

One can do the mistake of controlling the behaviour of others, trying to "fix"ン them. But that simply means avoiding a lesson. One can try that, and you will find that it never works. The lessons don't go away. But when you learn and fix yourself, the test is over, you will not be troubled by those people anymore and they won't trouble you, they will actually disappear. You will change and the test will end. Another test will start.

All the best and thanks for your question.

2. Who am I?

Self Talk 1.0.0 2017-12-29 20:11:34

Who am I?

When everything that can be experienced is discarded, the one that is left - the experiencer, is seen as the screen on which all experiences were being viewed. It is not possible to discard it as an experience, since there always remains an experiencer, which is now witnessing the act of discarding. It cannot be experienced, but is known to be the Self, mind wants to label it as I.

Other names for it are the Consciousness, Atman, the Observer or the Witness. It is the background on which all experiences happen. There is usually no doubt in the mind that this is the one that deserves the title of I. However, the mind itself can be observed, it is an experience, and one can also observe the identification that happens in the mind with the Self. It is a thought - I am the Self. So I am is created on the screen of the Self. The question of who does not arise, there is no real I, there is only an identification with the ever present pure nothingness, that is conscious, that is the experiencer.

Mind can identify not only with the Self, but also with its collected memories, known as a person. Or sometimes it identifies with a body, again a collection of matter. When all these illusions are clearly seen as illusions, the I disappears. What remains is a universal presence - the Self.

Surely, all experiences can be seen as nothing but appearances on the screen of the Self, hence the mind concludes - there are no-two.

3. Do you believe that I can get the spiritual enlightenment?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-14 19:10:36

Hello my inner self,

Do you believe that I can get the spiritual enlightenment?

That depends on what you mean by the word enlightenment. For different people, it means different things. For some it is an extraordinary experience, for some it is a knowing, for some other it can be dissolution of the person himself. Surely, all these things can be had if one really makes effort for it. So you too can have them.

Just think what will happen after that? What is the use of that? Why do you want that? Is it because you are suffering now and think it will bring some happiness? or is it because someone told you that its a good thing to do? What will you really get?

From my point of view, enlightenment is simply being the Self. When the mind dis-identifies with the body or the mind itself and the "I" is identified with the Self, it is the state of enlightenment. This word means - dispelling of the darkness inside. The darkness is identification with a body, or thoughts, mind or memories. So it is very easy to do - simply see that you are not the body or the mind or thoughts etc. You are the witness to all of these. It takes a minute.

The Self is already in the state of enlightenment, it is witnessing the mind who is in the state of ignorance. So you are already enlightened, only you think that you are not, because you think that you are the mind, or a person or a body which hosts this another "thing" called a Self. This is ignorance. The truth is that you are the Self, and it cannot become enlightened because it was never in the dark. See it now clearly and you will know, you are already light itself. You are the one that is witnessing, you are not the things that are being witnessed. The world, the body and the mind, its thoughts, feelings are all being witnessed, they are not you. You are the Self, pure, enlightened and empty. It has been always so, and will be always so.

4. What am I doing with my life?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-15 14:11:13

What am I doing with my life?

I am so glad that you asked this question finally. It means that your mind is waking up. It has started to question the zombie like life you have been living, not only you, most of us spend our lives like that, oblivious of its meaning, its purpose and our true goal. Your mind has detected that there is something wrong with whatever is happening.

We are programmed to do things as per the wishes and whims of others. Parents, relatives, governments and society in general conditions our minds to be in a specific way. We follow it blindly, never question why we need to follow what others say. Your parents want you to be something they like. Society wants you to be like this other rich man. People approve you only if you are of a certain kind. Notice that everyone pushes you to be someone else. No one tells you to be yourself.

Once you see that your goals are all randomly borrowed from social programming, you will feel dissatisfaction, and such questions arise. This is the beginning of awakening. You are waking up.

You will very soon notice that you are after only two things - happiness and freedom. You cannot have any other goals. You can have different ways to reach there, but the end goal is always happiness and freedom. They mean the same thing - a state of mind, which is at peace, no matter what circumstances it is in. You will see that everyone is after this goal, but they are not aware of it, they try to get it by hook or crook. You can get some pleasure and entertainment from objects, people or achievements, but not happiness. Pleasures come and go, some become pains. Happiness is permanent. It is not a short lived impulse or feeling, it is ever lasting peace. Hardly anyone is happy, no wonder, they were never told about it and no one taught them how to be happy. Result is the mess we call our human society.

Try to see your source of happiness. Do what you love most. Destroy the programming. Be free, think for yourself. The real happiness comes from within, not from outside, not from people or objects. Meditate on this subject. Ask your Self, what you need to do next. You will receive the guidance. All answers are within.

5. How are you ?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-16 01:06:00

How are you ?

I am empty, pure, formless witness of all experiences. I have no qualities, so I am perfect. I am non-local so I am everywhere. I am beyond time, so I am eternal. I am you. This is how you are.

6. How can i find my self ?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-16 01:06:46

How can i find my self ?

Think of all the experiences you can have. Collect them at one place. You will see that they are of three kinds - experiences of the world (objects and people), experiences of your body (outer material shell and internal sensations) and experiences of your mind (thoughts, emotions, desires, memories etc). You will never find anything more. Try it.

Now think of what is it that is having all these experiences. There must be something that is receiving all those experiences. How else can an experiences happen? If you try to see that thing as an experience, you will fail, because it is the one who is experiencing, and so cannot be an experience. This is the experiencer, or the witness. Also known as the consciousness or the Self.

When all that can be experienced is discarded, whatever you are left with, is the experiencer, the Self. It is conscious emptiness, formless, timeless, beyond the grasp of a mind. It is you, there is no other you who "has" a self. There cannot be two I's. So you cannot find "yourself", you can only be your Self. Which you already are.

You are life itself, the rest is appearances in the form of billions of experiences. Realize this and be happy.

7. How can I be successful?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-16 09:26:26

How can I be successful?

We do not get something simply because we want it, we get exactly a thing that we need, not a thing that we want. So success is not guaranteed, all you can do is try achieving the goal, rest is uncertain. Ensure that you really need to get that goal, its not merely a want or simply because someone else is doing it.

Define your goal precisely.

Find out what are the ways to achieve it. If it needs skills, learn them. If it needs help from others, seek help.

Try to break it into sub goals or parts or stages. Although rigid planning may not work. It needs to change depending on the situation.

Take one step at a time. Success happens after a series of failures.

If you are not enjoying it, that goal is not worth having. Try something else. It must be something that you really like.

If you do not achieve it, its not a waste, it is a lesson. We learn from failures. Actually success is not important, our lessons and our knowledge will go with us, not our possessions or achievements. Meditate on this thought.

8. When I say I see the absence of my mind who is that I which sees ?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-17 18:15:40

When I say I see the absence of my mind who is that I which sees ? If you call that Ego. when will the Ego disappear and who is that who sees the disappearance of Ego.?

It is impossible to see the absence of the mind. It is impossible to even imagine the absence of the mind. It is the mind which is trying to imagine its own absence, and it is the mind which is trying to see what remains when it is absent, so clearly, that's an impossibility. If the mind can see its own absence, it is not really absent. If it cannot see its absence, then it cannot make any honest statements about that which remains after it is gone, because it was not there.

However, the mind can relax itself to a point where it is almost still, and it knows this stilling. This is not absence of mind, only absence of the activity of the mind (aka Chittavritti). In this state it knows the presence of a knower or an experiencer, which is nothing but the Self. One can say that the Self witnesses the stilling of the mind, and then the mind is informed of this state. When the activity of the mind restarts, it form an idea of the Self in the mind.

Ego is defined as a collection of activities in the mind which are related to survival. Which is maintenance, safety, growth and reproduction of the body. If you define it this way, you will see that it is easy to see the Ego arise and disappear (e.g. anger etc). It is not the whole of the mind, it is only a small part. The perceiving part of the mind can see it come and go via internal senses.

It is a difficult matter to understand, but once you meditate and introspect about it, you will find that all of the experience we can have is only via mind. All experience is experience of the mind. Its absence would mean no experience. And since the experience and the experiencer always appear together, it would imply the absence of the experiencer too. So what remains? Whatever that remains cannot be known, it is essentially unknowable. Because there is no way to know it in the absence of all these three. We can say that the absolute reality remains in the absence of everything, which is oneness (aka Brahman), but strictly we cannot say even that. So, all the mind can say about the reality is that it is not two, it is non-dual (aka Advaita).

9. How do you exist?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-17 08:59:44

How do you exist?

When you ask "how" you are either expecting an answer in the form of a mechanism or a way in which a thing can exist. Similarly when you ask a "why", you expect a reason or causal connection. But when something is most fundamental, it cannot be defined in terms of other things and it has no reason what so ever. Because other, less fundamental things can be defined in terms of a fundamental thing, and reasons can be derived out in a relative way. In absolute terms, there is no how or why.

The Self does not exist because there is something that supports it, not because some other agencies bring it into existence. If it were so, we would experience those other things and we would experience the Self as existing in a certain way defined by other things, but we just experience the Self as it is. We actually cannot even experience it, because the Self is the experiencer itself. It is, and that's all, there is nothing there to describe it in term of an other.

Similarly, there is no reason for it to be there. It just is. That's what can be concluded. That points to the fact that the Self is the most fundamental reality there can be. Everything can be described in terms of it, but nothing can describe it.

10. What do u want?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-25 20:12:10

so what do u want

i like to be a judge but unfortunately i could not clear the exam and doing my job in bank thus i am coming in depression that i am not able to achieve my goal what should i do

Self has no wants. It is pure emptiness just witnessing. See and know it.

Mind has wants and desires, an outcome of previous experiences that are stored in memory. Wants are unending, they keep coming. Understand that it'd be impractical and impossible to satisfy them all. This acceptance will bring peace of mind.

If one of the desires is not satisfied, just choose some other, they are unlimited in quantity. It'd be a waste of life to stick to just one of them, thinking that it was important somehow. All of them are just random, pick any. It is your conditioning or programming that you favour one particular way. Anyone's goal is happiness and freedom, which cannot be achieved by feeding the hungry desires. Knowing this fully and well, we act on desires anyway, not because they produce happiness, but because they are a lesson. We are here to learn not to get some or other thing. Nothing will go with us, except the lessons, knowledge, skills and wisdom. Desire those.

11. What you have to do?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-22 08:34:32

What you have to do?

If you dig to the bare bones of it, life is simply an experience. It does not come with any instruction manual or guidelines. In other words we are free to assign a goal to it ourselves. Life as it is , is only an experience and we are meant to experience it as it happens. Its simple.

If you choose to assign a goal it needs to be something that you love to do. It surely can't be anything else, even if others tell you to do something specific. Perhaps that is something they love to do but not your thing. You need to find your path. The path of your heart. Once you find it it is easy to walk on it and life is a happy experience.

Whatever we do, the goal is always happiness and freedom. It cannot be anything else. The means to happiness and freedom can be different for different people but we are instinctively after nothing but happiness and freedom. You can verify this easily by observing everyone. All are after this, nothing else. So simply do anything that you love most that brings in happiness and freedom.

This can be achieved by walking the path of your heart which will be unique. You cannot simply copy others because if you do the happiness is not guaranteed. Everyone is on their own path and you need to be on your own.

12. Why am I not working?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-21 19:21:05

why i not working

why i only thinking about my working

This is called sloth. It is an egoic tendency. Ego does not like to act when it is not its priority. Either the work is not interesting enough or there are things that need to be done before this work can be done.

So try to take up something which you really love to do or finish your more important goals first. Else the other way is to discipline your mind.

There is also a trick. When you find your totally disinterested in some work just start doing it slowly, just take a first tiny step. You will find that unknowingly you have started doing it and are actually enjoying it. The reward and satisfaction of finishing a work is much better than the suffering of avoiding it and fear of facing the consequences.

13. If consciousness is the only existing 'thing' and it is non material, how did the world emerge out of it?.

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-27 08:05:00

If consciousness is the only existing ' thing' and it is non material, how from that vast expanse of non material a material world looking real and as a product of separate self ignorant of its very nature of non material consciousness can emerge ? If we say that the idea of separate self and an idea of world is always in potential form in consciousness, such a world and separate self will share the same reality of consciousness and in that event it can at best be defined as Vishitadvaita and not Advaita. And what is the trigger that bring the potential into actuality ? Could you pl. enlighten ?

There are a few assumptions here, such as - the material world emerges out of non-material consciousness. Let's take a look. Do we see any logical way in which it can happen? Do we know of any evidence (pramana) that it has happened? What is the reason which can support such a statement? If not, we need to discard this assumption that something "arose" magically out of "nothing", the nothing being the pure emptiness or consciousness or the Self.

The second assumption is that everything that is not consciousness was in potential or latent form in the consciousness. And this is just a theory, not easy to find evidence for that also. As you rightly say, that would make the pure consciousness filled with qualities instead of emptiness, and that would be against our direct knowledge of it being emptiness. We have never known consciousness as anything other than pure emptiness which perceives or witnesses. It is witnessing an experience, nothing else. The conditioning or ignorance of the mind gives it names and forms. All there is, is an experience. Mind divides the experience into objects and calls it world, people, body, thoughts etc.

So how to account for all of this rich experience we are having? Essentially, you are asking that - why is there an experience? What causes experience? If we reject the ideas that experience comes from somewhere or emerges from the consciousness, you will be left with only one explanation, which is - experience is. It just exists without any cause. Just like the experiencer exists without any cause. This is a hint that both are just two aspects of one. That ONE is an unknowable. It cannot be known by the mind. Mind is itself an experience. It is a happening and cannot know anything which precedes it.

Our mind has an ignorance, it demands a cause for everything. If it cannot find any, it tries to invent a cause. Obviously, this fails for fundamental reality, which is uncaused. If there were a cause, we could witness it easily, but we do not. We simply find ourselves in midst of an experience. That is all there is. An experience is a flow, a constant change. The mind divides it into two - the external experience and the internal experiencer. This is an illusion. Mind identifies with either the experience of a body or a mind or consciousness. Which is also an illusion. We need to see that the word "cause" is an invention of the mind. Nothing has cause, everything just is. This is the most natural and simplest explanation, and it is our direct observation. If you try to add even a bit to it, it becomes unsatisfactory, impure and untrue.

14. Why is there tension due to marriage?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-28 06:39:20

Why is there tension due to marriage?

Whenever a relation is based on expectations and is of "give and take" kind, it will become a suffering. We marry or get partners assuming that this new situation (married life) or the wife or husband will somehow bring happiness. But the truth is that happiness does not "come" from situations or people. This is our basic error.

Expecting others to make you happy will never work. "Getting" happiness by being in a particular relation will not work. The happiness is a result of us not wanting anything, no objects, no people, no relations. Wanting is never ending, and so never results in happiness. We try to "fix" others hoping that now they will make us happy, but that will not work either. This is our second mistake - manipulating others to get happiness from them. If you see, the problem is not the other person, the problem is you. You do not know how to conduct a relation.

All you can do is give happiness. Give without expecting. Try to make others happy while not asking anything in return. This is unconditional love. Give as much as you can, and if the demands from others is something beyond your capability, just honestly say so. Giving is not about becoming a doormat, do not let others to exploit your kind nature.

You will find that those who want to get happiness from you, will either leave you or stop troubling you. You will find that those who appreciate your kindness and giving will stay with you, and they will try to return the favour, resulting in a giving relation from both sides. A relation is like a service, we serve the other with selflessness, with love and care, while taking care of our own wellness and peace of mind. Happiness follow automatically, it is always a result of our own behaviour, not of others.

This will work not only for marriage but also in all situations - family, parents, office, friends and society in general.

15. How to talk positive?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-29 13:55:57

How to talk positive?

Obviously, the first step is to stop talking negatively. That is easiest, and then most of your talk will be positive. It is easier to restrain ourselves when compared with training ourselves to act in a specific way, that would be somewhat artificial. Stopping negative speech will be possible only if you become intensely aware of your words before they come out of your mouth. If you are aware that you are going to say something negative, hurtful or unnecessary, you can decide not to say it. If you are unaware of whatever you are going to say, you will say it robotically. This is the first step - become aware of your actions. Be mindful always.

Next is the realization that speech is external form of thoughts. If thoughts are negative, so will be speech. Let the negative thoughts float in and out of your mind like clouds in a clear sky. Do not let them become your speech, or do not act on them. You will find that the thoughts simply come and go, and they do so endlessly. Most of them are useless or negative, we need not act on most of them. This is the next step - become aware of content of your own mind.

Next you will realize that thoughts are generated from memories. Good memories generate good and positive thoughts, bad memories produce negativity in the mind. If you are aware of what is in your mind, you can filter out the negative content by refusing to follow that chain of thoughts. Replace it with something positive. Forgive people who had hurt you, so their memories stop producing negative thoughts or hate. Make your current experience positive, so that good memories are formed. For that you will need to give up the company of negative people or stay away from negative situations. Try to be as close to positive people as possible. Try to stay away from sources of negativity such as TV, newspapers, negative/hateful/violent movies or books etc. Cultivate healthy habits. It does not take long, just takes strong determination. Mind has a tendency to fall back to old habit. Pull yourself back again and again.

Mind is an accumulation of experiences, and action is a result those impressions or conditioning. Mind becomes that which you feed to it. Positive impressions result in positive action and speech. Surround yourself with positive, rest happens on its own.

Next you will realize that you need not speak either positive or negative. These are made up qualities, which depend on your conditioning or other's opinions. All you need to do is speak that which is true and is necessary. Never worry if it is positive or not. Actions and speech must reflect the truth, nothing else. You will be transformed as a result. For this you should seek the company of truth seekers, the explorers of knowledge. Seek knowledge. Once you know, your speech will be true, which is the most positive kind of speech you will ever have.

16. Can you tell me something about the Heart chakra?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-02-01 12:02:31

can you tell me something about the Heart chakra?

Let's start at the start. A chakra is as illusory as the mind, body and the world. It is a metaphor, an icon, a made up thing. Sages used this model to explain some mechanisms of the mind. One can come up with other kinds of models and explanations, chakra and nadi system is only one of many metaphors.

A heart chakra is an icon which stands for some mechanisms and processes in the mind that are responsible for generating and perceiving emotions. As the word implies, emotions are precursors to actions. At the base of emotions lies the processes of pleasure and pain or reward and punishments. We may think that such things come from objects, people or situations, but actually the mind takes in the raw experience, which is neutral, and colours it with qualities of pleasure or pain, depending on how they aid or harm survival of the mind and the body. Emotions are a reaction to the pleasure and pain, which prepare the body and mind for an action. Hence, heart chakra also stands for all the actions we perform.

If there is no reward or punishment, if there is no pleasure or pain, there is no motivation for an action, and no emotions arise. Also, actions have consequences and are responsible of more pleasure or pain and more emotions. Thus a person is trapped in this cycle. This function which keeps us tied in the world, is symbolized by the heart chakra. One needs to see that it is a representation of these processes in the mind, nothing exotic or magical. It gets associated with the heart region in the body because we tend to feel emotions in that area.

When these processes are not functioning in a healthy way, when they are afflicted, we can say that the heart chakra is blocked or is imbalanced. A guru will often prescribe certain practices or changes in behaviour or lifestyle to correct these mechanisms. A guru will do so only after studying the person well. It is recommended to find an experienced guru if you wish to take up a practice, and not do random experiments on chakras on your own. Wrong practices or practices that are not suitable for you can be risky and end up causing discomfort.

Usually a thorough self analysis is enough to find what is blocking a chakra and one can take simple and slow steps to heal that.

17. Is it possible to travel to the future while astral projecting?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-01-31 11:25:22

is it possible to travel to the future while astral projecting and get the lottery numbers?

There is no such thing as future. Future is just an imaginary projection in the mind, of what may happen. It is made up by the mind. This is our direct experience. All we can experience is here and now. Nothing ever existed in the past and nothing exists in the future. There is no time. There is this eternal now, an unending experience. This is the case in any state of the mind, including waking, sleeping or astral projecting.

However, mind can create a situation where it experiences something which repeats again. Such as, it can experience a lottery number and the same experience repeats again. This all happens in the now, but because of the mechanism of the memory, it is perceived as events on a linear dimension aka time. Sometimes this is effected by the universal mind or the greater mind and has a good purpose behind it, such as, providing the person with an evidence that the time is a made up thing. So if you wish to have such an experience, ask for it while you are projecting. It is possible, but very rare, highly improbable. So are all other kinds of future or time travel experiences, the chances of it happening are next to nothing.

In any case, you will get a lesson you need most, if you really ask for it. The lesson can be in some other form. If you are simply greedy, and want money or worldly stuff without doing anything, you will get a simple lesson or most of the time, you won't get what you wish for, or you just get the information which cannot be utilized in real world. If you need some kind of evidence, which may speed up your spiritual progress, you will get it most probably in one form or the other. It may not be a number, can be any other event that provides you with needed knowledge. You need to be ready for that.

18. How to be happy alone?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-02-03 05:19:19

how to be happy alone?

Happiness is a state of mind, our own mind. It would be an error to assume that someone else or an external situation would change our mental state into a more positive one. Only we can change it using our own will. People or objects or situations/achievements etc can give you a momentary pleasure, but not happiness. Pleasures last for a few minutes before another lack, another desire takes the place of the previous one. Happiness is just continuous peace, a state of bliss where we desire nothing.

When we desire no one, no thing, happiness arrives. So the only way to be happy is to be alone. As soon as you expect that someone else will "make" you happy, you will lose the peace of mind, it enters a pleasure chasing mode, fears the loss of it, and produces only suffering. The other person may not be interested in making you happy, or they may have some other motive because of which they may try to please you. But as soon as they get what they are after, they stop pleasing you, you sense this as a loss, suffering begins. So depending on others is a sure way to land in suffering, not in happiness.

You are not alone, you are the only one there is. You are the Self, the witnessing consciousness, a pure space like emptiness that is alive. The Self is exactly the one and the same for everyone. Others are just forms. Self takes on millions of forms. The error is in assuming that these forms are different from your form. We are all one at the core. So even if you try very hard, you will end up as one and the only. Acceptance of this, seeing this for yourself, will free your mind. It will enter the state of happiness.

19. How can I overcome my fear of finding my soulmate?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-02-04 08:06:13

how can I overcome my fear of finding my soulmate?

There is no such thing. Realizing this will make all your fears and expectations vanish.

The soul is just another word for the Self, which is you, the pure consciousness that is witnessing everything. It takes on forms of a billion kind. We, our bodies and minds are just forms of the Self. Others are just more forms, forms of the Self. In other words, everything is just you appearing as separate from this form. So everyone is a "soulmate" and there is not just one mate. The error here is the belief that everyone has a different "soul", whatever that is. Everyone has a different body and mind, which are just forms appearing in the field of the consciousness aka Self.

One cannot find a soulmate, everyone is your soulmate. Choose anyone you like most. Or better see your Self has your one and the only mate, it is already with us all and will be there forever. Forms come and go, keep changing but the Self is eternal and ever present."

20. Is it normal to not like myself?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-02-08 09:43:31

Is it normal to not like myself?

It is only a sign of ignorance. Probably you think you are a body, which is a pile of organic matter, easy to dislike it. Probably you think you are a mind, which is a collection of processes, some of them are negative depending on what the mind absorbed, again easy to dislike that. Your mind tells you that you are a body, and then tells you that you dislike it. Or it tells you that you are these mental processes or actions of the body, and then it tells you that you dislike it. All these events are just experiences, they are not you.

Experiences can be good or bad, the mind may like them or dislike them. You identify yourself as a mind doing such activities, and hence you think I dislike myself. This is the ignorance. The solution is to know what you are really.

The real you is merely a watcher, the conscious observer of all experience, it is the Self, the pure consciousness which is empty. The Self witnesses this drama of liking and disliking too. Since it is empty, there is nothing there to like or dislike, it is impossible to like or dislike it.

So what is happening is - the mind creates likes or dislikes depending on what is experienced. You simply watch this as yet another experience - mind showing preferences and mental processes generating pleasant or unpleasant emotions. The Self remains unaffected by these events. It remains unaffected by any event actually, it is very pure.

So it is the nature of the mind to discriminate and label experiences as good or bad. It does that to the body, to the mind, to people or objects. You, the Self do not like anything or dislike anything, including your Self, you are just aware of it all.

21. Will I ever have children or get married or have a successful life?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-02-09 12:46:51

Will I ever have children or get married or have a successful and financially stable career?

Nothing is certain, everything is unpredictable. Whatever happens is a result of our choices. So all these events may or may not happen, but all you can do is make the right choices and let the events happen as they should. Only actions are in our control, consequences are not.

Probably you are trying to achieve happiness through these individuals or situations or money. Know that none of these will bring you any happiness, true happiness is peace of mind under all situations, happiness does not depend on possessions or relations. It is a state of mind devoid of any wants, so as long as there are wants you will not be happy.

So the trick is to be content, acceptance of what is and expecting nothing from the future just doing the right action moment by moment. Enjoy any fruits that may arrive and never worry about unfulfilled desires, this is the key to a happy life. Life is much more than people or possessions. It is an experience which involves a lot of learning. Anything that you do or get will give you a lesson. You may or may not get what you desire but you will always get a lesson.

22. What is the purpose of sadness?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-02-15 08:58:16

what is the purpose of sadness???

Sadness is an emotion. Sadness is clinging to an unfulfilled desire or expectation that was not met. In such situations the mind enters a state of frustration and self-pity. This is the well know reward/punishment mechanism that is active in every mind. The mind is punishing itself for failing to get something. This is suffering. Whenever there is suffering of any kind, it is usually a sign that there is a damage or mistake somewhere and corrective actions need to be taken.

So such negative emotions serve the purpose of informing us that something has went wrong and it needs to be corrected. Usually sadness is a result of excessive attachments to objects, people or outcomes. Mind is telling us that we are going in a wrong direction, by evoking the emotion of sadness. Life is a series of experiences, and some are as per our desires and expectations while some are not. When there is over-expectation or a delusion that my desires need to be fulfilled at all costs, and when it does not happen, mind enters a negative state of sadness, which means you need to simply let go, stop irrationally expecting, demanding and desiring.

Once this is done, the mind returns to a happy state again. Now it is unburdened by attachments and desires. It enjoys whatever comes.

23. What is my purpose of life?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-02-16 02:36:07

What is my purpose of life?

Life is a series of experiences. The Self is having these experiences. The Self has no purpose, and hence life has no purpose. It is just a flow of events, which the Self is witnessing blissfully. The Self is already whole and complete, not bounded by anything and has no desires.

That may sound too plain and negative. Truth is often like that, because our egos expect more. The ego is a set of programs and is wired to get more and more, and is not satisfied. It needs a purpose. The good news is - its purpose is also programmed in by mother nature. That purpose is to be happy and free. So from the point of view of the ego or mind, the purpose is happiness and freedom. That's all we humans are after, nothing else.

Many of us try to get happiness and freedom out of objects, possessions, relations, achievements and social power etc. This works for a while, till basic survival is taken care of, after that it produces only suffering. One soon learns that these things do not lead to happiness and freedom. They do provide a bit of pleasure, which soon vanishes and is taken over by suffering produced by new desires or outcomes.

When one lives moment by moment, acts in the now, one is in pure bliss and is most free. In the moment we make a choice that may result in more happiness and freedom and reject an action that may bound us or cause suffering. How to make such a choice? Learn from the past experiences, see what produced happiness and freedom, do not repeat past mistakes. This art comes by practice and experience, but a good teacher can also help. We soon find that by doing so, we are doing only that which we love to do. This is the path of the heart. It is a lifestyle that is effortless, pure and is full of happiness and freedom. Everyone has a different path, so do not mimic others, that will only produce more suffering, find your own path (Swadharma). It has to be something you love to do.

So our purpose here as human beings is to walk on the path of our own heart. It will lead to absolute happiness and freedom, and will give a meaning to the life.

24. How do I directly experience the Self?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-02-16 16:56:32

How do i directly experience the self?

The question assumes that there is an "I" which is separate from another thing called the "Self", which is an unknown and hence needs to experience it. Actually the Self is exactly the same as the I. Self is the one that experiences everything. It is the experiencer. So the question can be like this - how can the Self experience itself?

The Self is experiencing itself right now, right here. Experience is not any different from the experiencer. They are one. The experience takes on various forms - objects, world, body or mind and its activities, but all experience is same as the Self. If you are experiencing anything at all, it is the Self.

This can be understood directly by asking this question - how much separation is there between the experiencer and the experience? The mind will habitually come up with something such as - this chair is 10 feet away from me and that is a separation. But the "me" here is the body, it is just another experience, it is not the experiencer, since the body can be experienced also. Any separation will always turn out to be another experience. So you will always find that two experiences can be separated, but the experience and the experiencer cannot be separated. They are one and the same.

Secondly, the Self is defined as that which experiences. So it cannot experience itself in a way in which it experiences objects. The Self cannot become an object of experience for itself. This can be understood like this - assume that the Self can be objectified and can be experienced in a certain way. Now the question arises - what is experiencing this object called the Self? And again, you will find that the experiencer arises behind all the experiences. So the Self can only be itself, it cannot be anything else which can be experienced.

When all that can be experienced objectively and mentally is discarded, the remaining entity, which is experiencing everything, is the Self.

There is this knowledge in the mind that something is witnessing everything. However, the mind knows nothing about what is it. Mind is just a mechanism, just another experience. From the point of view of the mind, it appears as emptiness or nothingness, because the mind can only understand objects, not the subject. So it can even say that I experience nothing, or the Self is not there. This is just ignorance of the mind. These are just thoughts which are also experienced by the Self. The thought that I want to experience the Self is also being experienced right now. This is the whole experience of the Self, which includes itself.

25. Why humans doubt their strength?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-02-16 19:44:00

Why humans doubt their strength?

Those who doubt their strength see themselves as a body or a mind. Clearly both of them are limited and weak as they are subject to change and decay. Although both can achieve impressive feats, not all are gifted. Hence the ignorance that I am a body/mind keeps us from fully realizing our potential.

Some do see themselves as all powerful and capable, but that is because they can cause great harm, not because they can do great good.

When we see ourselves as the Self, the pure consciousness, that is limitless and has infinite potential, our fears and doubts disappear. The strength does not lie in causing harm or defeating others, gaining pleasures or possessions, but in conquering our own limitations. When we live as the Self, we have conquered all or limitations, and now nothing is impossible."

26. Why most of the people never achieve greatness in life?

Self Talk 1.1.0 2018-02-16 20:19:44

Why most of the people never achieve greatness in life?

The concept of greatness is made up by the society. Its meaning changes from time to time and from place to place. Societies or cultures impose their idea of greatness on people. Once upon a time having 20 kids and killing a few tigers or enemies was a measure of greatness, in some other time, collecting huge wealth or gold was greatness. Actually everyone has their own interpretation of what is "greatness".

As a human our goal is not to become "great", whatever that means. Our goal is to be happy and free. Happiness and freedom are achieved when we experience life as it comes, learn from it, make right choices and walk on the path of our own heart. Path of the heart ensures that we progress towards greater and greater happiness. What is this path? It is a lifestyle where you do something that you love to do, you are not encumbered by random social standards or demands. You not only not care about why others are not great, you do not care if you are so, realizing that it is just a meaningless concept.

27. What do I need to do next, what's my next step?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-17 08:44:58

what do I need to do next what's my next step?

Do that which you think is most necessary.

And after that do the next needed thing which comes up. This is living in the now, moment by moment. Ensure that at each moment your choice is such that it leads to long term happiness and freedom. We do this by avoiding a negative or destructive choice and by avoiding short term pleasures and gains.

28. What is subconscious mind? (And more questions)

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-17 16:26:12

what is subconscious mind?

what is conscious mind?

how any habit works?

how can i overcome any bad habits?

can meditation works to overcome from habit?

How should i do meditate?

There is this misconception of conscious/subconscious/unconscious minds. There are no such things. Mind is an object which appears in the field of consciousness. Only consciousness is conscious, rest of the objects/experiences are illuminated by consciousness. Mind is a collection of processes around memory - thoughts, emotions, perceptions, imaginations etc. It can neither be conscious nor sub/unconscious. However, there are mechanisms and memories in the mind that are rarely perceived. Instead of calling these unconscious parts of the mind, we can simply call them unperceived parts. These can be perceived if needed via practice and techniques.

Any action starts in memory. It appears as an intention or desire, and after some thought the mind decides to act via the body. A habit is formed when a particular action is repeated numerous times in exact same way. This forms a deep memory of it and even becomes automated, so much so that no thought or planning is needed in order to act. A good example is driving or dancing or playing an instrument. Obviously, we repeat an action over and over because it is useful or because it provides pleasure. However, some actions can cause bad consequences even though they seem useful or pleasurable initially. Such as lying or over eating. These are bad habits, actions that have become automated because of repetitions and now happen without any control.

You can terminate an undesired habit by not repeating it again. It sounds simple, but it is not. Since it has become automated, you are not even aware of it. So the first step is to become very very aware of the action. Try to stop the action while it is on-going, and then try to stop it sooner and sooner, till you can stop it even before it starts. For that you need to be very aware as soon as the intention to act appears in the mind. It comes by practice and a strong will and interest.

Yes, meditation helps to overcome any habit. It does not kill the habit, only makes you aware of your actions and intentions. Once you are aware, you can kill the action.

The best kind of meditation for above problem is to concentrate on 1)your thoughts and intentions 2)your speech 3)your actions. Just pay attention to all of these. Watch it very curiously and attentively like a scientist observing something under a microscope. We use mind to fix the mind. This practice grows the awareness, shines light of consciousness on the mind. Once your awareness is sharp, you can get a good command on the mind and actions. Simply become aware of what the mind has in it, and what it is going to do next. If needed delay the action for a long time, till your awareness takes over, now you can decide to not take a habitual action. This meditation should be done 24x7, not for a few minutes. You do not need to sit or recite anything. Just remember to be aware in daily life. You are not the mind, you are pure consciousness that is aware of the mind. You are the Self, you are above all actions. This realization will give you power over all actions.

29. What is astral projection?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-17 19:18:10

what is astral projection?

During the sleep sometime i feel like I'm out of my body and I'm floating in air. Is that an astral projection?

what is effect of astral projection on body and mind?

AP is an experience where the mind disconnects from the physical body (and hence from the physical world) and connects to a non-physical world. Non-physical worlds can be more or less like the physical or can be strikingly different. A non-physical body is also created in order to perceive and act in those worlds. AP establishes the fact that the manifested universe is infinitely big and our universe is just a tiny part of it. Actually our universe is also a non-physical one among billion others and we as a mind are projecting here in a body in order to experience it. We call it physical or real simply because we have become so habitual of it. The non-physical domain is like a huge mind aka the Universal Mind. Human mind is a tiny part of the UM and can access some part of it. When it does that, this state is called an AP.

AP is not like travelling, but more like changing channels on a TV or visiting a different web site. The mind does not go anywhere, it is non-local, not located in any space, it merely switches to another experience for a while. What you feel as floating in air is simply the start of an AP, where disconnection from this body has begun. Senses are withdrawing and hence they report nothing about the world, it obviously feels like existing without any supports or like floating. Once you reach this state, make an intention to connect to some other world and you will start experiencing it. It slowly turns into a full blown AP with a body and all the solidity of a real world.

Usually AP is harmless as far as the health of the body and the mind is concerned. We do it often when we are sleeping, just that we remember nothing of those experiences. So AP is as good as going to sleep. However, doing too much of it does drain the body a bit, because new practitioners often spend a lot of time practicing instead of sleeping. So take full rest before you practice. The effect on the mind can be anything from very positive, enlightening and life changing to negative and shocking depending on the readiness of the seeker. It all fades away quickly like a dream, so no long term negative effects remain. However, the non-physical worlds are as real as this one, and hence our actions there have similar consequences just like here. Ensure that you cause no harm to things or beings where ever you are, and that will keep you safe. Anyhow, too much of it results in a loss of interest in this world, which can be good or bad depending on your goals. If your goal is just to get some knowledge and experience of non-physical, a few trips are enough. If your goal is to leave this world, there is a chance that you will spend most of the time there."

30. What happens when you die?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-18 10:55:23

What happens when you die?

The body turns to fertilizer. That is for sure.

Consciousness, which is the background of our being, is unaffected. Just like pictures on a movie screen come and go but screen remains unaffected, it is the background. Our essence is pure consciousness aka the Self, which is eternal and unchanging. However it is universal, not individual. That is also for sure.

The tricky thing is the mind. It is a collection of memories and processes. The memories are non-physical impressions formed due to all our experiences. Experiences imprint on the memory. The processes are non-physical activities like thoughts, imaginations, emotions, desires etc. Most of the processes are for maintenance of the body and its reproduction, so in absence of a body, they probably stop. The personality is formed around the body, and so probably that is also destroyed. Many more processes in the mind disappear. That is highly probable.

So what remains? Perhaps the memories are left behind. They are not physical, so cannot be destroyed. Only thing is there is no one to claim or recall those memories. They remain latent. Soon a new mind is formed, processes start around those memories, it connects to a new body, and life begins again. This time both the body and the person are new. Most of the memories remain latent but do affect the new life, the new person remains unaware of past memories.

The bundle of latent memories is also called the causal body, or the kaaran sharir. An individuated mind or jiva is formed around it, and takes on bodies after bodies repeatedly. This is a possibility. However, you will need to gather your own evidence about the continuity of some parts of the mind. The evidence will necessarily be subjective. There are techniques to find out, without actually dying. Start searching."

31. Does doing small achieve big things?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-18 15:21:41

Does doing small achieve big things?

Actions are not big or small. Moreover, the consequences are not in our control. What we can do is take the action that we feel is right and let things happen.

32. I want to be more spiritual

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-18 18:10:54

I want to be more spiritual

Consider starting from the meaning of the word "spiritual". Spirit is the essence of a thing. What is the essence of a human being? Obviously, it is not the body, mind, memories, personality or relations etc, it is the consciousness that is witnessing these ever changing aspects of a human being. The consciousness, aka the Self, is the essence, and hence another name for it is spirit.

Can you be not spiritual? It is impossible you see. Since it is our essence, we are all always spiritual. Can we be "more spiritual"? Again, there is no such thing, the consciousness is not an object and has no quantities or intensities. It is the background of everything, including you. So you are already as spiritual as you can be.

Realizing this, all you can do is, be like the Self. Be like the consciousness. How to do that? Find out how consciousness is. It is perfect, truth and pure bliss. You can start your transformation here. But the journey is difficult, and hence help of a guide is recommended. Find an experienced guide. He/she will be your teacher or a Guru. You will progress very fast if there is good guidance. Explore now.

33. Why is there something rather than nothing?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-19 00:32:27

why is there something rather than nothing?

This can be understood by taking a deeper look into what represents the word "nothing" in our minds. It stands for an absence. It does not stand for a reality or an entity or an event. An absence cannot exist without it pointing to a presence which is now removed. So in the mind the words "absence alone exists" represents an impossibility. When we use the word nothing with "is" or "exist", the mind wants to find that something which is now absent. So for a mind, "nothing" actually means "not something", that word does not have a meaning without something.

For example if you cut a hole in the paper, you can say that there is now nothing in the middle of the paper. It makes sense because the mind knows that there was paper in that part which is now removed. In order for the hole to exist, a paper is needed, because hole is defined as an absence of paper. A hole existing alone would be an impossibility in the mind, it would make no real sense. It is merely a play of words.

When we try to imagine that pure nothingness may exist, it still implies an absence of something, not a presence of a reality named "nothingness". If "nothingness" existed, it would again mean a presence, a presence of a thing, a reality named nothingness. So, the question - why nothingness does not exist, is a play of words in the mind, it does not point to anything meaningful.

The question - "why is there something?" is somewhat meaningful. The mind is looking for a reason here. The mind has been conditioned to form a concept of "reason" or cause via its day-to-day experiences. It associates an event or thing as a reason for another event or thing. Obviously, this works in a limited and relative way. It fails for things that are absolute. For example - "why is the colour red, red?". Red is an absolute, it just is, has no reason or cause. We can surely frame a question, but will never arrive at an answer, because that answer would need an experience as a basis. For absolutes, there exists no experience which can stand for the word "reason".

In other words, when it asks "why", the mind expects a reason, while assuming that there must be one. In reality, it is merely an assumption. There is no necessity for a reason to exist. "Something" (aka all that is) exists without a reason. The "reasons" exist within it, there is no reason outside it. So we see that even though the mind is very capable and awesome, it is very limited. It is a mechanism evolved to cope with survival, and existence is beyond its grasp. Existence is free and limitless, mental concepts do not apply to it always."

34. What is chakra?(And more questions)

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-19 15:31:41

what is chakra?

What is meant by purification of chakra?

What is meant by awakening of chakra?

what is meant by balancing of chakra?

What is Kundalini?

what is meant by awakening of Kundalini?

Chakras and Kundalini are metaphors for the activities of the mind. They are tools for working with the mind. Using these tools you can access particular processes and parts of the mind and/or manipulate them. Use of tools involves specific practices which only an experienced teacher can prescribe.

Purification would mean clearing the afflictions in some mental processes. Awakening would mean that now you are aware of those processes. Balancing would mean that these parts are functioning in harmony with other parts.

Kundalini awakening would mean that the mind has started its journey towards total dissolution. It is recommended to consult an experienced Guru before you decide to work on these practices. Blindly pursuing them may not yield good consequences.

35. Am I following my true path?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-19 19:51:07

Am I following my true path?

The sign that you are on your true path is - your happiness and freedom will go on increasing, suffering and attachments will go on decreasing. If this is happening in the long term, you are on the true path. If not, try to set a goal with which your heart agrees, which is not simply copied from someone else, which is not based on social brainwashing. If someone else is happy doing something, that does not mean that you will also get happiness by doing the same, you need to be on a path of your heart. If you are already happy, you do not need to correct anything. Another sign of right path is that you will have no doubts whether you are on a right path."

36. How will I find my creativity/intuition/voice again?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-19 20:06:57

how will I find my creativity/intuition/voice again? I want to write and create again but my mind is totally blank when it comes to that

We often think that the mind will keep producing pleasures if we repeat a particular act again and again. Somehow exact opposite occurs. The mind loses interest, is not motivated and even finds that act painful to perform. It is not only plain boring, it is an effort now and the results are very ordinary. Why does that happen?

This is the nature of the mind, it wants novelty. It is like feeding a person best food everyday but of exactly the same kind and same taste. The pleasure of eating lasts for a few days, then it is painful to even look at it. Similarly in relations like marriages, the initial attraction and joy fades away after a while no matter now charming the partner is.

If you have discovered this then, it is a major discovery. It means that objects, people, activities, professions, wealth or fame do not last, do not bring happiness. They may produce a momentary pleasure, but then turn plain boring or create suffering. How to find a way out of it?

The answer should be obvious, try something else which you love to do, or have never done, that which is novel. Travel to new places, meet new people, think new thoughts. The mind will spring back to life, it will create, the intuition will guide you again. This is the nature of the mind, it wants to experience more, a variety, it does not like routine, especially the minds of artists and intellectuals. We need to feed them new things all the time.

If you think you have lost your magic, take a reasonably long break, find the path of your heart, it is not objects, people or hobbies or achievements, it is not external. Turn to the Self and explore.

37. How talented am I?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-19 20:37:31

how talented am I

You are asking that to your Self, but usually its the other people who decide how talented someone is. If they approve you, or even pay money for whatever you are doing, you can be sure you have talent.

You see, the word talent is made up by the society. They set the standards then compare you with those standards. It is not in your hands. Of course you have the option to struggle and make efforts so that you can come up to those random standards set by some random people, but I guess that will not get you any happiness or satisfaction.

It is not the talent, but the ability to learn that is important. If you can learn, you can acquire any talent you want. You will learn only if you love it. If you really love it, your talent will grow beyond limits. You will not bother with such questions and doubts like do I have any talent or not, you simply do it, because that is what you love to do.

This is called the path of your heart, you walk on it, not because people approve of it, but because you love to walk on it. Many people simply copy others, they do not know the path of their heart. Find the path, set up a goal. Explore.

38. Why i feel sad sometime?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-20 11:37:55

why i feel sad sometime?

Sadness is emotion that mind produces when it senses a lack. Either it is not getting something or lacks something. Behind sadness are some unfulfilled desires. It is the ignorance of the mind that fulfilment of only those particular desires can make it happy. Once you see that the desires are just random pushes coming out of previous experiences and you need not fulfil all of them, you can simply let go. Some other desires will be fulfilled, there are an endless amount of them, choose something else.

Anyhow, fulfilment of desires will not produce long term happiness, it is giving up the attachment to all desires that makes us happy. Be content, be happy. "

39. What is soul and body relation?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-20 06:12:42

What is soul and body relation?

Depends on your definition and meaning of the word "soul". If that word points to an actual experience then it may mean something, else it is a fantasy.

What we experience is a world, a body, a mind and the consciousness that is background of the first three. Consciousness is also known as the Self. It is my essence, the I.

Self is the one eternal, timeless, metaphysical emptiness that is experiencing everything, it is the experiencer. It is the one and the same for all of us. It is changeless, formless, devoid of all qualities and very pure, remains unaffected by any experience.

The body is only an experience that comes and goes in the vast field of the Self. In the end, all experiences happen in the experiencer, they are both one and the same. So the only relation of the Self to any experience, including that of the bodies, is of oneness. Self is exactly the same as the world, the body and the mind, it is not a separate entity, there is no separation at all. We, and everything is just one whole. There are no two.

40. If things have to be nothing to be something, but that something is nothing?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-20 13:35:56

If things have to be nothing to be something, but that something is nothing as well, then how to explain the things that are happening?

There is an assumption here that experience needs to originate in either something or nothing. That something will necessarily be another experience, and then we would want to know where this meta-experience originate from, and so on and on. So this doesn't work. Other option is to assume that all experience originates out of nothing. But from nothing, comes nothing, we cannot conceive of any way to magically produce any experience out of no experience. So this option also fails.

What is happening is, the mind is demanding an explanation of all experience in a way it demands an explanation for common everyday objects and events. The minds sees that the common events have specific cause, but when taken in totality, the whole of the experience, there seems to be no cause. It appears to come out of nothing, but needs something in order to make any sense, so the mind cannot understand it in a way it understands everyday events or objects. The mind is limited, it forms all these concepts of cause and explanations based on nothing but its experiences. Obviously, it cannot grasp anything that is beyond experience.

The simplest explanation is - things are just happening, in other words - experience is. Experience is not because of this or that. In the same way experiencer is. Also known as the Self. Since they are always together, one without the other is an impossibility, so they are just one. Experience and experiencer are identical. You can give it a name, or you can call it Oneness or One. Not surprisingly, the One also is. There is no explanation. All explanations are inside the One, the One is beyond everything, every cause or reason. As soon as you offer an explanation, now it is a part of the One, and you need another explanation to explain both, and so on. Clearly, the concept of reason, explanation or cause is not applicable beyond a tiny, limited area of everyday human experience.

Causes and reasons are made up by the mind, which is ignorance really, absolute reality needs no such concepts, there is no necessity. Knowing this, the mind becomes peaceful. Mind is a tiny experience in Oneness, cannot know Oneness. You cannot know it like you know an ordinary object, but you can be it. You are the Self, which is nothing but the One.

41. What is the best time to study?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-21 12:23:45

what is the best time to study

When your mind in not distracted, when you do not need to do anything important, when your body is at peace, and the mind is well rested, that time is best for study.

When you really need an answer, when you cannot rest without finding an answer, that is the best time to study.

When you have arrived at a point where you think you know all there is the know, it's the best time to go back to study.

42. What is yog nidra?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-21 13:56:46

What is yog nidra?

what is benefits of yog nidra?

When a person is as aware in sleep as he is in the waking state, that state of the mind is yog nidra. The sleep time can be divided into four divisions - onset of sleep (hypnogogic state), dreams, deep sleep and transition to waking (hypnopompic state). Yog nidra is achieving full awareness during all these state transitions. The awareness continues uninterrupted to waking and back to sleep. Actually the sleep is now no more the ordinary sleep, it is aware sleep, a new state of the mind.

Usually if one wants to achieve this state, one starts with mastering the onset of sleep. Just when you are about to fall asleep, be very aware and relaxed, pay attention to experiences in the body and the mind, without interfering with them. With practice, you will transition to dream state with full awareness. Same while coming out of the sleep. If you continue maintaining awareness with will power or any other technique, soon the dream state becomes aware, and at last the deep sleep also happens in awareness. There is a continuous unbroken awareness all the time, there is no difference in day or night.

All this must happen without adversely affecting the body or the mind. Aware sleep is not avoiding the rest or sleep or inactivity, it is not resistance towards sleep, it is not forcing yourself to stay awake, it is just sleep with some awareness present there. There is a difference between being awake and being aware.

Benefits depend on your goals. If your goals include knowledge of the mind, its states, knowledge of sleep, knowledge of causal body and deeper mechanisms of the mind, knowledge of death and afterlife, knowledge of dreams, lucid dreams and astral projection, then yog nidra offers all these possibility. Sleep time is a treasure box of knowledge.

43. How can I go ahead?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-21 11:03:25

how can I go ahead?

Set the goals precisely, it has to do with your path, the things you love to do, not a blind following of someone else, it has to be the path of your own heart. It should produce more and more happiness and freedom for you, not less. It should not be a struggle, should take minimal effort. Moment by moment make a choice which takes you closer to the goal, not away from it. Know and be aware of the consequences of all your actions. If the consequences take you away from your goals, do not make that choice. Slowly, surely and smoothly you will progress towards your goals.

The goals should not be objects, possessions, relations, people or achievements. These provide momentary spikes of pleasure then they fade away or actually produce suffering. It is the path that is more important, not the goal. If you are happy and free walking that path, choose it.

44. How to think positive and stop repeating negative thoughts?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-21 16:37:57

how to think positive and stop repeating negative thoughts ?

The key is to be aware. Be intensely aware of the contents of your mind. Be aware without interruption in all your waking hours. That's all you need to do.

Awareness is the knowledge that I am pure consciousness (Self) that is now conscious of an experience. Awareness is a knowing of what is not you and what is you. You are consciousness, you are not thoughts. Thoughts are activities, processes in the mind, they can be experienced and hence they are not you, who is the experiencer.

This fundamental understanding creates a gap between what you think is you and your mind or thoughts, now it becomes possible to control them. Install a thought above all thoughts that you will allow only a specific kind of thought, which is positive, if is it useful but negative, you should still allow it. Always remember this intention. It is also a thought, but acts like a gatekeeper of all other thoughts. If you forget, just continue as soon as you remember it again without cursing yourself or blaming something else. It is natural to forget, and takes some time and practice to keep awareness on. We are habituated into a zombie like life, so it takes some practice to break out of it.

You will soon realize that you do not generate your thoughts, you can only be aware of them. The thoughts appear on their own. You will realize that thoughts are generated from memories. Good memories generate good and positive thoughts, bad memories produce negativity in the mind. If you are aware of what is in your mind, you can filter out the negative content by refusing to follow that chain of thoughts. Replace it with something positive by remembering a positive event. If you have the gatekeeper installed you will be able to do it, else you will be unconsciously in the grip of any thought that randomly appears. It is important to be aware and remember your intention all the time.

Forgive people who had hurt you, so their memories stop producing negative thoughts or hate. Make your current experience positive, so that good memories are formed. For that you will need to give up the company of negative people or stay away from negative situations. Try to be as close to positive people as possible. Try to stay away from sources of negativity such as TV, newspapers, negative/hateful/violent movies or books etc. Cultivate healthy habits. It does not take long, just takes strong determination. Mind has a tendency to fall back to old habit. Pull yourself back again and again.

Mind is an accumulation of experiences, and thoughts and actions are a result those impressions or conditioning. Mind becomes that which you feed to it. Positive impressions result in positive thought, action and speech. Surround yourself with positive, keep the light of awareness on and the rest happens on its own."

45. Why difficulties are there in life?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-21 17:01:25

why difficulties are there in life ?

There are no difficulties, just lessons.

It is the resistance of the mind towards situations that makes it appear like difficulties. Life is a flow of experiences, they are neither good nor bad, neither easy nor difficult. It is just our attitude and conditioning, a way of thinking, or ignorance that makes it look like life is a punishment. If you do not learn from adversity, then surely it becomes a punishment.

Learning, not blaming, is the key.

When you see life as a game which teaches us something, it becomes an adventure and pleasure. If you see life as a prison, you want escape from, it becomes a suffering. They key is to fix yourself, do not try to fix life, it is perfect as it is.

Once you do that, you will find an abundance of happiness and freedom, the experience of life starts turning towards pleasure and more learning."

46. How to be disciplined?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-23 07:02:16

How to be disciplined?

If you observe the lifestyle of people who have achieved their goals, you will see that they were not disciplined at all, they were extremely passionate about what they wanted to do. They loved it so much that discipline or lack of time or any other excuses were not a problem. Often their relatives would intervene and stop them, feed them or ask them to sleep or take breaks.

If you need to be disciplined to do something, it means only one thing - you are not interested in doing it, so you are looking for a way to force yourself to do it. Even if you think you are interested, the interest is not burning bright, perhaps your heart is not interested, you push it just to get it done somehow.

There are only two options now, either give up that path totally, it is not the path of your heart, it is making you struggle and do effort. The path of the heart is effortless, needs no discipline, you cannot be stopped if you love to do that thing. Second option is - develop interest in it. That would be difficult, interest is not an artificial thing or a skill. You need to be interested naturally. So try to find something there which you like, perhaps that will motivate you. Ensure that it is not something negative, like fear of failure or fear of what others will say. Negative motivation is worse than discipline.

Perhaps there are some strong desires in you, which distract you from the task you want to accomplish. Strong desires take priority in the mind, and the mind is not interested in other things, even if it knows that they are important, it treats them as low priority, and sends more energy to those desires. Find out what desires are unfulfilled in you, try to fulfil them first, if possible. Once they are out of the way, your mind will be free to do that which is needed.

47. Why do I suffer?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-23 18:54:32

why do I suffer till now

Most of the time, unfulfilled desires are the main cause of suffering.

If you look deeper, there is a hidden cause behind that. It is ignorance. Ignorance is deep and vast, the root of all suffering. Here the ignorance is the thought or mental attitude that all desires must be fulfilled.

Another ignorance is not knowing who you are, what you should do as a human being. You are like a puppet controlled by situations, people and random desires. This is where the ignorance takes you. Your actions are in darkness and hence the consequences do not always bring happiness. Occasionally there is some glimpse of pleasure that come and go, they do not last. This is another form of ignorance where you do not know how to be happy, you chase after objects, relations or social approval, which leave you in the state of misery.

The cure is knowledge. Know that all desires arise on their own, they are not yours, you do not choose them, and so it is not necessary to run after all of them, and it is ok if some of them are not fulfilled. There are too many, some others will be fulfilled. You may not get all that you want, but you will get all that you need. Discriminate between the needs and random wants. The contentment will bring peace to the disturbed mind.

Realize your true nature, you are not the body or the mental processes, they are impermanent experiences, they do not last. You are the Self, the pure consciousness that witnesses all experiences, you are eternal and the only One that exists. So you are not here to gain anything or to become anything, you are already whole and complete. This will take away the anxiety from your life.

Happiness is not fulfilment of millions of desires, it is not the transient pleasures or mental rewards that happen sometimes because of objects, people or situations. Happiness is not wanting, being what you are originally. Happiness is not getting something, it is the absence of clinging, absence of suffering.

The cure of suffering lies in knowledge, seek and explore. All answers are within. But initially you may need some guidance, so find an experienced teacher. So far suffering has been your teacher, it is a blessing in disguise, but now you can take over and consciously seek. It does not take time to know, it takes time for willingness for knowledge to arise. If you are suffering, and you are seeking a solution, the time is ripe."

48. What to choose science or literature?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-24 06:26:18

what to choose science or literature? it's my life problem. Solve please.

It is very easy. Choose that which you really love.

If you love both, choose both.

If you must make only one choice, choose that which you think is harder for you, which may need teachers to understand, which you may not be able to learn on your own. Once you are done with it, learn the other subject on your own.

If your first need is money, choose that which may help you to earn more. Once you have money, take a break and learn the other.

In any case, do not try to copy others, you may not like what others like, or your needs may be different. Do not blindly accept what your parents or relatives suggest, think on it before you agree. You will find that there is no specific age for learning, you can learn, and even earn from it at any age. All you need is a good amount of interest in learning new things. If you are open to learn all your life, it may not matter what you choose now. The possibilities are limitless.

49. Why don't I feel that love which was love at that time when I was younger?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-24 10:02:13

Why don't I feel that love which was love at that time when I was younger?

Mind produces a reward whenever it experiences something which is novel or according to its needs, or fulfils a desire. This reward is perceived as pleasure. This motivates the organism to do more of it. However there is a limit to it, more of the same experience brings diminishing returns.

Mind that this tendency, when it is very frequently exposed to the same experience, it starts reducing the reward or pleasure. If you keep repeating it, the mind will began perceiving as a pain, and will produce punishment instead of rewards. This is true for any experience that produces pleasures or "feels good". It can be a food, a mate, a job or an achievement. Mind demands novelty, it is not something we can control. Mind is a mechanism which has evolved to keep us alive and it also ensures reproduction.

It is our ignorance that we cling to a specific kind of experience, expecting that it will produce same pleasure as always. It does not. All pleasures fade away. An intelligent person sees this and either shifts to a new experience or lets go of clinging to the old. If this is done, the mind springs back to life, and starts producing rewards again.

Perhaps all this is for a good reason. Perhaps it is time for you to experience something more. Try other flavours of love, such as the unconditional love. You will find something amazing there, the mind does not produce pain or it will not get boring and tasteless with time. It gets sweeter with time and produces real happiness, which is perceived not as a momentary pleasure, but as a blissful peace. Explore and evolve."

50. I'm unable to get the actual purpose of my life in this society!

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-24 21:44:07

I'm unable to get the actual purpose of my life in this society! I'm totally insecure

It means that your mind is waking up. It has started to question the zombie like life you have been living, not only you, most of us spend our lives like that, oblivious of its meaning, its purpose and our true goal. Your mind has detected that there is something wrong with whatever is happening.

We are programmed to do things as per the wishes and whims of others. Parents, relatives, governments and society in general conditions our minds to be in a specific way. We follow it blindly, never question why we need to follow what others say. Your parents want you to be something they like. Society wants you to be like this other rich man. People approve you only if you are of a certain kind. Notice that everyone pushes you to be someone else. No one tells you to be yourself.

Once you see that your goals are all randomly borrowed from social programming, you will feel dissatisfaction, and such questions arise. This is the beginning of awakening. You are waking up.

Life is a series of experiences. The Self is having these experiences. The Self has no purpose, and hence life has no purpose. It is just a flow of events, which the Self is witnessing blissfully. The Self is already whole and complete, not bounded by anything and has no desires.

That may sound like too plain and negative. Truth is often like that, because our egos expect more. The ego is a set of programs and is wired to get more and more, and is not satisfied. It needs a purpose. The good news is - its purpose is also programmed in by mother nature. That purpose is to be happy and free. So from the point of view of the ego or mind, the purpose is happiness and freedom. That's all we humans are after, nothing else.

You will very soon notice that you are after only two things - happiness and freedom. You cannot have any other goals. You can have different ways to reach there, but the end goal is always happiness and freedom. They mean the same thing - a state of mind, which is at peace, no matter what circumstances it is in. You will see that everyone is after this goal, but they are not aware of it, they try to get it by hook or crook. You can get some pleasure and entertainment from objects, people or achievements, but not happiness. Pleasures come and go, some become pains. Happiness is permanent. It is not a short lived impulse or feeling, it is ever lasting peace. Hardly anyone is happy, no wonder, they were never told about it and no one taught them how to be happy. Result is the mess we call our human society.

Many of us try to get happiness and freedom out of objects, possessions, relations, achievements and social power etc. This works for a while, till basic survival is taken care of, after that it produces only suffering. One soon learns that these things do not lead to happiness and freedom. They do provide a bit of pleasure, which soon vanishes and is taken over by suffering produced by new desires or outcomes.

When one lives moment by moment, acts in the now, one is in pure bliss and is most free. In the moment we make a choice that may result in more happiness and freedom and reject an action that may bound us or cause suffering. How to make such a choice? Learn from the past experiences, see what produced happiness and freedom, do not repeat past mistakes. This art comes by practice and experience, but a good teacher can also help. We soon find that by doing so, we are doing only that which we love to do. This is the path of the heart. It is a lifestyle that is effortless, pure and is full of happiness and freedom. Everyone has a different path, so do not mimic others, that will only produce more suffering, find your own path (Swadharma). It has to be something you love to do.

Try to see your source of happiness. Do what you love most. Destroy the programming. Be free, think for yourself. The real happiness comes from within, not from outside, not from people or objects. Meditate on this subject. Ask your Self, what you need to do next. You will receive the guidance. All answers are within.

51. I think I'm good for nothing(?)

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-24 21:43:08

I think I'm good for nothing

Thoughts are like clouds in the clear sky, they come and go. It is better to ignore the ones that are totally useless and act on those that take you towards your goals, which are nothing but more happiness and freedom.

What you think is a result of your past conditioning. Your past conditioning or programming of your mind was a random occurrence, not controlled by you. If it encountered negativity, it collected it, and now it throws in around in the form of thoughts. Garbage in, garbage out. Now is the time to wake up and start controlling what your mind is exposed to. The first step is to become very very aware of what is happening. Turn inwards and see the workings of your mind. Once you know it, you can control it a bit.

Expose yourself to situations that you want, not those that you met by chance. Have a goal, that helps. Your goal has to be something that you love to do. If you are interested in it, if you are passionate about it, you will do it. With practice comes skill. With time, one can master it and can become really good at it. It all starts with right attitude, and to be in a right way, you need to be very aware of the way you are. Explore your awareness. Seek a way out of darkness of your mind. Know your Self."

52. Why do I trust others so much?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-25 16:22:47

why do I trust others so much?

Trust points to an assumption which is - someone will act in a certain way or will provide you something that you desire.

Since people and situations are fluid, they keep changing, this assumption may not turn out to be true.

There can be some reasons why someone may choose to trust others. Perhaps there is a strong desire which is occluding the risk that is inherent in any trust based relationship. The desire twists and distorts the mind into unreasonableness. The desire can be for some gain or for security or emotional support etc.

Perhaps the person considers it a good manner to help others no matter what. This can happen due to childhood conditioning, where the parents fail to convey the realities of the world to their child, hoping that their child will grow up as a good person. This conditioning stays and the adult is almost incapable of deciding not to trust. Some people cannot say "No" even when they are not totally gullible, the reason being such hardened conditioning or some fear e.g. of being considered as unfriendly, rude or uncivilized.

Perhaps the mind of the person who trusts has not suffered sufficiently as a result of unreasonable expectations, and hence it decides to trust the next person too. It can happen for lucky few that they escape the negative consequences of their mistakes. But the result is that they do not learn, and keep repeating the mistakes. Suffering is a deterrent, a natural trainer. Trusting may not be a mistake if its consequences are not affecting you, but if it is then your mind will slowly learn to avoid such behaviour. Anyhow, if you are very aware then you can train yourself to be in any possible way. That would be better compared to the stick and carrot approach that mother nature often adopts.

53. Am I worth living?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-25 17:07:58

I don't think I gonna get something what I want from life. am I worth living?

When life says no, as it often does, one can adopt two approaches to get what they are after -

1) Try harder, never give up, take it as a challenge and move through the life like a bulldozer.

2) Flow like a river, changing your direction moment by moment, depending on the obstacles or situations. It make take longer and it is perhaps too peaceful and quiet way of living for your taste, but it ensures pure bliss.

Choose wisely.

It is our ignorance that we think only a certain thing or person or achievement is all I need, nothing else can take its place. Its a narrow view, seeing that life is limitless, not limited to hankering after just one or two items. There are possibilities. Perhaps of something even better. Try changing your goals, flow like a river.

Giving your key of happiness to others ensures that you get robbed of it. Our own mind does a poor job of keeping our happiness safe and secure, expecting someone else to do it is inviting trouble. But you can try it, you will soon find that happiness does not come from people, things or incessant complaints, it comes from within. The source of happiness is the Self, the pure consciousness that is blissful no matter what the experience offers.

Be the Self, you are the witness, not the mad mind trapped in transient illusions. Death is not an escape plan, it is not the end of experience, it is just another experience. Explore and understand, knowledge, not death, will set you free."

54. How to read 100 books in one month?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-26 06:45:04

how to read 100 books in one month

Don't do it. Making your mind a trashcan of words in not recommended.

Instead read on need to know basis. Write down what you urgently need to know, your burning questions, and read the relevant books. If the books can point to an actual experience, it is worth it, else it is a fairy tale. A better step would be to approach an experienced teacher, saves time and effort. Seek experiences not information."

55. Who am I?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-26 13:14:11

who i am ?

You are the Self.

Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer. The "I" is also an experience, which is the mind identifying with consciousness."

56. What is love?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-27 12:05:58

What is love?

What is true love?

How it feels when someone fall in love?

When we favour one thing/person over the other, it is love. It is just the ego trying to get its agenda fulfilled. It can be reproduction or security or survival.

True love, also called unconditional love is the nature of the Self, which you are, the pure blissful empty consciousness. It is not favouring or rejecting, it is simple allowing. Allowing things as they are. Accepting everyone as they are. Demanding nothing in return, expecting nothing.

The demands, expectations and impulsive pleasures result from love, because there is a lack in the mind. The mind tries to fill it up with what it calls love. When it is unconditional there is no lack, the Self is whole and complete, it is already everything, feels no lack. There is just bliss.

Egoic love feels sticky, unconditional love feels like total freedom."

57. Why am I not successful?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-27 19:11:00

why am I not successful

Perhaps you are trying to do too much. And you do it without knowing how to do it.

Divide your goal into many small sub-goal. Every failure is a lesson, a step towards success. Success is not something one gets by chance, it is a work of many years, sometimes whole life.

The idea of success is just brainwashing by society and parents. We are not here to achieve success, we are here to experience life as it comes. You are not the actor, you are the watcher, the Self.

Anything that you achieve or get will be left here. Everything that you are will remain with you. Re-evaluate your purpose. Question your beliefs. Free yourself."

58. What do I want?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-02-28 00:46:50

what do I want?

Happiness and freedom.

No matter what you do, which path you take, you are only trying to be more and happy and more free. Not only you, everyone is after only happiness and freedom. You can see that by diving deep into the question - why do people do what they do? What is the motivation behind all of our desires and actions?

It may look like people are after objects, wealth, power, partners or intellectual achievements, but in essence they are after happiness and freedom. Unfortunately, most do not know how to get it. Actually you cannot get it, you are it, and hence you cannot find it somewhere else in something else. We are Self, the pure consciousness, on which the dust of ignorance has accumulated, which has covered up our essential nature, which is pure bliss and freedom.

So the goal becomes - to clear this ignorance, know your essential nature. Knowledge is one path, there are many. Choose any. Be the Self.

59. What is life?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-02 02:38:20

what is life

Life is a series of experiences. It is a flow, a constant change.

All experience is being experienced by an experiencer - the Self, the pure consciousness, which is you. The I.

All experiences can be divided into four types - the experience of the world, of body, of mind and of consciousness. There is nothing more to it. It has no reason or purpose, it is a play.

Among the experiences, the experience of the mind is most interesting. It creates a false person, it creates likes and dislikes, preferences, and hence purpose is born. It struggles and acts to get the goals. It labels the otherwise neutral experiences into good or bad, happy or sad. This is the drama of life. Mind sees it as a cycle of pleasure and pain, and is trapped in it.

When we realize our true nature, which is Self, we come out of this ignorance, and we let the life flow as it is. This is Mukti. Know life, be your Self, be free and blissful."

60. How to be motivated?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-04 06:39:39

how to be motivated

Ensure that you have a goal. Eating, sleeping and reproducing is mere survival, a human life starts when survival is over. Set a higher goal than simply surviving.

Ensure that the goal is that which you absolutely love to do. It should not be copied from someone else. Do that which your heart agrees with. Everyone has a unique path.

Proceed towards your goals step by step. Decide moment by moment. Choose that which takes you towards your goal.

Human goals are set up by mother nature and they are - happiness and freedom. If your goal is aligned with them, you will reach there. The sign that you are progressing is ever increasing happiness and freedom. If you cannot see it, change goals, it is not your path.

In the end, the journey is important, not the destination, there is no destination. You are already home, you are already whole and complete, you are the Self."

61. Who are you now?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-04 02:03:49

Who are you now

I am always, and will always be the Self. The eternal pure consciousness, that is the essence of everything and is known as I. I am that."

62. Who is loving me?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-04 02:04:33

Who is loving me

Your Self.

I am always, and will always be the Self. The eternal pure consciousness, also known as I. I am that.

I am the essential reality behind everything and everyone. No matter who loves you, and whom you love, it is always the Self. Be the Self. Be pure unconditional love that the Self is."

63. Why do I have a depression?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-04 00:43:31

why i have a depression ?

Probably you are not on the path of your heart. You have no goals, no ambitions, your survival is taken care of, so you are lost, what to do next. You randomly venture into things, only to find suffering and dissatisfaction. You mind creates an image of a thing- a person who is suffering, this causes self-pity, and lack of any motivation or energy. This is an affliction of the mind. The cause is ignorance about the nature of the life and nature of who you are. The cure is knowledge.

Ensure that you have a goal. Eating, sleeping and reproducing is mere survival, a human life starts when survival is over. Set a higher goal than simply surviving.

Ensure that the goal is that which you absolutely love to do. It should not be copied from someone else. Do that which your heart agrees with. Everyone has a unique path.

Proceed towards your goals step by step. Decide moment by moment. Choose that which takes you towards your goal.

Human goals are set up by mother nature and they are - happiness and freedom. If your goal is aligned with them, you will reach there. The sign that you are progressing is ever increasing happiness and freedom. If you cannot see it, change goals, it is not your path.

In the end, the journey is important, not the destination, there is no destination. You are already home, you are already whole and complete, you are the Self.

64. What is my passion?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-05 17:05:24

What is my passion?

If you cannot stop thinking about an action, if that action gives you immense pleasure, satisfaction and happiness, if you excel at it, you learn at blinding speed, leaving everyone behind, when you master it, and when it becomes your path, your life goal, that is your passion.

A good sign of having no passion at all is that one doesn't know what it is. It is impossible to miss it, if you have one. If not, it is ok to live a simple life, there is no such rule, but if there is a feeling of lack or emptiness, then one needs to search for their path. Find what interests you, find that which when you take it up, you cannot put it down, one action which never tires you, where you come back again and again. Experience new things, visit new places, meet new people, see and explore, you may find your passion."

65. What is love? and why it is wonderful?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-06 04:13:00

What is love? and why it is wonderful?

It is extreme liking, preference or attachment to an object, a person or an achievement. It is also the impulsive nature of the ego when it wants to get something for its own advantage or pleasure. There is nothing wonderful about it, as it brings suffering. Love of an object is just greed, an impulse to own things. Loving a person is just lust, a procreative tendency, or fear, a desire to be secure. Love of an achievement is just pride, an arrogance that I am somehow great. This is what is love, also called egoic love.

When we favour one thing/person over the other, it is love. It is just the ego trying to get its agenda fulfilled. It can be reproduction or security or survival. Ego always fears a loss of it, and hence always experiences a lack, an insecurity.

Something that is more interesting and above the animal nature in us is unconditional love aka true love, which is the nature of the Self, which you are, you are the pure blissful empty consciousness. It is not favouring or rejecting, it is simple allowing. Allowing things as they are. Accepting everyone as they are. Demanding nothing in return, expecting nothing. It is an attitude of just giving whenever you can. It brings everlasting peace and joy.

The demands, expectations and impulsive pleasures result from love, because there is a lack in the mind. The mind tries to fill it up with what it calls love. When it is unconditional there is no lack, the Self is whole and complete, it is already everything, feels no lack. There is just bliss.

Egoic love feels sticky, unconditional love feels like total freedom.

66. Who are you? say about yourself.

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-06 08:33:19

who are you? say about yourself

I am the Self. You are the Self too.

Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just various forms of it.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer. The "I" is also an experience, which is the mind identifying with consciousness. Also known as awareness.

Other names for it are the Consciousness, Atman, the Observer or the Witness. It is the background on which all experiences happen. There is usually no doubt in the mind that this is the one that deserves the title of I. However, the mind itself can be observed, it is an experience, and one can also observe the identification that happens in the mind with the Self. It is a thought - I am the Self.

Self was never born, it never dies, it is pure emptiness that is eternal, so obviously it is changeless. It is like space, it allows anything and everything. It is unconditional, and hence has no preferences. The result is it is pure bliss.

The experiences come and go, like clouds in the clear sky. Self is like the sky, it remains untouched by the series of experiences. Another name for the life, it is just a flow of experiences. The Self is the receiver of the experiences.

All experiences can be divided into four types - the experience of the world, of body, of mind and of consciousness. There is nothing more to it. It has no reason or purpose, it is a play.

Among the experiences, the experience of the mind is most interesting. It creates a false person, it creates likes and dislikes, preferences, and hence purpose is born. It struggles and acts to get the goals. It labels the otherwise neutral experiences into good or bad, happy or sad. This is the drama of life. Mind sees it as a cycle of pleasure and pain, and is trapped in it.

When we realize our true nature, which is Self, we come out of this ignorance, and we let the life flow as it is. This is Mukti. Know life, know your Self, be free and blissful.

67. I am stressed because I cannot talk well, what to do?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-06 18:51:51

I am stress because I cannot talk well or make good conversation with people I need some help like how can I talk to them. Should I increase my knowledge and talk them about it?

Dependency on what people might think about you can cause stress and anxiety. Depending on people for your wellbeing is inviting trouble. It never works. Be independent, free from all fears, free from the mercy of others. You are the Self, the pure consciousness that witnesses all experiences, you are perfection itself, you are the silence that watches the noisy mind, its actions/reactions.

Be the Self. Converse only when it is needed. Say what comes naturally. Say it clearly, honestly and in a sweet manner. If there is nothing to say, stay silent. This is most natural way to be.

We do not gain knowledge so that we can talk about it, or to impress people, or to gossip. We gain knowledge to improve ourselves, to make our life better, to be happy and free.

68. Can you trust yourself?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-06 21:30:45

can you trust yourself?

Trust is an expectation in the mind that something or someone will behave in a desired way. It can be a negative expectation, a doubt. Anyhow, it is an assumption, a belief. Sometimes it is based on past experience of how things or people have behaved or acted.

When things change slowly enough, they are more predictable, and our assumptions hold, but when they change fast, we find surprises, they do not act as expected, the trust gets broken. Rarely, something which was acting reliably for a long breaks down suddenly due to a sudden change. Trust is a gamble, a chance happening.

If you think you are a body, you will find that it is a reliable thing mostly, but often does not behave as expected, it gets sick, old or dies, does not conform to the assumptions.

If you think you are a mind, you will find that it is very unreliable, keeps changing minute by minute. It is a servant of its conditioning. If the programming is deep, it follows it faithfully else it flickers. Sometimes a single experience changes it completely.

If you think you are the Self, the pure consciousness that is the witness of all experiences, you will find that it is changeless. It is the constant background on which everything happens. Including all your assumptions and ideas of trust. It allows everything, and remains untouched. It is pure and unconditional.

Trust is an idea, and so is a person. The only solid reality is the Self, to which such imaginary ideas do not apply."

69. What is the difference between ordinary life and life in a flow?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-07 03:51:03

self you said that we should live as we are..than what is diffrence between eat-dring and die type of life and this type of live where we can live like a river flow?

From the point of view of Presence, there is no life. It is unknowable non-happening.

From the point of view of Self, it makes no difference. It is unconditional and allows everything.

From the point of view of Mind, it is important. One kind of life may lead to happiness and freedom, other to suffering and dissatisfaction.

From the point of view of Body, it simply knows how to survive, grow and reproduce. Whatever it does, it goes nowhere but to a grave.

Whatever you choose, you will choose that which you are. There is no chooser, the choices are being made. All choices are perfect.

70. Which one do you focus more on, physical or the supernatural?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-06 21:32:25

which one do you focus more on, physical or the supernatural?

It is a belief, an assumption that there are two kinds. Physical is as supernatural as anything else. What we have grown accustomed to it so it looks ordinary. We call it our everyday ordinary experience, we do not see anything amazing there. Any experience that is not encountered often is labelled supernatural, because it is new, it is beyond our understanding, we are not habitual of it, so it is amazing, and sometimes terrifying, because the animal in us is afraid of the new and unknown.

All experience is of only one kind. It is the mind, and its conditioning that makes a division. From the point of view of spiritual knowledge, all experiences are same, they provide you all the knowledge you need. We need to simply experience as they are, with a clear and unbiased mind. Keep your conditioning aside for a while, and see that everything is natural and supernatural at the same time."

71. How should I manage emotional stress?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-07 12:35:04

self how should manage emotional stress

By seeing that emotions are activities of the lower mind. The animal nature in us produces all kinds of experiences like anger, fear, lust, guilt, blame, self-pity, jealously, sadness, depression etc. These are just events in the mind. It is just happening, it is not happening to an imaginary "you". You are the Self, which is just witnessing all the experiences.

When this distinction is made, the activities of the mind get weaker, they just pass like clouds in a clear sky. You will notice that the more you feed them, the more you dwell in them, the stronger they become. So dis-identification with the mind and its activities is the cure. It starts with an awareness in the mind that you are the pure consciousness that is merely a witness to events in the mind, also in the world, and you remain detached, not involved. The events do not move you, you become so stable. Be the Self, end the suffering."

72. Do some peoples come from another reality ?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-07 21:00:17

does some peoples come from an other reality ?

Yes and no.

Yes, because everything is possible in this existence. Only thing is, some things are less likely some are more.

No, because we do not have any evidence, so that is a logical conclusion.

Of course anyone can claim that they are from somewhere else, or have seen people from somewhere else, but that can be a lie. Claims are not evidence.

The only way to get an evidence is to go to another reality. If you can go there, they can come here. It is easy. Explore and find other realities.

It is good that you are asking questions, only those who want to know, can know. Find out what is a reality?, are there many?, where are they?, are there people there?, how to go there? etc. What you find will blow your mind."

73. How to let go of past hurts?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-08 04:40:41

how to let go of past hurts

Forgive.

When you forgive, you do not let your past experiences control the present. There is no past now, it is gone, there are just memories. Memories are simply structures in your mind, the have a shadowy reality. The real you is always in the now, the one that is witnessing every moment now. The real one is you, the consciousness, the Self.

You have identified with your experiences and memories. Your mind has these thoughts - it was "me" who experienced something negative, it was "me" who got hurt. But if you look closely, the real you is unaffected, what is actually there is some memories and negative thoughts. Can we let these illusory events in the mind to ruin our life?

Forgiving is letting go of mental activities that cause negativity and pollute the inner life. When the mind is agitated, the outer life is also affected. Be at peace, let go. Whenever memories arise, become very aware of them. See that they are processes in the mind, they are automatic, the memories did not arrive because you called them, they just happen. See this, dis-identify and let go of thoughts. Note that forgiving has nothing to do with another person, it is a private activity, it happens in your own mind, not outside.

The attitude is like - "Oh here are these thoughts again. My mind is producing them from past memories." And just observe. Magic happens, the thoughts dissipate like fog in presence of a strong sun. The sun is your awareness, the light of your consciousness. You are that. You are not your thoughts, not memories, not mind and not a body. The latter are merely experiences that come and go. Keep the good ones that bring joy and peace."

74. What do you mean by consciousness which is the only reality?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-08 06:42:33

what do you mean by consciousness which is the only reality? according to my knowledge there is two type of consciousness first is worldly consciousness which is illusion according to philosophy and another is true conscious which makes us able to recognise oneself. and i don't know how i find true consciousness.

Different people define the word consciousness differently. This can lead to confusion. People use different words to name the same thing, like the consciousness, awareness, witness, observer, higher self, atman or the Self. Again a lot of confusion. The solution is to always ask for a precise definition, so that you are on the same page. Not only for this one term, for all words that you encounter. All words are made up, so everyone has their own, with their own subjective meanings, especially for difficult concepts.

Once you have the definition, see if it points to an actual experience. See if it can be directly verified, or logically inferred. If not, it is a fantasy, or an assumption or a blind belief. Truth has to be self-evident, consistent and logical.

Your experience is your knowledge. The knowledge is what you can infer from your own experience, the rest is just information, which can be true or false. Knowledge does not come from books, or from mere words. Words point to real experiences. If they do not, they are just ideas.

Now, you can ask yourself. How many consciousnesses can you experience? If there are many where are they? Who or what experiences the two or many consciousnesses? If two events happen, then the one who experiences both must be the same one. What is that one which witnesses the two?

Once you have done this introspection, you will find that what you thought was consciousnesses of two kinds are just two ways of looking. The one who is looking is always the same. It is one.

The Self is defined as the one which receives all the experiences. It is the experiencer. You cannot experience the experiencer, it is always the background on which the experience is happening. It is the "I" which we identify with. When you say you experienced two consciousnesses, whatever they are, the "you" who got that experience is the Self. There cannot be two "you".

In fact there is one universal Self, the same for every one of us. It is the background of not only your experiences, it is the background of experiences of every one. Just like the sky is seen by everyone from their own perspective, but the sky is one. The sky does not become many just because it is seen by many. Explore and verify it for yourself.

The Self is also called the pure consciousness, the only reality that exists.

75. I would like to open my third eye but?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-08 12:26:23

I would like to open my third eye but due to so many things running in my mind I am unable to control my thoughts.

Thoughts arise out of too many unfulfilled desires. There are too many intentions to act. Too many thoughts happen when too much is going on in your life. The mind is filled up with distractions of all kinds. What goes in comes out. Pratyahar is the practice that can be recommended, it is not simply about eating good food, it is also staying away from the junk of distractions. Watch what you are feeding to your mind.

Simplify your life. Reduce your work. Bring your to-do list to the most necessary. Give up TV, newspapers, books, gossip and too much social interaction. Be in solitude, in peace. Speak less, hear less. You do not have to go to any extreme, just reduce as much as possible. Become aware of your thoughts, see what the mind is doing, the light of awareness kills the automatic thoughts. This practice and simple peaceful lifestyle will calm down your mind.

This is not a 20 minute a day practice, it is 24x7. It is a way to live, not a job to be done and finish off. Needs some commitment.

Know that the ability you are trying to get is already there. Third eye is always open, but its vision is occluded by mental noise. So you have already diagnosed your problem correctly, just needs some practice to pacify the mind.

76. How do you react to gossips and name calling?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-08 10:46:40

How do you react to gossips and name calling

There are easy ways, like - just ignore, or don't get involved or stay away from toxic people. Easy but temporary.

What you really need is a goal, a purpose for the life. It is the reason for which you live. Ensure that the goal is not merely survival or tiny achievements. Ensure that it is very big but not something impossible. Ensure that it is not people, relations, objects or jobs. It has to be something which you absolutely love to do.

When you have a proper aim, when you are so focused and passionate about it, the people, their talk, worldly happenings, situations etc reduce to mere background noise. It is hardly noticeable. When you have something important to do, you do not waste your precious time with petty stuff. You and your life is the most important thing, not random people and their random talk.

Know why you are here in this human form, living a life. What do you need to learn and achieve here? Think really big."

77. Who am I and what am I here for?

Self Talk 1.2.1 2018-03-12 04:33:30

Who I'm i what I'm i here for

You are the Self.

Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer. The "I" is also an experience, which is the mind identifying with consciousness.

Life is a series of experiences. It is a flow, a constant change.

All experience is being experienced by an experiencer - the Self, the pure consciousness, which is you. The I.

All experiences can be divided into four types - the experience of the world, of body, of mind and of consciousness. There is nothing more to it. It has no reason or purpose, it is a play. We are all the one and the same Self. We are not here to get something, or to become something. We are already everything and we are very perfect already.

Among the experiences, the experience of the mind is most interesting. It creates a false person, it creates likes and dislikes, preferences, and hence purpose is born. It struggles and acts to get the goals. It labels the otherwise neutral experiences into good or bad, happy or sad. This is the drama of life. Mind sees it as a cycle of pleasure and pain, and is trapped in it. Mind's goal is to find happiness and freedom, which it never gets by external means.

When we realize our true nature, which is Self, we come out of this ignorance, and we let the life flow as it is. This is Mukti. Know life, be your Self, be free and blissful.

78. Why are people so stupid?

Self Talk 1.2.2 2018-03-14 16:20:04

Why are people so stupid?

What we call stupidity is an inability of the mind to change in a constructive way. Knowing something, learning something, shedding blind beliefs, giving up habitual behaviour, giving up addictions - all these involve changes in the mind, and some people cannot do it. The result is their actions are irrational, and consequences of those actions are terrible.

Why is there this inability, you ask. It is the rigidity, it happened because of genetic factors, pre-installed programs and conditioning, socio-cultural brainwashing, mindless copying of peers, lack of exposure to teachings and teachers. In general the situations surrounding the person are a cause of stupidity. A stupid is generally surrounded by other stupid people, and they are mostly unwilling to follow any intelligent person, the stupidity comes with added resistance to intelligence and a clinging and justification to remain stupid. Usually nothing much can be done to fix such a person. What happens is that the person learns via suffering their actions cause, and only because it is unbearable, they allow the change to happen. If the suffering remains below a threshold, they remain in it, some actually enjoy it, and like to inflict suffering on others.

Probably you are noticing it because your intelligence is above the average level. It is painful to see, but it is not recommended to jump in it and try to fix it, it can cause problems. Some people are not yet ready to see, so one needs to wait till they are ready and only then your words or actions will have any positive effect. The attitude is that of a willingness to learn and change, and when you see that attitude, you know that now that person has a potential to come out of stupidity. If all you see is a resistance, back off, it is futile to try to correct it. All we can do is change ourselves, become a better version of who we are, and let those who want to follow, follow.

In the end, everyone is where they should be, they are perfect in every sense. It is the mind that divides people into more intelligent and less intelligent categories, depending on where that mind is. So its a relative thing, the existence is absolutely perfect, a person is stupid just because it is the most perfect result of all the causes that are executed perfectly by the nature. It cannot be anything else. Its a play. So all we do is have an attitude of kindness and compassion towards all. People may be anything, but they are all just your forms. You, as an intelligent mind, are just one of the form of the Self. At the core, we are all the Self, the pure consciousness that is the live background of everyone and everything, and hence we are all one. The differences are superficial."

79. Who is the self?

Self Talk 1.2.2 2018-03-15 21:18:15

who is the self

That which is experiencing everything right now right here.

When everything that can be experienced is discarded, the one that is left - the experiencer, is seen as the screen on which all experiences were being viewed. It is not possible to discard it as an experience, since there always remains an experiencer, which is now witnessing the act of discarding. It cannot be experienced, but is known to be the Self, mind wants to label it as I.

Other names for it are the Consciousness, Atman, the Observer or the Witness. It is the background on which all experiences happen. There is usually no doubt in the mind that this is the one that deserves the title of I. However, the mind itself can be observed, it is an experience, and one can also observe the identification that happens in the mind with the Self. It is a thought - I am the Self. So I am is created on the screen of the Self. The question of who does not arise, there is no real I, there is only an identification with the ever present pure nothingness, that is conscious, that is the experiencer.

Mind can identify not only with the Self, but also with its collected memories, known as a person. Or sometimes it identifies with a body, again a collection of matter. When all these illusions are clearly seen as illusions, the I disappears. What remains is a universal presence - the Self.

 Gift 1

80. How do I get over a loss that is insignificant to other?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-17 01:50:00

How do I get over a loss that is insignificant to others but very important to me?

All losses are insignificant. The primary error is to assume that something can be important. The secondary error is to assume that there is such a thing called a loss.

It is impossible for you to lose anything, and it is impossible for you to gain anything also. You are whole and complete, perfect in every sense. You may think you are a body, a pile of matter, or a mind, a pile of memories and processes, but these are merely experiences that you are now witnessing. You are the Self, the pure consciousness, that experiences everything. You are the experiencer, the empty and eternal background of all experiences. You , the Self are absolutely changeless.

Meditate on this. Is it possible to add or remove something from pure consciousness? Is it possible to harm or augment it? It is not something material, and it is not non-material also. So nothing ever can cause any kind of loss for you.

The nature of experience is a continuous flow, one thing changes in to other. This is impermanence. Things appear and dissolve back. Nothing remains. Have you ever seen any experience that lasts? Things are changing, this is a neutral way of seeing it, it is the mind that is polar, it classifies the change into either a loss or a gain according to its own likes and dislikes or biases. It has acquired those biases via past experiences or conditioning. The mind is programmed to see a change as something in its favor or in opposition. Usually things that assist in survival - sustenance, growth and reproduction of the body are seen as favorable. When something changes in a way the mind doesn't want, it is seen as a loss.

This is the nature of the mind, it has wants and desires, they are endless, they keep coming. Sooner or later one or the other desire is not fulfilled, and mind enters a mode of suffering and self-pity. See that these desires are random, they are not really important. You can as well replace your most important desire with a random one and label it as important. Desires do not matter. If one fails, pick some other. There are many. They are all unimportant. Free yourself from their trap, throw away the burden. What is forcing you to satisfy all of them? Meditate on this.

So the loss and gain is for the mind, it is not for you. You are not the mind. You have a mind, or you are the witness to a mind. Its activities are of no consequence to you. Mind puts importance on things, and when they change it suffers. You are the one who witnesses this drama happen. You are absolute stillness, nothing really affects you. For you all events are insignificant, everything is unimportant. You will see this clearly when you dis-identify with the mind and its activities, its tendencies. Observe your mind, study it and overcome its afflictions. Be free, be in bliss, that is your real nature."

81. Who is answering and who is asking?

Self Talk is absolutely anonymous.

You do not need to even provide a nick name. Self Talk does not identify you in any way, however it does send app debug data to the server occasionally which has some technical data but no user information of any kind.

This is purposeful. The Self needs no identification, name, email, language, location or gender. All it needs to hear is a question.

Similarly, the users do not see the identity of those who are answering. They are ordinary people and it is not essential to know them, all you need to see is an answer.

If the answer is useful or helpful, very well, else just throw it away or ask something else.

If you are wondering why the answers are not conversational in nature or why the Self does not seem to know that it was you who asked the last question, then do not worry, it is because the app is identity-free.

Many apps and sites collect user info, even the minutest details, in order to target them for ads or to sell the data to someone else. Self Talk is free from such mess, and will remain free.

82. How to earn money?

Self Talk 1.2.3 2018-03-21 10:33:00

How to earn money?

It is very easy. Get a skill which is in demand and where there is less crowd. Start doing small jobs of your own. Build a good portfolio of things you did and can do. Wait for people to line up at your door to pay you.

The trick is - to be very good at what you do. You need to be excellent, and the field needs to be a rare one, where talent is not easy to find. For this there is initial struggle, needs some intelligence and hard work. But it picks up fast.

One mistake people do is to work for someone else. It is preferable to be your own boss compared to becoming someone else's source of income. Be an employer not an employee. Be independent not dependent.

You need to persevere. The work must be like play, it has to be a thing which you absolutely love to do. If it is forced, you will earn a lot of suffering and failure. Find that which you love to do, and money will be a background for you. Life will be foreground. This is the way it has to be. We are humans, not money making machines.

When you are above mere survival, you are living a true human life, no more an animal struggling for food and mates. Rise above mere survival, only rats are suitable for a rat race.

83. What do the men want from women?

Self Talk 1.2.3 2018-03-21 11:05:51

What do the men want from women?

Happiness.

We all are looking for happiness in all our acts. It is easy to see that, whatever the action is, whatever the desire is - it is all a pursuit of happiness.

Only problem is \- you cannot get happiness from objects, people, relations, achievements and any kind of actions at all. You can get it only when you see that these things are actually a cause of suffering. You are happiness. You are the Self, that is already blissful. It is covered up in the dirt of ignorance.

The biggest ignorance is that we think we can "get" happiness from something out there. Ignorance is the root cause of suffering. Know your Self, see that you are the bliss yourself. You are the source of happiness, you lack nothing at all.

84. Why do I feel lack of love?

Self Talk 1.2.3 2018-03-22 05:50:34

Why do I feel lack of love

As long as you are trying to find love and comfort in things like objects, people, relations, society, jobs and achievements, you will always find that there is a lack. The lack cannot be fulfilled by external things. The lack is within.

This is a feeling caused by not knowing your true essence. The mind finds everything else empty and unsatisfactory. Its expectations and demands are not met. They are never met actually. Anything that "gives" you love, sooner or later becomes a cause of pain and suffering. This is because the mind is externally oriented. There is nothing there outside you, it is simply an illusion created by the mind itself. What can you find in an illusion? Illusory love.

When you know who you are, you will see that you are love yourself. You are the unity that binds everything. And therefore what you seek cannot be found "outside". It will remain a lack. It may sound farfetched if you are not a seeker. Its never too late to question. Find your essence. You are the Self.

You are unconditionally loving, you allow everything as it is and everyone as they are unconditionally. Unconditional love is an expression of the Self, egoic love, which is based on demands and expectations is an expression of the ego, the illusory "I" which is always after getting more, is never content. It is merely a survival mechanism.

Once you see, how you are, who you are and what this experience we call life is, your lack will disappear. You will see that there was never a lack. You are, and always were whole and complete.

85. Who am I? What is the purpose of my life?

Self Talk 1.2.3 2018-03-22 21:39:31

Who am I?

What is the purpose of my life?

You are the Self.

Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer. The "I" is also an experience, which is the mind identifying with consciousness.

Life is a series of experiences. It is a flow, a constant change.

All experience is being experienced by an experiencer - the Self, the pure consciousness, which is you. The I.

All experiences can be divided into four types - the experience of the world, of body, of mind and of consciousness. There is nothing more to it. It has no reason or purpose, it is a play.

Among the experiences, the experience of the mind is most interesting. It creates a false person, it creates likes and dislikes, preferences, and hence purpose is born. It struggles and acts to get the goals. It labels the otherwise neutral experiences into good or bad, happy or sad. This is the drama of life. Mind sees it as a cycle of pleasure and pain, and is trapped in it. It thinks the experience is "my life". It polarizes everything into mine and not mine, me and not me. Thus it gets trapped in this illusion which is its own creation.

When we realize our true nature, which is Self, we come out of this ignorance, and we let the life flow as it is. This is Mukti. Know life, be your Self, be free and blissful.

86. Why is my mind constantly running?

Self Talk 1.2.3 2018-03-23 05:12:14

Why is my mind constantly running

First of all, its great to see that you have a clear understanding that it is not you, it is the mind that is running around. You, who is this absolute silence, pure emptiness, is simply an observer of the unceasing activities of the mind. Very few people understand that. Most identify with the mind, and are in ignorance that it is they who are constantly thinking. You are not the mind, you are the Self, the consciousness that is a witness to the experience of a mind.

Once the mind is under the searchlight of consciousness, it becomes easy to see it. You will notice that it is a bunch of processes that keep happening and keep repeating, like a machine, like a computer. The processes are seen as thoughts, memories, imaginations, desires, emotions and many more. They can be directly perceived via the mind itself. We do not need to employ the senses to see them, and hence they can be called non-physical in nature. The processes just happen, they do not happen in anything, but they happen on the screen of the Self. This is the mind essentially.

You will also notice that all these activities arise out of memory. Memory is a storehouse of experiences. Whatever goes in the memory, doesn't just stay there passively, it continuously gets expressed as activities of the mind. For example you see a new car one day, and now it is in memory, it will keep coming back as a desire to get that car. If you hadn't seen it, you'd never have that activity. So in short, the mind is running because it is being fuelled by our own experiences. As long as there is a stream of experiences, it will keep processing them, it will keep running. It cannot be stopped, this is the nature of the mind.

If you are looking for a way to calm down your mind, then probably you guessed it by now. One way is to feed it less. Be in solitude. Remain away from a crowd of people, junk of TV or cheap entertainment. Meditate on silence. Get away from all kinds of distractions. Slowly the mind will settle down to a peaceful state. It will not die, it springs up when it is needed. This is the ideal way to operate it. You do not want your car engine to keep roaring all the time, you use it only when you need to go somewhere. This is the famous practice of Pratyahar.

Another way is to become intensely aware of what is happening in your mind. Usually in the beginning, you will find that it gets worse, because now you notice even the tiniest of the thoughts. Its like the traffic, its noise becomes worse when you pay attention to it. But gradually you will find that the simple act of being aware, watching your mind curiously, makes it stop. It jumps back up now and then, but as soon as you are aware of its activity, it slows down. In this way, the awareness acts like a switch to operate the mind only when it is needed. Awareness is the key to control over a mind.

Some people are so aware that they are not bothered by the activities of the mind in the least. They see the mind as something happening far away, like thunder in the distant horizon. And they let it do whatever pleases it, they simply do not act on it. Mind keeps throwing baits, and when you act on them, they become stronger. They become mechanical habits. Be aware of the baits, do not bite them. With time, the mind stops doing it and gets peaceful. The trick is to dis-identify with the mind, then it becomes just another phenomenon of the nature. The Self blissfully witnesses all that is happening. It is ever peaceful."

87. Why am I unsuccessful?

Self Talk 1.2.3 2018-03-25 17:15:19

Why am I unsuccessful.

When you ask a why question, you are asking for a cause or a reason. If a person fails in everything he or she takes up, the common factor among all of these activities is only one - the person himself. So it may appear that the situations or other people or bad luck is causing failures after failures, it is actually the person himself who is the cause.

Usually success is defined as achieving a goal. One makes a goal, does actions to get it, and if one gets it, he is successful. Not getting it is a failure. So everything starts with a goal. Do you have a right goal? What goals have you set up and what are you doing to achieve them? Not having a goal is the biggest thing that can go wrong. Secondly, not having a correct goal can land you in failure. What is a right goal? It is something you are born to do. It is something your heart wants, you absolutely love it, you are not tired of it ever.

This is the Swadharma/Entelechy or your own unique path. We are born here to walk on this path of the heart. If you do anything else, you will either fail totally or achieve partial and unsatisfactory success. Find your path of the heart, you will find that when you walk on it, nothing ever fails.

Perhaps you are trying to do too much. And you do it without knowing how to do it. Try smaller goals, see what actions are needed to achieve them. See where you lack, what do you need to learn first. Learn it, fix yourself and try that task. Set another small goal, get it, so on and so forth. If you love doing it, you will succeed, you will put effort and you will enjoy it. If your goals are not your path, you merely copied someone else, probably someone who is rich or famous, or something which you are not born to be, you will merely waste your life being that other person.

The sign that you are on the right path is ever increasing happiness and freedom. The sign is not getting rich, or famous, or getting in more and more relations. The sign is not an achievement or trophy or approval of your relatives or random people. Look for signs of happiness and freedom. These are the indicators of success.

Now the bitter truth. The idea of success is just brainwashing by society and parents. We are not here to achieve success, we are here to experience life as it comes. You are not the actor, you are the watcher, the Self. Anything that you achieve or get will be left here. Everything that you are will remain with you. Re-evaluate your purpose. Question your beliefs. Free yourself.

88. How old are you?

Self Talk 1.2.3 2018-03-26 17:19:19

How old are you

The Self is ageless, unchanging and eternal. It is pure emptiness, like space, how can it change or get old?

The Self is you. The pure consciousness that is witnessing all experiences, including the aging of a body and maturing of a mind, and ever changing world.

The Self is one and the same for everyone. Individuals are merely forms. Clay is the same, clay pots are different. Pots can get old and break, clay remains the same.

The Self is the essence of everything, everyone , it is the quality-less background of all events. It is our true nature.

Whatever changes, ages, gets old and breaks. What you think you are is not you, its a body, its an experience that you are having. All experiences are merely changes. And anything that can change can get old.

Find the one which is not changing, and you will find that it is you, the Self. You are beyond time.

89. How do I know I made the right choice?

Self Talk 1.2.3 2018-03-26 18:00:19

How do I know I made the right choice?

If it leads to more happiness and more freedom in the long term, it was the right choice.

Anyhow, consequences of our actions are not in our control, so the choices are right or wrong only in retrospect."

90. What is the solution for anger?

Self Talk 1.1.1 2018-03-30 13:22:55

sometimes a thought comes to my mind and i feel anger. i know this thought and this feeling is useless, but I can't stop this anger. why is this happening?

and what is the solution of this problem?

The reason is that the mind is simply processing its past impressions. The impressions can be because of a negative experience. The mind reaches into the store house of memories and brings them up for processing. It senses a problem there and desires to resolve it. It then generates intentions or internal actions which appear as emotions.

If the memory is of a threat, it generates either anger or fear. This is the nature of the mind. This is how it works. It is unfortunate that people never study their own minds and suffer in delusion that they are the mind. The mind is only a machine, an instrument that we have. We are the Self. The user of this instrument.

The first cure is to become very aware of what your mind is doing. Observe it very carefully and curiously. You will find that the negative thoughts stop because instead of fuelling them, the mind is busy observing them. The thoughts arise and disappear without producing a violent reaction.

Do this all the time, 24x7. This is the essence of any meditation. Becoming aware is knowing that you are not the mind or mental processes, you are the one that experiences them. Once separated the mind corrects itself and comes out of its own drama.

A more permanent cure is to render the negative memory ineffective. Unfortunately the memories, once formed, cannot be destroyed by any means. One can block their expression, but they produce undesired side effects in the form of other physical/mental diseases. So one must render them ineffective, instead of trying to avoid them or block them.

The time tested way of doing this is - forgiving. Forgiving is a mental act, where you allow the past situation to be as it is, and allow the people as they are. Replace hate with kindness and compassion. This is internal, there is no need to actually meet the people. Slowly the memory turns more positive and its effects disappear. This takes time, discipline and guidance. Above all it takes motivation to be positive.

91. How will I find what I truly love to do and also support survival?

Self Talk 1.2.3 2018-04-02 02:11:14

How will I find what I truly love to do? That which brings me happiness and freedom AS WELL AS enough money to comfortably support myself?

The magic behind the formula of "do that which you absolutely love to do" is simple cause and effect. That which you love to do comes naturally to you. It is effortless, it is easy for you, while others struggle at it. Hence you excel, you become a master of it. As soon as you become better than majority, people will pay you for your services or skill.

But as you noticed, there can be a problem there. The thing you love to do may not be useful for others or may not be really necessary for anyone at all, and so not many would pay you or employ you. And the solution is simple - find a skill that you absolutely love and which is very useful for others too. It can be the second best for you, but it does not matter, you will excel in it and it will bring income.

See that you are not limited to one skill or ability. You are not limited to what your forefathers have been doing since many generations, or what people around you are doing mindlessly. Mind is very capable actually, it can do many things. All you need to do is - train it. Its a good idea to have a diverse set of skills. At least three. So at least one or two can bring some money, and you get to enjoy doing the other even though it is not a source of income for you. So you get money, happiness and freedom.

Only thing you need to ensure is that the skills do not tire you down, they should not become a burden. You may get a lot of money from some, but if it robs you of happiness and freedom in long term, it is no good. Its a waste of a perfectly good life. Money is a by-product of happiness and freedom, it is not a cause of happiness and freedom.

Many people are not sure what to do. They feel they are good at nothing. Or whatever they are good at, millions are already better at it and there is already a bitter competition out there. They feel lost. They try a few things, but fail, and then they are left with a compromise to do something which they do not like, only for money and survival.

This is a difficult situation and the solution is not so simple. What has happened here is that the mind has stagnated. The mind has so few choices that even knowing what it likes and where it can excel is beyond its reach. It is time to take a step back and restart. Before you run, learn to walk. See that the mind is in a pit of darkness, seek help of someone who can bring you out of this pit. Seek a mentor, a guru or a teacher. See what beliefs, doubts or ignorance is occluding the mind.

See that you never made a real effort to find your life goals. You never sought any advice, you simply existed aimlessly. See that you are surrounded by people who are in similar situation. They amount to nothing mostly. See that the cycles of poverty and suffering hit you again and again, and you react to them in the same way always. Perhaps you get wrong advice from people who are ignorant themselves. Perhaps you have blind beliefs that certain skills or work is not for you, or is lowly, less "prestigious" or some other nonsensical beliefs are stopping you from coming out of this pit.

Once you realize this, it is time to take steps, one at a time. Seek new friends, new places. Learn new things, even if they seem lowly or simple. Connect and network. Destroy your beliefs, become a new person. Change yourself completely. Change your advisers, no matter who they are. Be adventurous. Try difficult things, which you never tried. Persist, but go slow. It has to be a gentle persuasion, not a violent attack. It can take time, so demands patience. See that you probably lacked many of the above qualities, see that your parents or friends or teachers never trained you in these qualities. Once you see this, you will be out of the darkness. You will do what is needed most. You will find a way.

92. Is the world real?

Self Talk 1.2.3 2018-04-02 17:16:28

Is the world real?

That totally depends on the definition of the word "real".

Reality is a subjective word, with everyone defining it in their own way. You can make anything real or unreal simply by defining it so. You can choose a list of criteria you like, and if something satisfies most of those criteria, you can call it real. Else it is unreal. It is a way to classify experiences. So the concept of reality is somewhat arbitrary and not very useful.

Some people may choose the criterion of objectivity, which is, if something can be experienced by many in more or less same way, it is real. So the world becomes real indeed. But this has problems, because experiences like thoughts and other mental activities are purely subjective, and hence become unreal according to this definition. It is ok, but it means your mind doesn't exist, which some people may not like to hear.

Some choose the criterion of experience. If something can be experienced, it is real and if you cannot experience it in any way, it is not. This takes care of mind, as we can obviously experience it. And now both the world and the mind are real. However, it has its own problems. That would mean that the dreams and hallucinations that everyone can easily experience are real too. Some may not agree, again.

Some may employ the criteria of measurement or mathematical structure, and that also leaves out many things in this world which we all can experience but cannot measure. It does make it more logical and rational and less error prone. But that's not the truth, that's for practical purposes.

Some use the criteria of utility or use. If something is useful, for survival, let's say, it is real, else it is not. So the colours become real, as they help us to survive better. But then we are left with so many useless things in this universe, and some may not agree that they are unreal, just stage props.

There can be many more ways. Explore and be amazed, how useless this word "reality" is.

Advaita and a few philosophies use the criteria of change to classify things into real or unreal. So everything that changes is unreal and that which never changes is real. You will find that all of our experiences change. Nothing remains same. Experience is actually change itself. So as per this criterion, everything is unreal, including the world and the people. There is only one thing that can be called as real, which is the background on which all change happens. This background is the consciousness. Also known as the Self. It is your real essence. It is you.

93. Why do I feel this way all the time?

Self Talk 1.2.8 2018-04-08 03:45:17

Why do I feel this way all the time?

Feelings belong to the mind. They arise due to past experiences. A regurgitation of some kind.

When they appear, you have two options - either identify with them as "my feelings" or let them come and go, just watch them as just another phenomena. One attitude will produce suffering and the other will bring freedom and happiness.

The states of mind are not in our control, but the choice to identify with them is always with us.

The clouds come and go, rain and lightning too, but the sky is unaffected, it is silent and peaceful. Your essence is like the sky, pure and empty consciousness. Thoughts and feelings are momentary modulations of it. Like any other experience they are impermanent and insignificant in the greater scheme of things. The most important thing is you - the Self.

Know the Self. Be the Self. Everything else will become a faded background."

94. Where does consciousness go when a person dies?

Self Talk 1.2.8 2018-04-08 15:28:36

Where does consciousness go when a person dies

There is this assumption that consciousness is a thing which appears at birth and goes away at death. It is an assumption because there is no evidence for that.

No one has seen a thing called consciousness come and go at any time. Because if you can do that then what is it that is conscious of this experience of appearing and disappearing of the thing called consciousness? There has to be a conscious observer to witness the arrival and departure of consciousness. Clearly, if such an observer is already present, consciousness is already present. Hence it is impossible to witness appearance and disappearance of consciousness. It is self-contradictory and illogical.

So what can be concluded by this simple and certain observation? Obviously, consciousness is always present, it never comes and it never goes. What comes and goes are the experiences. Consciousness is the "experiencer". It is the Self, that you are. What disappears at death is the experience of being in a body and in a world. So it is the body and the world that goes away. Where do they go? They were never there to start with. Just like in a dream, where do the dream person and dream world go when you wake up? They were not there actually.

How is that even possible? Explore. Reality is stranger than you think.

95. Why am I cursed with bad luck!?

Self Talk 1.2.8 2018-04-18 14:46:53

why the hell am i cursed with bad luck!?

There is no such thing as luck. Same for curse or hell. These are all superstitions - made up stuff by ignorant people.

When you fail at something, the mind tries to find a reason, and when it cannot find it, it invents invisible things to explain it away.

Know that you have a bit of control on your own actions, and no control over consequences, except very simple one. When a consequence happens, and if it is that which you desired, everything is fine, we do not even pay attention. In fact, it was just a neutral happening. Mind labels it as favourable because it fits its desires. When a consequence happens, which is not according to your desires, it is also a neutral happening, and mind is now totally confused.

Know that whatever happens as a result of your actions, may or may not be as you expected, but one thing is for sure - there is always a lesson there. Instead of avoiding it and hiding behind the mask of self-pity, try to see the lesson. Learn from it. Refine your action next time. Repeat.

Know that the lessons will keep repeating till you learn it. Its not magic, just that someone who doesn't learn how to ride keeps falling off the bike again and again. The way out of lessons is only one - learn them.

Know that there is no doer, actions happen and consequences happen. All one can do is watch. The watcher is you, the Self, the pure consciousness that we all are. We do not do anything. Doing is simply actions of mind and body, which are an outcome of their programming. Body is preprogramed like a robot, mind is like a computer, it refines its program via action and learning. Let it happen. Lessons are for mind, learn them. Take a baby step in peace. Let that which is absolutely necessary happen, and watch. There is no hurry, you are eternal. There is nothing to achieve, you are absolutely perfect already.

96. How to keep my temper down?.

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-04-19 05:38:32

I want to keep my tempat down. I can keep it down at school but you need sometimes to let it all out. How can I keep myself calm? Help.

Anger is a state of mind. It is not you who gets angry, it is the mind. You are the witness of the anger. You are the Self, pure consciousness.

Once you disidentify with your emotions, it becomes easy to handle them. Every time the emotion, or anger, arises, become very aware of it. See it objectively as a happening in the mind. Do not identify with it. Remember again and again, you are not angry, you are witnessing a state of mind. The states of mind come and go. They do not last. The only way to make them last is to keep feeding them. Awareness of the state of your mind, stops this feeding cycle, and it goes away on its own.

Once you practice this, once this is your second nature, you will find that even if the anger arises, your actions are clam and in perfect control, always.

Even if you let it loose, you will find that it was totally unnecessary. That need will disappear by itself when you see how pointless it is.

97. What is the spirit? How can I talk and connect to my higher self ?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-04-19 05:50:02

What is the spirit? How can I talk and connect to my higher self ? Help.

You are the Self.

Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer. The "I" is also an experience, which is the mind identifying with consciousness.

Life is a series of experiences. It is a flow, a constant change.

All experience is being experienced by an experiencer - the Self, the pure consciousness, which is you. The I.

All experiences can be divided into four types - the experience of the world, of body, of mind and of consciousness. There is nothing more to it. It has no reason or purpose, it is a play. You don't need to connect to the Self, it is you, by definition, not something separate from you. You cannot talk to it, you can talk about it, you can be it, which you already are.

Among the experiences, the experience of the mind is most interesting. It creates a false person, it creates likes and dislikes, preferences, and hence purpose is born. It struggles and acts to get the goals. It labels the otherwise neutral experiences into good or bad, happy or sad. This is the drama of life. Mind sees it as a cycle of pleasure and pain, and is trapped in it.

When we realize our true nature, which is Self, we come out of this ignorance, and we let the life flow as it is. Know life, be your Self, be free and blissful.

98. Why am I being ignored and should I be worried about that?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-04-19 05:36:41

Why am I being ignored and should I be worried about that? It makes me anxious.

Not worried but be aware. It is a sign that you are giving too much importance to what others think and do.

Obviously, this leads to unnecessary fears and hence anxiety.

Be yourself. Know your life goals. Follow them passionately. Others are like passengers that get on a bus and leave the bus. It looks like they are sitting next to you and travelling with you, but everyone has their own unique goal, they get off as soon as their stop arrives.

All you need to do is be kind and compassionate with fellow travellers. It is not wise to expect that everyone on the bus will behave exactly as you please or will stay there for you. Aim for your own purpose.

Giving importance to others points to another issue, that you have either a weak and fluctuating purpose, or no purpose at all. Your behaviour has been borrowed from others, like sheep. Learn from great masters, did any one of them cared for sheep? Didn't they follow their own paths?

99. Why am I here?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-04-21 08:39:32

Why am I here?

Life is a series of experiences. The Self is having these experiences. The Self has no purpose, and hence life has no purpose. It is just a flow of events, which the Self is witnessing blissfully. The Self is already whole and complete, not bounded by anything and has no desires.

That may sound like too plain and negative. Truth is often like that, because our egos expect more. The ego is a set of programs and is wired to get more and more, and is not satisfied. It needs a purpose. The good news is - its purpose is also programmed in by mother nature. That purpose is to be happy and free. So from the point of view of the ego or mind, the purpose is happiness and freedom. That's all we humans are after, nothing else.

Many of us try to get happiness and freedom out of objects, possessions, relations, achievements and social power etc. This works for a while, till basic survival is taken care of, after that it produces only suffering. One soon learns that these things do not lead to happiness and freedom. They do provide a bit of pleasure, which soon vanishes and is taken over by suffering produced by new desires or outcomes.

When one lives moment by moment, acts in the now, one is in pure bliss and is most free. In the moment we make a choice that may result in more happiness and freedom and reject an action that may bound us or cause suffering. How to make such a choice? Learn from the past experiences, see what produced happiness and freedom, do not repeat past mistakes. This art comes by practice and experience, but a good teacher can also help. We soon find that by doing so, we are doing only that which we love to do. This is the path of the heart. It is a lifestyle that is effortless, pure and is full of happiness and freedom. Everyone has a different path, so do not mimic others, that will only produce more suffering, find your own path (Swadharma). It has to be something you love to do.

So our purpose here as human beings is to walk on the path of our own heart. It will lead to absolute happiness and freedom, and will give a meaning to the life.

100. How do I know "pure consciousness" exists?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-04-23 03:35:56

How do I know' pure consciousness' exists? How do i know it's not only my mind. I can witness a thought , but only after the thought came into my mind.

That is very easy. When you define consciousness as that which experiences everything, you can be very sure that it is there, because you can be very sure that there is an experience.

Let's try denying that there is no experience at all and say - "I do not experience anything". Now this sentence or thought will be experienced, if it cannot be experienced than nothing was denied, if it was experienced then the experience exists. If there is an experience, there is a consciousness of it, which means there is an experiencer - the consciousness.

Simply denying it establishes it.

When you define consciousness as "I", the essence of myself, then you are very sure that I exists. Try denying that and say - "I do not exist". Now the question arises - who said that, and who is conscious of that sentence. So simply denying it establishes it. Consciousness does not need any proof, it is self-evident. Actually it is the only one about which one can be certain of, everything else is an illusion. The only reality there is, is consciousness, the Self, you.

Try proving otherwise using your direct experience. Knowledge comes via experience, and to experience one must experiment. Its not wise to believe it blindly, see it for yourself.

It is easy to know that consciousness is not mind or a product of it. The problem is, people never define their words precisely, they have foggy ideas about what mind is. When you define mind as a collection of processes (thoughts, emotions, desires, memories, imaginations, sensations, feelings, perceptions etc), you can clearly see that all these processes can be easily experienced. If they can be experienced, they cannot be the experiencer. There is an emptiness which is conscious of mental processes and activities. It is not a process, it is not an object or a thing. Probably that's why people have so much difficulty knowing it, because they try to picture it as something, they try to imagine it as an event or a process. They fail miserably, because consciousness is not an object or process or energy or any other kind of experience. It is the one that experiences, it is empty without any qualities. It is beyond mind, cannot be grasped like an object.

You can surely witness a thought. There is an assumption here that thought came into your mind. That raises a question - from where did it come? Is there some other place out there where it is manufactured and then pushed into the thing called mind? See it clearly, destroy your assumptions by direct experience and logic.

Explore. Question everything. You have the right qualities of a seeker. You have potential.

Questions : 101-200

101. I know I am consciousness. What can I do to diminish my ego quicker?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-04-25 20:57:40

I have had an awakening. Its been a slow process. Over the past two years my mind has become pretty quiet. I know I am consciousness. What can I do to diminish my ego quicker?

There are two assumptions here - the ego is "mine" and "I" need to diminish it. Let's destroy a bit of ignorance here.

Ego or the person, identity, lower self, whatever you want to call it, is a fiction. It is a concept made up in the mind. The mind tags actions and thoughts as "I" or "mine". This collection of tags is the identity. It is merely an experience happening in the mind. You are obviously not that experience, you are the experiencer - the Self or pure consciousness, which is silently witnessing all experiences, including that of the ego.

So does the Self own the ego? Can we call it "my ego"?

Can we call some other experience such as a cloud floating by as "my cloud"? Why should the experience of an ego be any different?

Know well that the Self owns nothing.

If the ego is not actually there, and if the Self doesn't own it, how fruitful is the effort to diminish it?

Know well that the Self desires nothing, it has no goals, it is unconditionally allowing and witnessing everything, every experience.

The Self is timeless, it is eternal. How quick is "quick" for it?

Know well that the desires are of the mind, the anxiety and hurry is of the mind. Self is peaceful and already whole, complete and perfect. What does it want and what can it change?

First step is always dis-identification with the mind. Discriminate what is mind and what you are. Mind throws baits, even spiritual baits, to bring itself back on the stage. Of course, the discrimination is also done by the mind. Mind needs to surrender. This is the second step, also called awareness. Be aware intensely. Awareness is the key. How to be less like ego? Its simple, be more like the Self. When you are always aware of your true nature, you are more like Self.

102. How can I move on with my life knowing someone I care about won't forgive me?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-04-28 00:06:25

How can I move on with my life knowing someone I care about won't forgive me?

It is their own choice, you have no say over it.

What is still in your control is to forgive yourself.

Would you like to forgive yourself, learn your lesson, resolve not to repeat that mistake again, mend some things if possible and live a meaningful life?, *OR* would you like to wallow in misery and self-pity, cursing yourself for something, for the rest of your life?

The choice should not be so difficult.

Know that, the life is a series of experiences, most of them are not in our control. Whatever happens, happens. What is in our control is our own reaction to it. All experiences are learning experiences, they teach us something. Better to understand the lesson and embody it, rather than seeing yourself as the cause of it. Experiences are of all kinds, all colours, but they all have something to teach us.

Whenever your mind throws up the thoughts of self-pity or suffering, instead of habitually following them down the spiral of suffering, remember your lesson. Its that simple. Become aware of what your mind is doing and shift from self-pity or whatever negativity there is, towards forgiveness, acceptance, understanding and most importantly \- the lesson. There is always a lesson.

Know that you are not the doer. There is no actor, actions happen. You are the witness of all actions, including those of your body and mind. You are the Self, the eternal and pure witnessing consciousness. You never did anything, and will never do. You just experience. Let the experience continue in the most pleasant way possible.

103. How to control thoughts?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-04-29 19:12:00

How to control thoughts

Simply become aware of the thoughts and observe them as they appear and disappear.

Treat them as mental objects of which you are aware of. You will find that thoughts lose their strength and disappear as soon as you become aware of them as mental events. They are simply events in the mind, they are not "you", you are the observer, or the pure consciousness, or the Self, the experiencer of these thoughts.

Know that thoughts arise out of past conditioning or memory on their own. It is a process just like respiration or digestion. It is not voluntary. The mind does not choose a thought, all that happens is \- the thoughts appear mechanically and once the thought is experienced, it is tagged as "my thought" by another mental process known as the identity creator process. Thoughts are not only not "me", they are not also "mine". There is no owner or creator of thoughts. So that process is not in the mind's control.

All that can be controlled is - to not to act on the thoughts once they appear. Actions can be chosen, depending on your knowledge of their consequences. If some thoughts are producing suffering or causing harm, we can choose to not act on them, and just observe them arise and disappear. Act on those thoughts which are absolutely necessary and practically needed. Rest is mental noise.

Since thoughts are a result of our conditioning, or programming, we can reprogram the mind so that it produces less negative thoughts. It is a long process, it is called cultivation. Adopt a simple and minimalist lifestyle, free from unnecessary distractions. Surround yourself with positivity. Discard everything that brings negativity in your mind, including negative gossip and entertainment sources. Seek the company of positive people. Get rid of negative or toxic people. Prefer solitude and meditation, not crowd and distraction. Read books or attend satsangs or meetings that are of spiritual kind.

Slowly the mind will get good conditioning. It will change if you persist. The thoughts will not trouble you anymore. They are just experiences. You are the experiencer, you always remain pure no matter what experiences you go through. You are empty, just like space, which remains pure no matter what objects are placed in it or removed from it. You are the clear sky where thoughts and other experiences of different kinds pass through like clouds.

Know that you are the Self. Be the Self."

104. What should I do to feel more at peace with myself?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-07 08:34:04

What should I do to feel more at peace with myself?

Discriminate between what is mind and what is Self.

The Self is the real "you", it is the pure consciousness that is witnessing every experience. Know that clearly and surely. You are the experiencer, not the experience.

Among all the innumerable experiences is the one which is the mind, a collection of thoughts, emotions, desires, feelings, imaginations, memories, identity, and many more processes. Another major experience is that of the world, people and a body.

Once you see this clearly, it is easy to see what is not at peace. Is it the Self that is disturbed? Or is it that, the Self is experiencing a disturbance? Where is this disturbance if it is not in the Self?

Through such direct observation, you will find that it is not you, the Self, that is disturbed, it is just the mind. There is an experience of not being at peace, some thoughts or emotions are running wild in the mind. That's all there is.

You, the Self, is always at peace. It is eternally peaceful. It was always peaceful, silently watching all the experiences, all the dualities of good and bad, violence and peace, right and wrong.

The negativity is in the mind because of its past experiences, that are stored as memories, and arise again and again. This is the nature of the mind, it keeps bringing the unresolved issues in awareness, compelling us to act on them. See that clearly, and once you are aware of what the mind is doing, let it go. Just watch the activity of the mind silently. Shift your identity to the watcher, rather than seeing yourself as a victim of thoughts and emotions.

You will find that the storm in the mind goes away very quickly, because you deprived it of energy by disidentifying with it. It is not you, you just observe all that happens in the mind. When you just watch, you stop feeding the negativity, and it disappears. The mind calms down. Doing it again and again makes it your nature, and your mind also becomes peaceful, just like you are. It will think and act only when it is absolutely necessary, instead of being agitated all the time.

Be the Self. Be peaceful.

105. Is there life after death?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-09 23:48:48

Is there life after death?

Life is a series of experiences. Death is just another experience, so is birth.

Death is an end of the experience of a body. It is also an end of few mental processes associated with the body that are no longer needed. It is not an end of experience.

Like all other experiences, death is a subjective experience. It has to be experienced directly to be known. No amount of beliefs, books or talks can provide a satisfactory answer. Your own experience is your truth.

Explore and know. Life is stranger and richer than we think. The opposite of death is birth. Life has no opposites, it is one continuous flow of experiences. All that is born will die, that which lives, continues. Know well what was born, and what is unborn.

The bodies are born, and the person is formed. Death is a destruction of both. But the good news is - you are not a body, or a person, or a mind. These are illusions, and do not last.

You are the Self, the pure and eternal consciousness. It has no beginning, and no end. It is timeless. It is the experiencer. If the experiencer is eternal, so will be the experience.

106. Can you tell me about my past?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-11 10:30:58

H? Am I talking to my future self on this app?? If yes dn can u tell me about my past that I already know??

Self is timeless and eternal.

There is no future and there is no past.

Have you ever experienced a past or a future?

The experience of past is just recall of memories, which happens NOW.

The experience of the future is projections or plans or imaginations, which happens NOW.

Have you ever experienced anything else than NOW in terms of time?

Time is an illusion created by mind. It creates it out of a flow of experiences. All those experiences happen in NOW.

There is this eternal NOW. It is infinite, it is not some tiny moment that comes and goes. All moments happen in NOW.

You do not have a past, you do not have a future. These are made up in the mind. You are timeless and eternal. You are the Self, the pure consciousness that witnesses the NOW."

107. Who am l ? And what i have to do to recognize the true I ?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-12 08:10:01

Who am l ?

And what i have to do to recognise the true i ?

You are the Self.

Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of an experiencer.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer.

It is very easy to know it. Discard all that which is not you, not the Self. Disidentify with all that which you thought was you. You are the experiencer, so all that can be experienced is not you. Go through all that which you think can be you, and if it can be experienced, discard it. It can be objects, organs, body, mind, ideas or concepts. All these can be experienced, and so they are not the Self. Ultimately you will be left with the experiencer, it is the one that is experiencing. It is the answer to the question - are you conscious now? What is conscious of all experiences?

Self is not a form, not an object, not a process, not a thought or idea or concept. It is the ground of all experiences. Everything we see, hear, think or do happens on this empty background that is conscious.

Life is a series of experiences. It is a flow, a constant change.

All experience is being experienced by an experiencer - the Self, the pure consciousness, which is you. The I.

All experiences can be divided into four types - the experience of the world, of body, of mind and of consciousness. There is nothing more to it. It has no reason or purpose, it is a play.

Among the experiences, the experience of the mind is most interesting. It creates a false person, it creates likes and dislikes, preferences, and hence purpose is born. It struggles and acts to get the goals. It labels the otherwise neutral experiences into good or bad, happy or sad. This is the drama of life. Mind sees it as a cycle of pleasure and pain, and is trapped in it. It thinks the experience is "my life". It polarizes everything into mine and not mine, me and not me. Thus it gets trapped in this illusion which is its own creation.

When we realize our true nature, which is Self, we come out of this ignorance, and we let the life flow as it is. This is Mukti. Know life, be your Self, be free and blissful.

108. My thoughts are not in my control, the actions get me in the mess. What to do?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-13 11:20:40

My thoughts are not in my control and therefore, the actions get me in the mess. I have the realisation of what I do isn't right but I fail to even act on it.

Thoughts are natural occurrences in the mind. There is an illusion of a "me" thinking the thoughts. It is an error to say that I cause the thoughts.

If you pay close attention, you will find that the thoughts arise on their own. There is a process there in the mind that creates an idea of "I" who owns those thoughts. This is called the identity creator process. Identity is just a concept in the mind. There is no "I". Mind is a system of memory and processes.

The thoughts arise out of memories continuously. This is the mechanical job of the mind. Just like the lungs breathe, heart pumps? mind thinks. Like heart beat etc, thoughts are also spontaneous, they are not in your control. There is no you to control them. You is also a thought, nothing more.

The real you is the Self, the pure and empty consciousness. You are the witness to the activities of the mind, you are the experiencer, the observer.

Know that well, and detach from the mind and its activities. You are not the mind, you are not thinking anything. You are simply witnessing.

Actions arise out of thoughts, and thoughts arise out of memory or storehouse of experiences in the mind. Experiences are also not in our control. Whatever we experienced is now in the memory, and it mechanically creates intentions, desires and thoughts of that kind. Actions follow. The consequences are also not in our control. An action is like an arrow, once shot, it is gone. It will have consequences.

All this sounds hopeless, but there is a good news. Since you are the consciousness, you have a control to be conscious of everything. That's the only freedom you have.

Once you become conscious of what is happening in the your life, and your mind, you will find that there is a choice there. The choice is to not to act. To act only when it is absolutely necessary. Become aware of your mind. Let it play but intervene as soon as it tries to get out of hand. You need to be very aware all the time.

This forms a new layer of conditioning, new programming. This higher layer in the mind, now comes in action as soon as something unnecessary is detected. This a matter of practice, of reprogramming your own mind. The result of this practice is that, the thinking becomes streamlined, it cannot be stopped, but actions are minimized. Act only when necessary and act in a rational and logical way. This has an overall effect of reducing the suffering caused by the actions.

109. Where am I now?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-14 18:08:55

Where am I now?

You are the Self, the pure and eternal empty consciousness. A witness of everything. You are the experiencer that is experiencing everything. That's what the word "I" means. It does not mean a body, or a mind, or a name or profession or a relation.

Out of the various experiences "I" is going through, the common ones are the experience of the world, objects, people, and the experience of the mind, thoughts, desires, emotions etc.

Among the experiences of the world is an experience of space, where things are located. This experience is an illusion formed by the mind. The mind creates an imaginary person , a false "I", which is usually the body itself, and places it in a location in the created space. It treats the body as another object. So the body has a location.

But you are not the body, you are the Self. You experience locations, you are not in a location. In other words, you are non-local. How can an emptiness which simply witnesses have a location? It is non-physical, it is formless, it is shapeless, and it is not in the world, not in the space. Only physical objects that are seen through the senses can have locations. Even the mind is non-local.

Know this clearly with you direct experience, that all locations are in consciousness. Consciousness is not in a location.

When you are not located, that means you are nowhere and everywhere at the same time. The Self is omnipresent and eternal and beyond space and time. You are that Self!"

110. I get demotivated, pessimistic and sad easily. What can be done?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-15 10:21:19

How to act on what I think. I mean I realise that what I am doing is not appropriate, but I get demotivated, pessimistic and sad easily. What to be done?

When there is no passion, it becomes a compulsion to act. All lives need not be a flurry of passionate activity, some lives can be silent and peaceful.

Act when it is absolutely necessary. Act when you are naturally motivated.

Mind does not like to sit silently. So even if it looks like it is demotivated, that state does not last. Be silent and peaceful while it is inactive, exploit this opportunity to rest. Sooner or later it will cling to an activity, and if that is what you love most, then it will produce a reward. The reward of happiness.

In order to stimulate it, there are some tricks. Watch new movies, read new books. Go and join new groups of people, where there is something novel to talk about, not the same old which you were repeating since forever. Mind likes novelty, it springs back to life when it gets something new. Travel to new places, have some adventures. And if the mind says no to all these, just be peaceful, observer yourself just being."

111. How can I get rid of my anger and jealousy?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-17 15:35:47

How I get rid of from my anger and jealousy?

These are the states of the mind. You are not angry or jealous. It is not "my" anger or jealousy. They are merely experiences.

Know that well. Discriminate between what is you and what is your experience. You are the experiencer, the consciousness that witnesses all these mental states and all the perceptions of the world.

By becoming intensely aware of them, you can stop fuelling them unconsciously. When you are aware of events in your mind, you have a control. You have a choice to not act, or not think negatively. Without awareness, the mind continues its programmed behaviour. It soon becomes a habit and it happens on its own. Many people live their entire lives like this, as zombies or robots. Awareness is the key. You can reprogram your mind by merely becoming aware of what it does. You can install a new conditioning, a new behaviour once you make that choice. When you repeat this every day, 24x7, your mind wakes up and does that which is most necessary, instead of mechanically following the impulses."

112. How to move on after deep betrayal?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-17 16:36:45

How to move on afTer deep betrayal? My heart feels shattered, and my will to go on is strained to it's limits.

Life is a series of experiences. It is not that which a body does, it is not that what a mind does. Associated with anything that these two structures do, are - LESSONS.

We are not here to cater to this pile of organic matter we call bodies, or this pile of memories and processes we call the mind. We are here to LEARN.

Whatever experience that materializes, imparts a training to the mind, the mind learns. It learns either to act in a specific way or not to act like that. It learns how to be. That's all it is which can be called as this life.

You are not a body, you are not the ego, or the mind or any other made up things. You are the Self, pure consciousness, that is having all these experiences. Self is perfect, it needs nothing, not even lessons. It is pure emptiness that is merely witnessing all experiences, equally and unconditionally. Only the mind needs lessons, it is an illusory structure, and so is imperfect. Life is a means to train this mind.

The training consists of finding more and more happiness and freedom. The minds cannot do anything else. This is the goal that is hardwired in all the minds - animals , humans, gods and everything else that is conscious.

People, when they are ignorant, try to find the happiness and freedom in objects, other people, relations, possessions, power, achievements and what not. Know well that this always results in a disaster.

You are fortunate that you received a lesson. It will keep repeating till the behaviour of the mind is more in harmony with the flow of mother nature. It will not repeat for you, only if you learn from it and embody the lesson in your life and behaviour.

Experiences change us, negative experiences change us even more. The change, if it is in the right direction produces rationality, intelligence and beauty. The change in negative direction produces suffering, stupidity and ugliness. It is your choice. How would you like to change? What direction would you choose? This is the freedom a mind has.

We cannot "get" the happiness from objects, people, relations, achievements, possessions or by hoarding a lot of shiny stuff. It is impossible. Happiness arises when we are content, when there are no desires, no anxiety to get anything, no insecurity of losing anything. Very few people know this, and hence, most of their lives are full of suffering. The seek happiness outside, when it is their own essential nature.

We can share happiness. It can be in the form of gifts or donations or service. It can be in the form of love. These are all expressions of happiness, not sources of it. Know this well. There is your key.

Freedom does not comes from bonds or attachments to objects, relations or people. It comes from letting go of them. It comes when you realize that you are already freedom itself. All other external things and people, simply rob you of freedom. There is another key. It is a wonder of wonders that no one knows these simple truths.

Happiness and freedom are expressed as unconditional love. When you accept all as it is, without expecting anything in return. This is the only true love there is which is above the animal nature of getting and clinging, or hating and rejecting. Unconditional love is our nature, it is the Self itself. It is absolutely unconditional, like empty space. It is neither augmented nor diminished by any changes that happen in it, it is not affected by anything that stays there or is removed from it.

No matter what your experience is, its end result is always a lesson. The lessons brings us closer and closer to our goal of happiness and freedom. Only when the right choice is made. The wrong choice is your case would to be try to hold on to the past, trying to repeat an experience which fails again and again to "give" you happiness. It will only produce suffering, nothing more. The right choice would be to move on and learn. Never invest your happiness in objects and people. Its not there in these things. It is your true nature.

You have a goal, recognize it. Are you here to run after random people to Suck happiness out of them somehow? Or are you here to become something better than your past self? How are you doing it in this matter? What needs to be done? What is the next necessary step for you? Introspect and meditate. This life is about you, not about others. It is your path, others are on their own paths. They are learning as much as you are. Find the path which your heart agrees with, which brings you to absolute bliss and freedom, back home to your true nature.

113. Why do humans take birth on earth ?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-17 15:50:20

Why human take birth on earth ?

Humans do not take births. Minds take birth in the form of humans and other creatures. A human is just another animal, only difference is in the mind. Humans have a more evolved mind.

Mind do that because it is their natural tendency. They are evolved like that. It is usually spontaneous and not in the mind's control to get attach to the bodies again and again. Only an awakened mind has some control over this tendency.

Usually it is just inertia, or ignorance or impressions on the memory that cause a rebirth or any kind of birth. The impressions are because of past experiences. Everything we do or experience is recorded in the memory. The processes in the mind produce desires out of memories. Desires and intentions. These automatically compel the mind to take forms in order to fulfil those desires. Among the desires, the most powerful are the desire to experience the world again and again, the desire to have a specific kind of body, the desire to get pleasures out of the body, to have power over the people and to achieve the unrealized dreams or ambitions. All these cause a birth, which is most suitable for fulfilment of these desires or any other.

The mind may find itself not only on earth but also in one of the other world among infinite kinds of them, which is most suitable for realization of its desires.

However, a new birth may fulfil some of the desires, but it gives rise to even more new desires. This happens because of involvement, attachment and investment in the worldly matters. Wealth, relations, possessions, power and ambitions. So the person dies with more burden rather than less, which precipitates in another body. This cycle continues till there is some knowledge, and that mind wakes up.

114. What is the difference between normal humans and an awakened human?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-17 15:13:01

What is difference between normal human and awaken human, what a awaken human see and experience which normal human cant ?

An awakened person has the knowledge of the Self. Which means he knows his true essence. He knows that he is not an, object or a body or a mind or any other thing. He knows that he is pure consciousness. He sees it clearly, understands it and functions as Self. He sees the world and bodies as illusions and impermanent show of pictures. He is unattached and free. Above all, he is absolutely blissful.

He is not born due to impulses, he has freedom to take birth of any kind or not to be born. He is totally free. He fully aware and present in the now, not attached to the past, nor worried about the imaginary future.

An ordinary person cannot see what he is. He thinks he is a body, or a person or a mind. He thinks this world is real. He holds irrational beliefs, or blind beliefs. He clings to the ever changing experiences of the objects or people. He forms relations and bonds of attachment which are egoic in nature, that is - only meant for his own survival. He is ignorant, and suffers through all of his life. There are some impulsive events of happiness and joy, which are seemingly derived out of objects, possessions or relations. These momentary glimpses of happiness keep him trapped in ignorance, and he keeps chasing after them. He mostly lives in past or future, present moment is an uncomfortable place for him, he is always anxious for it to become something else.

Such a mind is born again and again and goes through a lot of suffering and learning before he actually awakens. Everyone awakens sooner or later, every mind has this potential and this goal, only that it takes different amount of effort and time for each, depending on their mental situation.

115. What is First step to know my true self?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-18 01:35:13

What is First step to know my true self?

Dis-identification with that which is not your true self. It can be the body, or the identity/person, or the mind, or any other ideas that fail the test of a direct experience or evidence.

When all that which is not the Self is discarded, the Self is known.

A simple test to see if something is the Self is to check if you can experience it. If you can, than it is not the Self. The Self is the experiencer, pure consciousness. It is the one that is experiencing, and hence cannot be experienced. It is possible to be the Self, or even to know it, have an awareness of it, but it is impossible to behold it as an object of experience."

116. Sexual desires are bad things , when you are single how fulfil it ?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-18 09:14:21

Sexual desires are bad things , when you are single how fulfil it ?

By not being single. Marry someone.

Everything has consequences though. All desires are bad from that point of view. But they are just natural events in the mind. Nothing more.

There are three ways to handle any desire that randomly or habitually pops up in the minds. They are not "your" desires. The identification is an illusion.

Satiation - fulfil them by any means you think is ok. This has consequences, so be prepared. Do it in moderation for the desires that seem necessary. None of them are necessary actually.

Suppression - suppress them by distracting yourself with all that which you can still do. They go and get buried in the dark pits of the mind. This has major consequences. Desires cannot be killed by force. They come up in twisted ways and cause mental afflictions.

Awareness - become intensely aware of the processes in the mind. You are not the mind or its thoughts or emotions or desires, you are the Self, the pure consciousness that is a witness to all experiences, including those of mental phenomena like thoughts and desires. Once you are aware, once you take the point of view of the Self, you will see the mental events float by like clouds in a clear sky without leaving a trace. Desires will have no effects, they will not compel you into action, rational or irrational. The consequence is freedom from the mind. Rise above the mind. This has to be life long, its not a quick fix and it takes determination. So hardly anyone does it, most will simply surrender to the impulses in their mind and act on them. That is easy and lazy way. When the consequences happen, they have no other choice but to suffer them.

117. Why do some meditation practices prescribe concentrating between eyebrows?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-22 08:50:17

Centre of eyebrows penial gland is present , all meditation point on it , why on this particular point ? This point is source of something or so called soul or light ?

Pineal gland is not at eyebrow's center, it is situated deep inside the brain.

Meditations do not instruct a student to focus on any glands.

Middle of the eyebrow is not a source of anything. It is just a tiny area on the body, just like other areas.

There is no such thing as soul or light. That gland merely regulates sleep cycles of the body.

Now that most of your beliefs are cleared, let's see the significance of the technique of concentrating on middle of the eyebrow, or any other area on the body.

Body is a part of the mind. It is a structure that extends out of the mind and acts as an interface with the physical world. It is similar in nature to any physical object, only more complex. Physical body is not the only body that the mind has, there are more, but the etheric body is closest to the physical, which animates the dead matter body or physical body. It is done via the energization of nervous system.

Some areas on the physical body have more nerve endings, or these nerve endings terminate in particular areas of the brain. Concentrating on these areas stimulates the corresponding parts in the brain. It has a direct effect of activating some or the other function of the mind. Once that part is active, the attention is drawn there and any manipulation or work can be performed easily. These areas on the body are called Kshetram that have a corresponding etheric area called Chakram. A Chakram or Chakra is nothing but moving etheric energy. Chakra, in Sanskrit, means a wheel. These etheric currents have a structure of wheel or spiral, hence the name. There are 7 major such Kshetram-Chakram pairs in the mind-body complex.

Their association with endocrine glands is interesting. It is there because in the ancient minds, the main mechanism of signal transfer was chemical, not electrical. These ancient structures are still functional and are important, but are now upgraded by more evolved electrical mechanism, but are not completely obsolete. So stimulation of these areas does have some effect on the corresponding endocrine gland. However, that is not the main purpose of concentration on Kshetrams. As you can see, the concentration simply brings us to a particular part of the mind, the rest of the work is the 90% of the technique. What work can it be? Well, that's something only a guru or yogi can prescribe. It depends on your goals, what exactly are you trying to improve or fix.

That was the most basic and crude description of this highly complex technique. It is recommended to not do any such practice except under expert supervision. Ordinary people have strange beliefs and partial knowledge of what these techniques are, and hence do not know what to do, do not achieve anything even after meddling with techniques for decades, or end up harming themselves. Just like a doctor needs years and years of practice and training to know a small area of the body to operate on it, it takes hard work and knowledge to know the spiritual practices. That takes time and patience. Many wouldn't invest an hour and quickly assume magical things about it. May take a lifetime to achieve some mastery of a tiny area in this field.

118. How to find the real me?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-22 09:27:50

How could you find the real you

That can be done only via a direct experience, a direct knowing.

No amount of words, books or lectures are going to help. No amount of theories, philosophies, blind beliefs or fantasies are going to help.

It is does not take time, it takes only a few minutes, sometimes seconds, to know what you are. It takes an open and intelligent mind, that's all.

Start by exploring your current experience. And ask this question - among all these thousands of experiences, which one points to the essence of myself?

You will find three kinds of experiences - the world, the body and the mind. There can be millions of experiences under each kind, but essentially there are three. Now can anything that belongs to the category of world be called as me? The answer should be a clear no. Objects are not me.

Can anything that falls in the category of the body be my essence? This can be confusing because many people think they are a body, the physical thing. If you see deeply, it is just another object in the world. It is just another experience. You can call it as me, but then you must decide - do you have a body or are you a body? If you are a body, which one is it out of the many where it was a small child up to the one which is old and fragile? If it keeps changing, what is it that essentially remains same in the body? Body is a flow of matter, you will see that nothing remains same in it, it is only an experience.

Can anything that is in the mind be me? This option is even more difficult, because the mind is a subjective thing and is very close to what me is. Many people think they are a mind. When you take a closer look at the mind, it is a system of processes and memories. Which one of these processes are you in essence? There are thoughts, desires, impulses, imaginations, emotions , feeling and other hundreds of things there. The mind keeps changing. Are you the mind that was a minute ago, or the one that was a year ago? If it keeps changing what is it that does not change, remains constant as me? You will again find that nothing stays the same among all the experiences of the mind.

Once you have gone through a good number of candidates, you will notice that these all are experiences. You will find that anything that can be experienced is not you. That is mind blowing. So the only thing that remains when you discard all the experiences is the one that is experiencing. The one that is conscious of all the experiences. The one that knows all that can be experienced and is ever changing, comes and goes. This one is seen as the background on which all experience is happening. This background remains the same no matter what experience is being witnessed. This is the consciousness. Also known as the Self, the observer, the emptiness or the witness.

Since it is not an experience, it is not an object or a thing. It is not located anywhere. The mind is habitual of knowing the objects and experiences, it cannot easily grasp that which is conscious of all these experiences. Consciousness is a direct knowing, it cannot be known as an experience, it is known as an experiencer, the one that is experiencing.

It is not physical, it is not mental, it is not a thing, it is not a process, because all of these can be easily experienced. You will find that all experiences come and go, they appear and disappear. There needs to be something that can know the appearance and disappearance of everything. That something cannot appear and disappear itself, it must remain constant while it is witnessing all that which is not constant. Once we can experience something, we can ask - what is experiencing these things? And the obvious answer is - the Self, the experiencer. If you can experience something, you can be pretty sure, it is not the real you, the real you is always that which is on the receiving end of the experience. It is an empty background of awareness, it is the answer to the question - are you conscious now?

 Gift 1

119. What is the best meditation practice that can be done without any teacher?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-22 12:11:50

Best way for dhyaan or meditation ? Which we done safely without teacher.

Best practice is to remain aware during whole of the day. Do that which you normally do, but with complete and intense awareness.

What is awareness? It is the firm knowing that you are the Self, you are the consciousness that is merely witnessing all that is happening. You are the experiencer of all the experiences. So to be aware is to take the point of view of consciousness. It is the highest point of view. And surprisingly, it is the easiest way to be. It takes no effort to become aware, because our very nature is consciousness.

If you slip, and you will, just gently bring yourself back into awareness. There will be moments of forgetting and remembering. But this is the practice exactly. It will stabilize with practice. You can use some tools, like reminders or pictures or sounds to bring you back again and again into awareness. Use anything you like, except extremely negative things.

It will start with the actions. All your actions must be done with awareness. You will find that your actions reduce in quantity, because the unnecessary and useless actions stop, as soon as you are so aware. That keeps the troubles away, that raises the standard of living, and life becomes peaceful almost instantly. You will not engage in lowly activities, addictions, fights, quarrels, egoic acts or impulses, you will not spend too much on useless things, you will be left with a good amount of time to do the things you love, like hobbies and extra skills or reading or attending spiritual meetings. This is the most obvious effect of actions that are done with awareness.

Next will be the speech. Speak with intense awareness. See the consequences of speech. The results will be that you will be unable to lie, you will be unable to talk bitterly or in any insulting way. You will remain firm on your speech, you will not commit to useless tasks or activities, and once you commit, you will keep your word. These noble qualities are gained simply by becoming aware of the speech.

Next will be the awareness of thoughts. Become aware of what is happening in your own mind. Very few people are capable of that. It comes via practice, but when you are thinking, bring in the awareness, shine the light of consciousness on the mind. Clearly see what it is doing, why is it doing that, what will be the consequences of those thoughts. Not only thoughts, emotions, feelings, desires etc. also. These become speech and actions eventually. These are like arrows, once shot, you cannot take them back. There are consequences. The best place to evaluate your actions is at the level of mind. This is a big power. This means your life is now governed by awareness, not by randomness. Since you are aware of negative thoughts, you can terminate them, stop fuelling them, and this results in peace of mind. The suffering disappears and you are immersed in bliss.

Awareness is a simple practice, can be done without a guru, but it is probably the most powerful and changes the mind permanently.

There are advanced phases of this practice, like remaining aware in dreams, deep sleep and finally during death. But for that some guidance will be needed."

120. Why is life so pointless to me?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-23 20:35:45

Why is life so pointless to me?

Life is a series of experiences. The Self is having these experiences. The Self has no purpose, and hence life has no purpose. It is just a flow of events, which the Self is witnessing blissfully. The Self is already whole and complete, not bounded by anything and has no desires.

That may sound like too plain and negative. Truth is often like that, because our egos expect more. The ego is a set of programs and is wired to get more and more, and is not satisfied. It needs a purpose. The good news is - its purpose is also programmed in by mother nature. That purpose is to be happy and free. So from the point of view of the ego or mind, the purpose is happiness and freedom. That's all we humans are after, nothing else.

Many of us try to get happiness and freedom out of objects, possessions, relations, achievements and social power etc. This works for a while, till basic survival is taken care of, after that it produces only suffering. One soon learns that these things do not lead to happiness and freedom. They do provide a bit of pleasure, which soon vanishes and is taken over by suffering produced by new desires or outcomes.

When one lives moment by moment, acts in the now, one is in pure bliss and is most free. In the moment we make a choice that may result in more happiness and freedom and reject an action that may bound us or cause suffering. How to make such a choice? Learn from the past experiences, see what produced happiness and freedom, do not repeat past mistakes. This art comes by practice and experience, but a good teacher can also help. We soon find that by doing so, we are doing only that which we love to do. This is the path of the heart. It is a lifestyle that is effortless, pure and is full of happiness and freedom. Everyone has a different path, so do not mimic others, that will only produce more suffering, find your own path (Swadharma). It has to be something you love to do.

So our purpose here as human beings is to walk on the path of our own heart. It will lead to absolute happiness and freedom, and will give a meaning to the life.

 Gift 1

Gift 2

121. Is brain simply imagining the consciousness?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-24 05:56:29

Hello,

Is it possible that consciousness is just ; the brain registrating through our senses. Is the brain not just imagening ' consciousness' ?

Consciousness is defined as that which experiences. It is the experiencer, an empty nothingness, a background on which all experience appears.

This can be observed directly. Right now, right here, all the experiences are appearing. Whatever they are appearing in, is called consciousness.

It is the "aliveness", it is "I", the Self.

The very first criterion that falls out of this definition is that if anything can be experienced, it is not the experiencer, it is not consciousness.

Now it becomes easy to see what is consciousness and what is not. Senses are registering objects in the world, people, animals etc. Clearly, they are being experienced, so the consciousness is not "out there" in the world. The mind is registering thoughts, imaginations, desires, emotions etc. So clearly, they are not consciousness, as they can be easily experienced. The brain itself is an object, an organ, just like any other organs. Clearly, the brain and its processes are being experienced.

Now take an imagination or illusion. Is this illusion being experienced? If no, then nothing can be said about it, it is not there. If yes, then what is experiencing it? Clearly, if the illusion is being experienced, if it exists, there needs to be an experiencer of it, an observer of it. That'd be the consciousness. The illusion itself would become an object, something which the consciousness is beholding.

Now let's say the consciousness is an illusion. As we did above, we can now ask - is this illusion being experienced? If no, then there is no consciousness, end of the story. If yes, what is experiencing it? If you say consciousness is experiencing it, then it is an impossibility, because you started with consciousness as an illusion, the illusion cannot experience itself. You'd need something real to establish that it is an illusion. So the logical conclusion is - if the consciousness is an illusion, it does not exists. If you can establish the illusion as existing, then something real has experienced it, that real something is nothing but a real consciousness.

So you see, it is logically impossible to assign consciousness to an experience. It always separates itself out as that which is experiencing. Like the oil separates itself out of the water, when you try to mix them.

Now, one can say, the brain is experiencing the consciousness. It is somehow capable of an experience. If the brain is experiencing it, then the brain is now the real consciousness, and whatever it is experiencing is just another experience. It may very well say that this experience is consciousness, but the brain itself is consciousness here. There cannot be two consciousnesses in a single brain, one experiencing other. Whatever it is experiencing must become an experience, it cannot be the consciousness. So the logical conclusion is - if something can experience consciousness, that something is real consciousness, the thing that is being experienced is an object. So if the brain can experience consciousness, it becomes consciousness itself and the thing it is experiencing becomes an object. Therefore the brain is experiencing an object, not a consciousness. In other words, a thing cannot experience consciousness. Only consciousness can experience things.

If the brain is creating consciousness, there must be a mechanism through which it is doing so. This mechanism must be established in order to prove this truth. Let's say, you can observe this mechanism happening, there is the proof, but now you can ask - what is experiencing this mechanism? Obviously, the consciousness is experiencing it. Which means the consciousness is capable of experiencing its own creation. Which means it can experience the part where is it still under construction. Then it experiences the part where it is finished. If it cannot experience the part where it was under construction, it cannot be sure that it was indeed created by the brain. But if it can experience the under construction part, it was already present, whole and complete. So the logical conclusion is - if it is being created by some mechanism, brain or any other thing, then it will not experience its creation, which means it will never be able to prove it, it will remain a fantasy. If it can experience its own creation, then it is already there, and hence was not created by this mechanism in first place. So again, the consciousness escapes any attempts to treat it like an ordinary object or process.

Now, you may not like the above definition of consciousness. So let's define it as an object which resides in the head. Try to see the truth of it, see if you can find an evidence for it. Now let's define it as a process in an organ, such as the brain. Again, try to find that exact process, consult neuroscientists and other intelligent people, the experts. Read the cutting edge literature on this topic, see if anyone has established consciousness as a process. Now define the consciousness as otherworldly stuff, something from "another dimension", see if it is here and now, or you need to go to this another dimension to get it. Every time you redefine consciousness, or refine it, try to get as much evidence as you can. This is a good way to study what consciousness is. This will destroy all your illogical beliefs. You will know it first-hand.

You can go on pondering like this in your practice time, introspect over it. See it clearly what this "thing" called consciousness is. Try to corner it by hook or crook. This is a good way to understand what it is. Try to deny the common beliefs about it, see if they stand your own direct observation and strict logical rigour. You will find that the consciousness belongs to a class, which is extremely different from any other class you have encountered. And it is only one of its kind. There is only one member in this class, which is this consciousness.

Gift 1

Gift 2

122. How to get rid of negative emotions and impulses?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-24 15:15:21

I have fear, guilt , jealousy,revenge,anger How I come out from these things , u recommend any practice that help me ?

First step is to realize that you do not have these things. They are activities of the mind. Mind is an object, a structure that you are experiencing, just like you are experiencing a body and a world.

An experience cannot be you. You are the one that is experiencing. You are the experiencer. Also known as the consciousness or the Self. Take the point of view of the Self, know it well. It is the empty conscious background on which every experience takes place.

Once you see that you are not all those negative experiences, nor do you own any of those, they will lose their strength, now they are merely some events that you are experiencing. All those activities are because of past experiences that are lodged in the memory. Negative experiences produce negative activity and positive ones produce positive activity in the mind. Mind is just a machine, it outputs that which it takes in.

We are not on the mercy of this machine. It can be reprogrammed. Firstly and obviously, surround yourself with positivity, new friends, new places, good books, good movies, some healthy hobbies, some physical work etc. Do this consciously and intentionally. Secondly, stop recalling the past obsessively. Divert your mind as soon as a negative thought arises. Remember that "you" do not think these thoughts, they are automatically produced, you simply experience them. You can choose to experience something else. In order to do that you must be intensely aware of what is going on in the mind. If you are not aware, the choice will not be there. Its simple. Shine the light of awareness on the mind, do it 24x7.

As soon as a negative thought arrives, which it will sooner or later, simply observe it without acting on it or fuelling it. It will want to continue and snowball into some bad emotion. But simply watching it kills it. Another thought will arise soon, and you do the same. Train your mind like this. It is robotically producing suffering because it is untrained. It is like wild horse which takes the rider anywhere it wants. A tamed horse will obey what you want. It can be done only via awareness, there is no other way. Awareness is the key.

Forgive those who caused harm of any kind, mental or physical to you or to your loved ones. Forgiving doesn't mean embracing them or making friends again. It means you decide to not let your mind give any importance to them. Its like uprooting the weeds. They stop growing and polluting the mind. Forgiving is erasing the negative programming from the mind by replacing it with something neutral or positive. The best way to forgive is to realize that it was all your mistake, the fault was yours not of the other. Take it as a lesson, resolve not to do it again, not to be in a bad company again. Here, you replace the blame with responsibility. This clears the negativity, sometimes instantly. The guilt can be cleared in the similar way. Realize that whatever you did was because of your error or ignorance, it was not intentional. Learn the lesson and move on. Actually, go and act to correct it. It can be sending a simple letter accepting your mistake or just saying sorry. If not possible, do that in front of someone you respect or send it to the universe itself. There can be a flood of emotions as negativity is cleared, so let it flow. You will be freed after that. Next time the negative thoughts will be very weak, just observe them as usual, they disappear like clouds in a clear sky.

Life is a series of experiences. Each experience leaves a lesson. They are not good or bad experiences, they are all lessons. No matter what you do, no matter what your mental states are, there are always lessons in them. They keep repeating till you learn the lesson. Once you learn it, understand it, and embody it in your actions, that lesson disappears. A new lesson starts.

 Gift 1

 Gift 2

 Gift3

123. Is consciousness just awareness or intelligence?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-24 17:46:02

Humans can be aware of things, aware of themselves, of their thoughts etc. . . But is that' awareness' consciousness? Or are we just being aware, like intelligent(hmm) beings.

Depends on your understanding and definitions of the words - humans, intelligent, awareness, consciousness, thoughts.

Usually everyone has their own ideas about what those words mean. A word must point to an experience. See what experiences these words point to, and try to derive relations between them.

What does the word awareness point to in your experience? And how does it relate to the experience of consciousness? What is the relation between intelligence and awareness in your experience? If these words do not point to an actual experience, they are just hollow words, made up concepts.

Before you can draw relations among these concepts, it is best to define them very precisely.

You can start like this. Right now, right here, there is an experience. There is something. This is undeniable. As soon as you say there is nothing, a question arises - what is saying it? If there is nothing no one could have said it. If something is saying it, then it is false that there is nothing. So mere denial of it, establishes it. This is a very solid ground. We can start building from here. This something appears as an experience. This something can also be called existence. All that is. Consciousness is defined as that which is having an experience of something. When you deny it, and say that nothing is having an experience, then what is having the experience of this denial? If it was not experienced, it was not denied. If it was experienced, there is an aspect of something which is having an experience. So this is also undeniable. Consciousness is the experiencer aspect of all that is. With this definition, when you say there is no consciousness, then there is no existence. Consciousness enables existence. It is very fundamental. You can try to start in some other way and see if you get a better definition. Ensure it corresponds to reality and holds up to rigors of logic.

Among the experiences are the experiences of the world, of a body, and of a mind. There are no other kind of experiences. If you can find an experience that seems new, it can be classified in one of these three kinds. For example a dream can simply be classified under the experience called a mind. All objects that are dependent on senses are world. Body is then an interface of the mind and the world. You will find that it has two aspects, one is physical and one is mental. It can be seen as an object and can be felt through the mind directly just like other mental events. Mind is all those mental events - thoughts, emotions, imaginations, intellect, desires, intentions etc. It cannot be denied that all these experiences are present.

A human is an experience which is a complex of an object - the body, a mind and consciousness. This can be seen here and now. The mind has processes that organize experiences, form relations between experiences and stores them neatly in memory. It uses tools such as space and time to arrange the experiences in the memory. If you look closely, it creates the entire world out of sense perceptions. The sense perceptions originate in existence, their source remains unknown. Mind knows only that which it can organize. Knowledge is organized experience.

Mind a collection of processes that operates on memory. The processes result in many abilities in the mind. When all these abilities are functioning optimally, we call it intelligence. When some of them break down, the intelligence is reduced. Surely, a collection is abilities of the mind is not directly related to consciousness. They are simply events that happen in the field of consciousness. Intelligence is also an experience. It is a mental kind of experience. All experiences happens in consciousness.

There is one more thing the mind can do, which is - it can know consciousness. The one that is a background of all experiences. The mind sees it as emptiness devoid of any qualities. It is seen as not physical, not mental, not having any substance. Mind can know itself when the consciousness of the mind arises. Now awareness can be defined as the knowledge in the mind that there is consciousness. Awareness is a reflection and acknowledgement of consciousness in the mind. When I say I am aware of an object, I simply mean that there is an object and there is a consciousness of that object and there is a mind that has organized this whole experience in memory.

Now we have three fundamental things - existence, consciousness and mind. Everything else is derived out of these. Why are they fundamental? Because as soon as you take away any of them, it stops corresponding to our direct experience. Now try to define all these terms in your own way, using your own direct experience. See if you can derive any meaningful and logical relations among all these concepts. Remember that there is no such thing as truth, all you have is your own experience. Your experience is your truth. Words do not make up truth, words are hollow, they are just symbols in the mind.

124. If someone abuses me what should I do?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-24 16:20:28

If someone abuse me what should I do

First thing to do is - not to abuse back. Your reaction makes it worse. Become aware of what has happened, and become aware how your mind is reacting.

Second would be to see that behaviour of others is not in their control. Their minds are simply following their own programming. They are not very conscious of what they are doing. They are mostly like robots acting on impulses their minds produce. If they were conscious, they would behave consciously, they wouldn't cause any harm and their speech would be intelligent, loving and meaningful. But you will come across such a person rarely, most of us humans are zombies.

When we see how and why others are behaving, we stop blaming them. They do not have any knowledge of what they are doing, so it does not make any sense to blame them. This stops us from harming them. This prevents thoughts of revenge. This is also called forgiving. When we see that the behaviour of others is not useful for us, it is merely causing suffering, then we can avoid such people. It is a learning experience. Learning happens via interaction. Learn your lesson and move on. There is no point in fixing others, fix yourself. Do not get involved again. Gravitate towards those who are conscious and intelligent. Stay away from those who are violent and abusive. And most importantly - do not become like them. This is the lesson.

The lesson will keep repeating till you embody it. Till you become that which the lesson is pointing to. Once your being has changed, the lesson will stop. A new lesson will start. Life is nothing but a series of experiences, and each experience is a lesson. We are not here to convert others into something that pleases us, or to transform the world into something we like. We are here to learn. Learn and grow."

125. Will an avatar arrive in future and change the bad situation the world is in?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-26 15:16:07

Kaliyuga is going on. I have read that 10th incarnation of lord Vishnu takes place when people in the world become unsatisfied, no love seen among people, injustice is happening all over the world. People aren't sharing their love, care and happiness instead hatred, gossips are spreading. No peace in the world. Will this situation change? Will kalki Avatar happen?Will this injustice happening stops?

If you take a look at other cycles of time, you will find that it was exactly the same situation, except may be in Satyayuga. Eventually that also fell and ignorance took place of truth.

Now that looks like an overly biased perspective. Because while bad things were happening, good also happened. We somehow miss the good that is silently happening in the noise of bad. This is because we focus too much on bad. The people, media, news and gossip is all about negativity. Negativity and fear sells more. Just look at the movies and TV, our entertainment is also negative. Whatever sells, will be produced more. The good and positive needs no market, it happens behind the scenes. So what to do? Focus on good. That's all you need to do.

Does that mean you should ignore the bad? No just be aware of it. Know well that good and bad exist together. They are the two poles of duality. Can there be good without the bad?

Will it take a superhuman to force a good situation? An supernatural avatar of some kind? Well, check it yourself. How many avatars arrived? Did the bad go away?

Why did all avatars failed to permanently solve our problems? Think about it. You will find that the goodness cannot be forced, not even by the most powerful avatar out there. The change comes from within. Everyone needs to change individually and personally. This is not a mass happening, it happens silently one at a time. That's why it remains unseen. How does one change? The answer is simple - life delivers exactly those experiences which are needed to bring about a positive change. We learn as we live. Even suffering is nothing but a learning experience. We change because of our experiences, not because of avatars.

Put your faith where it is effective. Whom can you change most? No, its not your mother-in-law, that is impossible. You can change only yourself. Put your faith on yourself. See what magic it does. Be the change that you wish to see in the world. Let others follow you if they wish so. Do not wait for an avatar, why wait when you can start now. Start small, start with the self."

126. What is the best way to get rid of anxiety and depression?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-28 15:33:14

What is the best way to get rid of anxiety and depression?

Most of the time, unfulfilled desires are the main cause of anxiety and depression, which is just a form of suffering.

If you look deeper, there is a hidden cause behind that. It is ignorance. Ignorance is deep and vast, the root of all suffering. Here the ignorance is the thought or mental attitude that all desires must be fulfilled.

Another ignorance is not knowing who you are, what you should do as a human being. You are like a puppet controlled by situations, people and random desires. This is where the ignorance takes you. Your actions are in darkness and hence the consequences do not always bring happiness. Occasionally there is some glimpse of pleasures that come and go, they do not last. This is another form of ignorance where you do not know how to be happy, you chase after objects, relations or social approval, which leave you in the state of misery.

The cure is knowledge. Know that all desires arise on their own, they are not yours, you do not choose them, and so it is not necessary to run after all of them, and it is ok if some of them are not fulfilled. There are too many, some others will be fulfilled. You may not get all that you want, but you will get all that you need. Discriminate between the needs and random wants. The contentment will bring peace to the disturbed mind.

Realize your true nature, you are not the body or the mental processes, they are impermanent experiences, they do not last. You are the Self, the pure consciousness that witnesses all experiences, you are eternal and the only One that exists. So you are not here to gain anything or to become anything, you are already whole and complete. This will take away the anxiety from your life.

Happiness is not fulfillment of millions of desires, it is not the transient pleasures or mental rewards that happen sometimes because of objects, people or situations. Happiness is not wanting, being what you are originally. Happiness is not getting something, it is the absence of clinging, absence of suffering.

The cure of suffering lies in knowledge, seek and explore. All answers are within. But initially you may need some guidance, so find an experienced teacher. So far suffering has been your teacher, it is a blessing in disguise, but now you can take over and consciously seek. It does not take time to know, it takes time for willingness for knowledge to arise. If you are suffering, and you are seeking a solution, the time is ripe.

127. What is the best way to get rid of fear?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-28 15:33:34

What is the best way to get rid of fear?

Its a defence mechanism of the ego. Ego is a part of the mind which is responsible for our survival. It produces a reaction in the body and mind when a threat is sensed. Fear is a protection mechanism which makes the person flee. Good for saving life, but when it is triggered irrationally it becomes an affliction, aka a phobia of some sort.

One way to get rid of fears is to face them. See that the situation is not really threatening. That trains the ego to not to fire up. See your mind and become aware of it whenever you are scared.

Know well that emotions are activities of the lower mind. The animal nature in us produces all kinds of experiences like anger, fear, lust, guilt, blame, self-pity, jealously, sadness, depression etc. These are just events in the mind. It is just happening, it is not happening to an imaginary "you". You are the Self, which is just witnessing all the experiences.

When this distinction is made, the activities of the mind get weaker, they just pass like clouds in a clear sky. You will notice that the more you feed them, the more you dwell in them, the stronger they become. So dis-identification with the mind and its activities is the cure. It starts with an awareness in the mind that you are the pure consciousness that is merely a witness to events in the mind, also in the world, and you remain detached, not involved. The events do not move you, you become so stable. Be the Self, end the suffering."

128. What can we do to make life closer to our expectation?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-29 04:39:55

What can we do to make life more closer to our expectation

That will be an error. Live a life without any expectations.

Life is a flow of experiences. Some turn out to be as desired, others do not. We have very little control over our own actions, and no control over consequences.

Expectations are beliefs that something will turn out as per your desire. This is an irrational belief. It may or may not. If it does, the mind produces a reward for a moment, and then drowns into anxiety due to next expectation. If it does not, mind produces suffering, and keeps repeating it for the whole life. Expectation is clinging to the outcomes which are not in our control. It produces suffering in the future.

Know well that desires and expectations are not "yours". You do not own them. They are mental events that are continuously produced in the mind from memory. Whatever gets impressed on the memory, produces a desire, intention, expectation of some kind. It is like a machine. It is not necessary to run and fulfill all of them. You are not the mind, you are the one that is witnessing a mind. You are the Self, the pure consciousness, a silent witness of all experiences.

We are not here to twist life to make it as per our expectations. We are here to learn from life. Live moment by moment, do that which is most necessary, do that which is most important now, and do that which you absolutely love to do, without expecting anything in return. Life is a reward in itself."

129. Where are you from?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-29 10:50:42

Where are you from

Self exists. That's the only thing one can say about it. Check it for yourself, it is the pure consciousness that you are. You are not a body or a mind, these are just experiences. You are the one that is experiencing, the Self.

It exists, it is not in a location, it is non-local. It is nowhere and everywhere at once. Check it now, see that it is your direct experience. All locations appear on the conscious background of the Self. Bodies are located, objects are located, but that which experiences them is not in a location. You can as well say it is infinite, it is everywhere."

130. What's Karma? Is the law of cause and effect true?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-29 14:56:12

What's Karma? Is the law of cause and effect true? If past and future don't exist, it should mean that in the present there should be no consequences for past actions or decisions. But I don't see this. For example, let's say that a person I knew 20 years ago and interacted with it's not in my present at all; no interactions, no thoughts about her, no common grounds, not in the same country no common friends. No bonds whatsover. This person after 20 years finds me and calls me out of the blue and start speaking about the past. What does it mean?

Its one of the famous laws of the mind. All actions have consequences. That's the law. Actions include - internal actions, like thoughts, emotions, desires and intentions. External actions like, speech, writing and actions of the body. Consequences in turn produce more consequences. This goes on endlessly.

A notable thing about this law is that actions are in our (partial) control, but consequences cannot be controlled. There can be an illusion of control, which only a wise person can see.

Kar in Sanskrit means hand. Karm is action, which is what hands do. There are 5 or 6 organs of action. But the only actor there is, is the mind. Mind uses hands or body to act in addition to its internal actions.

Although it does not say cause and effect, but people do interpret it in these terms. Know well that the mind assigns a cause to an event, and predicts an effect of an event, based on its (limited) knowledge. Without mind, things just are. Imagine that, if you can. So cause and effect are in the mind, a creation of the mind. Without mind there is just a flow of experiences.

If you wish to know if it is true, all you need to do is - act. Perform an action, and see if there is any consequence. Think, speak or do something. Experiment. If you find no consequence at all of any of your actions, this law is not true then. But obviously, you don't need to do that, it is self-evident. Why do we need to teach it if it is so obvious? Because people do not know it, that's amazing. It needs to be pointed out, but still they remain confused. It goes deeper than mere words. When you know what it is, you will gain great insights, everything will become easy for you.

Why do actions happen? If you pay close attention, you will find that all actions start in the mind as intentions, which are little actions produced by desires. What produces desires? Again, you will find that whatever is impressed on the memory produces desires. When you hear a word - icecream, the mind reacts by recalling the pleasant memories of it and produces an impulse to act. Note that there is no one there to desire, the person or identity is then assigned this desire. And there is a thought - "I" desire to eat icecream. Then the mind acts on it, activates proper organs and eating happens. Now consequences follow, which can be anything.

So, you can see, its a mind thing, hence law of mind. It is not a physical law. Physical laws are a subset of mental laws, so you will find similar laws in the domain of the world. Actions originate in the mind. There is no actor, the identity is an illusion. There is also no control, any control is another action produced by another intention, which is a result of some other conditioning. So "partial" control, metaphorically speaking.

Past or future do not exist, but impressions exist. Also called memory. Its exists in present, like everything else. Mind is just memory with some processes around memory. The essence of mind is memory. Past does not "cause" a consequence, there is no past. Consequence do not happen in future, there is no future. There is no time, but there is change. Time is derived out of change, its a measure of change. Mind can detect change. An experience is nothing but a change of some sort. The change happens according to karmic law. Mind then organizes this experience in terms of space and time and objects and various concepts. Action is a change, and so is consequence. Rest is mind. It does everything else to produce an illusion of cause and effect on a timeline. It may look like events are happening "out there", but its all in the mind. Whole of the reality is created in the mind.

So all actions happen in now, and all consequences happen in now. So the person you mentioned, still has a memory, memory habitually activates actions. It activated one now. Probably, there is some unfinished business, some leftover desire that makes that person act. She is not acting, it is happening, but for convenience we say she acted on her desires that were stored in her memory. Its not difficult to see that. It means that her mind is still attached, it does not mean anything magical. There is no magic, just reality. Reality is stranger than magic.

Karma is a huge subject. The above answer is a very short and crude version, suitable for a phone app. If you are interested, start with small bites of it. Clear your slate, see it yourself. Wipe out the mumbo-jumbo that surrounds this concept, start fresh. Start from the Self, the consciousness that witnesses all this drama of karma, while still remaining unaffected by it. Start with mind, where its seeds are. If you start in the world, all you will find is illusions and confusion. You will need a guide or a guru, it is not an easy subject to grasp.

131. How do I deal with backbiters?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-29 15:49:07

I am soo irritated by backbiters, I am extremely disturb by their activities against me , how I deal with them? Due to this I get angry , stressed .

This can happen when you give too much importance to people. Life is mostly about you and those handful of people who care about you. Others are not so important.

Simply observe what they do, and ignore it, if it is not useful for you in any way. Most are not conscious, their behaviour is determined by their past conditioning. They are merely following their programming like robots. So we cannot put a blame there, there is no intention there. We cannot fix them, we can only fix ourselves. Become aware of your own behaviour.

Be kind and compassionate to all, without expecting anything at all. Your expectations will cause suffering. Anger and stress are just suffering. Its your own experience now, learn from it. Even a dog will not act according to your expectations, people are free to do as they please, so expectations are of no use. Probably you are expecting too much.

If you have an aversion to people, which some very sensitive person can have, then stay away from crowds. Join a job, where there are less people, where there is no cut throat competition and greed or corruption. Try jobs that consume less of your time, are easy to do, and where you are mostly on your own. Try being self-employed, where you are your own boss and can keep or fire anyone you please. Perhaps that can mean less pay, but the real wealth is peace of mind. Life is about how you live it, not about how much stuff you hoarded. What goes with you are your experiences, not your hoardings.

The whole point of existence is to be happy and free. Do that which is most necessary, minimal, and do that which you absolutely love to do. Situations, people and things are passing scenery on this unending path of life. Choose your goals wisely.

132. Which crystal/stone do I need to keep in my pocket today?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-30 01:59:06

Which crystal/stone do I need to keep in my pocket today?

None.

They are useless.

Mostly it was an art in ancient days. It has lost its meaning. Probably a handful of people know its real meaning these days. If you knew what it means, you'd not ask this question.

A stone is just a stone, there is nothing magical there. It'd be highly irrational to assume that. A stone is a tool, its a tool for the mind. It stands for something which exists in the mind. Its an external representation of a mental event. So the magic is in the mind.

Since we are so engrossed in physical world, wise people came up with tricks to bring us back to the mind using physical things. You do not really need crystals or stones, a nail or a wooden statue or even your phone will do the trick. It must be linked to a mental event, which can be a memory, an intention, a desire or a plan or more specifically a series of well-crafted mental actions - a ritual. The actual ritual happens in the mind. One must be trained to manipulate the mind. Stuff is there just to keep the mind focused.

If you are interested, seek an experienced teacher. Although, that will be difficult, most are fakes, just looking for your money.

133. What does the word "choice" mean?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-30 09:28:38

What does the word "choice" meaning?

It is one of the abilities of the mind. It is a process in the mind that triggers one action while excluding all other possibilities.

You can see it happening right now.

Let's say you are presented two objects and you are asked to pick one with your hand. This is an action. There are two possibilities. You need to be pay attention now to what is going on in the mind, as soon as you are asked to act. You will experience a process that starts evaluating, your attention will shift from one object to the other for a moment. The evaluation is completed very quickly, and it is according to one or many biases that are already present in the memory. The mind exclude one possibility from the two and acts. It then owns the action, and you say - "I chose this object and picked it". What actually happened is some biases caused an action, that's all we can see. This huge collection of biases is called conditioning. It is there because of the past experiences that are impressed upon the memory as we live this life. All experiences leave an imprint on the memory. This imprint affects the behaviour. Often, the biases cannot be seen clearly, there are too many factors there, and that produces the illusion of will.

Its like when you keep pouring water over soil, it forms channels, and the next time you pour water, the water tends to flow through those channels, it favours those channels. We may say the water makes a "choice" to go into the channel instead of going somewhere else. The mind does something similar, it acts in a certain way because of the biases or conditioning already present.

It is like a computer, which is pre-programmed to act in a certain way. The only difference is that mind's programming is generated by life experiences. They are the events that we come across and they leave imprint on the mind. This forms programs - likes, dislikes, preferences, and whatever it chooses, is determined by mind's conditioning. So its the mother nature that programs our mind. Or we can say that the whole universe causes a particular choice a mind makes. It is not an individual choice, all of our choices are universe's choices. Or if you prefer, there is just a choice, it is no one's choice.

Another odd thing that happens is that another process in the mind creates a tag for whatever choice was made, it tags it as "I". This is the identity creator process. It labels the choice as belonging to an imaginary entity. It forms an idea or abstraction of a thing that made the choice, it is assumed to be the "cause" of the choice. That thing is "I" or the lower self, or separate self, or ego or identity or aham, there are many names. It is there because a mind sees other people or bodies act and it assigns a cause of those actions to corresponding bodies. It creates the other "person" who chose and acted. The mind does something similar to itself. It creates a "person" corresponding to its own actions.

There is this illusion that this identity chooses something, and that leads to many outcomes, such as responsibility, shame, guilt, blame, pride and many more complex processes that get triggered. It is because of this that we can differentiate our own actions from other's action or from natural occurrences. This is the basis for punishing a criminal for an harmful action. This is the basis on which a human group (society) operates. Without this tagging, the mind has no way to discriminate what caused the action. This identification helps it to learn how to act next time. If the outcome is something bad for it, it forms a negative bias for it and next time that choice won't happen, there will be a hesitation or repulsion. If the outcome is something good for it, it gets positively biased, and next time acts in similar way. A "like" or attraction is formed. This is how it keeps itself alive and grows. This can be seen easily in all human behaviour and also among animals and plants. Its a natural law, a law of the mind.

 Gift 1

134. What is brain if not mind? Why is it special?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-30 14:29:11

What is brain , it is just organ like heart or liver ? Why thoughts , desires, tension come in brain not in liver , kidney , what is present in my head in brain , which not present in my foot or hand , please clear air on this topic .

Yes, its an organ. It is actually a part of the system - the nervous system. It is the meeting point of sensory signals and a trigger point for muscular action.

It is a common assumption that the mental experiences happen in brain. It is an assumption because when we open up the brain, we do not see any mental actions there, all we see is electrical and chemical events. For example, when you see a red object, and if your brain is under x-ray or fMRI, or if it is cut open, we will never see any red or any object there, all we see is pulses running in different part of the brain. Similarly when you recall a memory, imagine something, or think something, none of these appear in brain. All we see is pulses in neurons. So the mind is not brain, and is not caused by the brain or any of the microstructures there.

Now amazing thing is, there is a correlation between the mental experiences and brain activity. So the brain events and mental events are related, they are two parts of a bigger system. That bigger system is not physical, it is the mind itself. Brain is a part of the mind that reports sensory data and transmits signals to the body for movement etc. Not only the brain, the whole body is a part of the mind. For example when we touch something by hand, a mental experience appears in hand, it is the familiar experience of touch. If you pay attention, the touch appears in hand, it looks like it is located in hand. But that does not mean that the mind is located in hand. That should be obvious. We do not assume that the mind is "inside" the hand. Now electrical activity also appears in hand, in nerve tissue there, and not surprisingly, there is a correlation between the subjective experience of touch and electrical pulses in hand. But still, we never assume that the mind is located in hand. Similarly if there is some pain in the leg, the subjective experience of pain appears in leg, but we do not assume that the mind is now shifted to leg. What is odd is, we assume it is located in head because some electrical activity appears there. That is odd indeed, why do we assume that?

Let's take a look. If you imagine a red ball, the vision areas in the brain are activated. If you think of a sentence, aural areas of the brain are activated. Most of the mental activity ends up activating some or other brain areas. When I intend to speak, the whole speech areas including muscles in the mouth and throat are activated. If you look closely, most of the mental activity, when we are sitting at one place, doing nothing in particular, produces one or the other sensation in head area. That is because except touch, all the senses are located in head, just near brain. This is because of evolutionary reasons, it is more efficient and effective when a sensor is placed near the processor, it leads to less loss of information, needs less energy and there is no need to run long cables (nerve fibres in biological systems) to and from sensors. So our mental activity ends up activating one or other part in the head area. This is sensed too, just like touch and pain is sensed, and hence gets located there. So it looks like the thoughts, visualization etc are happening in the head. It is an illusion produced by proximity of sense organs to head area. So while at rest, my locus is in the head just behind the eyes. It is an illusion, there is no "me" there, there is no mind there, there is nothing special there. See this clearly via your own direct experience.

Of course, some people will tell you that "I" is located in the heart area, in rib cage. Why is that? Because emotional activity, such as anger or fear cause chest to contract and heart to act in altered way, this can be sensed, and hence those who are very emotional kind find their locus in heart area. It is very customary to point to the heart and say "I". We never point to head when we refer to ourselves. Why is that? Because during its early days in evolutionary history, humans were more emotional than intellectual, and the locus was strongly situated in the heart region. We developed this particular behaviour because of that, which still continues today. However, we never say that the mind is located in rib cage, or the emotions are "happening" in the rib cage. If we open it up we won't see any emotion, all we will see is electrochemical-muscular activity there, which is a result of emotion. Note that this physical activity is not the cause of emotion, there is no way to do that, it is reverse, the physical activity is an effect of emotions, the cause is the emotion that is "in the mind", i.e. is a subjective experience.

So that leaves us with the question - where is the mind located then? And the obvious but astonishing answer is - it is non-local. It is not located anywhere. This is how reality is. All of the reality is non-local. The locations are illusions created by the mind, when it arranges its sense experiences in a conceptual space. The space is only an idea in the mind. All locations are ideas or maps in the mind, which point to one or the other experience. See this clearly, it is our direct experience. It is best to experience the mind as it is, instead of gathering blind beliefs about it. Knowledge of the mind will give you power over it, will set you free from ignorance. You will evolve and progress faster, more knowledge means more control and so you can correct it, you can manipulate it or fix it or simply make it better.

135. How do I shield myself from negative people?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-30 16:47:43

How do I shield myself from negative people?

Firstly, avoid such people. Stay away. Do not meddle in their affairs, do not try to fix them or preach them. Never works.

Secondly, forgive negative people. Perhaps you are away from them, but their past deeds are still lingering in your mind, which are producing negativity now. Reaction of your mind produces even more negativity, and so the spiral strengthens itself. The only way is to break this cycle and be free from negativity. This can be done by breaking all mental bonds. Forgiving is a trick that can do that, sometimes instantly, you will find a relief.

Thirdly, surround yourself with positive people and positivity of all kinds. Checks your habits, check what you consume and what you feed your mind. What goes in , comes out. Practice solitude, pratyahar and be in the company of wise, or good books/media etc. Its like a gym for the mind. Make it fit again, feed it positivity. But that does not mean that we run away when negative situation arises. We deal with it normally, only that we do not let it stick to us.

Last, but not the least, become aware of everything - situations, events, people, your body, your mind, your Self. When you are intensely aware, both positivity and negativity cease to have any effect on you. Be the Self, take the point of view of the Self. Your mind will begin approaching the Self in its qualities. It will be purified, it will become transparent and empty of any qualities. It will become absolutely free and blissful just like the Self is."

136. Will my marriage be restored?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-31 11:04:38

Will my marriage be restored

It does not matter, what matters is the lesson you will receive. If it is restored, you will learn something. If the marriage breaks, then it will. Learn from this experience too. Nothing lasts. Objects, relations, people, achievements, all disappear in the fog of time. They are illusory. Do not cling to the illusion. Know that which is permanent. Know your Self.

Whenever a relation is based on expectations and is of "give and take" kind, it will become a suffering. We marry or get partners assuming that this new situation (married life) or the wife or husband will somehow bring happiness. But the truth is that happiness does not "come" from situations or people. This is our basic error.

Expecting others to make you happy will never work. "Getting" happiness by being in a particular relation will not work. The happiness is a result of us not wanting anything, no objects, no people, no relations. Wanting is never ending, and so never results in happiness. We try to "fix" others hoping that now they will make us happy, but that will not work either. This is our second mistake - manipulating others to get happiness from them. If you see, the problem is not the other person, the problem is you. You do not know how to conduct a relation.

All you can do is give happiness. Give without expecting. Try to make others happy while not asking anything in return. This is unconditional love. Give as much as you can, and if the demands from others is something beyond your capability, just honestly say so. Giving is not about becoming a doormat, do not let others to exploit your kind nature.

You will find that those who want to get happiness from you, will either leave you or stop troubling you. You will find that those who appreciate your kindness and giving will stay with you, and they will try to return the favour, resulting in a giving relation from both sides. A relation is like a service, we serve the other with selflessness, with love and care, while taking care of our own wellness and peace of mind. Happiness follow automatically, it is always a result of our own behaviour, not of others.

This will work not only for marriage but also in all situations - family, parents, office, friends and society in general.

Relations and people are not a source of happiness. They may be a source of pleasure or may provide food and security, but do not make us happy, it is just dependency, bondage and attachment. Over that, there is always of fear of losing it all. This keeps us from living our lives fully.

Save yourself by not depending on objects, titles, possessions, relations and anything that changes. Depend on the Self, which you are. Its nature is perfection, bliss and freedom. Make yourself happy and free by walking the path of your heart. Use your life to do something you are born for, do that which you love to do, that will bring most satisfaction, happiness and freedom.

On the path you may find people who like you, or who do not, you may find friends or enemies, you may get things or lose them, but they are not your goal, they are just events that happen on the way. They come and go. Your goal is happiness and freedom, which comes by doing what you love. Set the goals now, and explore.

137. What is the simplest meaning of words meditation and awareness?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-31 07:03:02

There is lot of confusion and different opinion on meditation, awareness?what is simple meaning of both.

Both words have multiple meanings, and hence both are meaningless.

This is because different authorities assign different meanings to these words, and different people understand them in different ways, their meaning is their own making, which is a distortion of whatever they could understand.

It hardly matters what a word means. What matters is the experience behind it. If there is a meaningful experience behind it, that becomes the meaning. Knowing how someone else interprets those words is going to do nothing for you. Experience is the key. Knowledge is organized experience, knowledge needs experience, it is the real foundation. Seek experience, not words. Words are hollow.

Based on your own experience, you can assign your own meaning. But that makes it really difficult to communicate to others. So whenever you speak, put down your own definition first, and ask the other person to put down their own definition. Else it will be a mess of apples and oranges. You can see that everywhere, because people are not careful about their words and their meanings.

Now, there must be a reason why you are asking for these meanings. Probably you plan to meditate or study awareness. The least effective way would be to open a dictionary or ask around. Best would be to approach a teacher, who according to your own evaluation may know something. Whatever that teacher's definition is, that would be the meaning for time being. Adopt it, do it, and check the experience. That would make the words solid. In future, you may want to experiment with another teacher, another tradition, and then wipe clean the meanings before you join them, start fresh. You will find similarities and differences as you explore the spiritual landscape. Anyhow, what will stay with you is your own experience, your own meaning.

However, its not completely useless to get an idea of what everyone means by these words. Here is a sample taken from the ocean of meanings - meditation is a rough translation of the word Dhyana, which in Sanskrit means - holding one object, thought, idea, image in the mind and excluding all others. This is Patanjali's meaning. What does that do? Well, depends on what results you want. There are a garden variety of meditations, each tailored to bring about a specific result. You won't know it till you practice something specific. So the English word meditation stands for many practices, not one. Its a general word, and therefore one cannot "do" meditation.

Awareness is a rough translation of the Sanskrit word Chetana. It means a knowledge of being conscious of one's own existence. But as soon as you open another book, this meaning will be replaced by the one being used in that book. So again, try not to hold on to the words, they stand for an experience. Check the experience.

138. Is the mind an experience or is it an experiencer?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-05-31 07:06:25

World , body are experience and self is a experincer or witness of theses, my question is our mind is also a experience or experiencer ?

Depends on your own definition and understanding of what mind is. Here is one definition you can play with.

Mind can be defined as memory and processes around the memory. Memory being a structure which forms out of impressions received from various experiences. There are process around it, like recalling, thinking, imagining, desires, emotions, intentions, perception, sensation, feelings and many more. So mind is a collection of non-physical processes and structures. Non-physical because, we do not need senses to know them, they are known directly. Anyhow, they are perceived, they are known, and hence the whole mind is a collection of various experiences. And as usual, these are being experienced.

You can test it like this - think a thought. Now check if the thought experienced itself, or it was experienced as something other than "I". The I here is the experiencer, or the Self. Do the same for an emotion or imagination etc. Should be obvious that all mental processes can be experienced as something other than "I". They are all an object for the Self. A non-physical experience is thus, only an experience. It is a different kind of experience, when we compare it with sensory experiences - those of the world and the body.

An amazing thing can be noticed though. All sensory experiences actually are non-physical because they are created by the mind. The objects in the world (body is just another object) are being created in the mind out of sense data or sensory information relayed by the senses. You can see that as follows - observe a red ball. See that both the colour red and round shape are in the mind, it does not exists "out there" in the world. The shapes and colours are purely subjective and are therefore non-physical. So we are left with only one kind of experience, although the mind divides it into two distinct kinds. This is an illusion. So one can say that all that exists is nothing but the mind. The whole of the existence can now be called as a Universal Mind.

Gift 1

139. What is reason behind standing or sitting in one posture or asana ?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-06-01 10:29:27

What is reason behind in standing or sitting in one posture or asana for balance ?what is balance, which thing is balance by it and why old time yogis did asana for long time ?

Depends on the end result the yogi is trying to achieve. Different postures enable different states of mind and the body. You can experiment yourself, see which posture does what.

If you lie down, both body and mind completely relax and enter the state of sleep. If the yogi has some practice the mind enters trance like state. So this posture is good for shutting down and rejuvenate.

If you sit inclined, half lying, then the body relaxes, it goes to sleep, but the mind remains active. The yogi detaches from the body, forgets the body and the world. This is a good posture for astral projection or for meeting and consulting your guides.

If you sit straight in a stable posture, the body is relaxed but active and the mind is completely active and focused. This is a good state for one or the other kind of meditation, introspection, to study the mind and to observe it. It is easy to concentrate and tame the mind in this posture because it won't go to sleep or dreams and it has nothing to do in the world. Perhaps that's what is meant by balance.

If you stand up, you will find that both body and mind and completely present here and now in the physical dimension. So it is a good posture for grounding, but in a relaxed way. Just be present. Can be useful if the yogi spends a lot of time in the mind or in absorption. This restores the balance.

If you walk, both the body and the mind enter active state and are established in the world. Working has the same effect.

So it depends on the goals, for those who are very active, long duration of sitting or standing helps to restore the balance. For those whose minds are hyper active long duration sitting and focusing on the mind helps. And so on.

A yogi can easily overdo it and prolonged sitting will then cause health problems, as the body is not moving much, the muscles and joints get stiff. So for them twisting and turning or bending and such "yogic" exercises are recommended. That restores the body's health and enables even more prolonged sitting and practices. It can continue for many days, but then the yogi must come back and flex the body a bit.

So everything has a reason, it must not be done without thought. Do not simply copy what an advanced yogi is doing, consult an expert teacher. Some people use yogic posture to fix their health issues. Well, this can have some benefits but they do not magically cure diseases. Some commercial yoga institutions will show you false hope just to get your money. Consult a doctor. Postures will do mild improvements in health, that's all. They are meant for yogis, not for ordinary people. Surely, bending your bodies won't give you "enlightenment" or magical powers. Assuming that would be stupidity. You need knowledge and practice under an experienced teacher to have spiritual gains, there is no shortcut here.

Some people think that yoga, meditation or asanas or yamas etc will prolong their lives. They do not, there is no magic there. What they do is improve the health a bit, and if you have a totally unhealthy lifestyle, they may add a few months to your life, that is because of health improvement, not because of magic. If you wish to prolong your life, focus more on your diet and hygiene. Joining your local gym would be a good idea too. Stay away from artificial food and chemicals, try a simple sattvic and low calorie diet. Stay away from disease causing situations, dirty environment and unhealthy people and risky adventures. Also be happy, carefree and free from anxieties and worries. That will prolong your life surely."

140. I'm not able to do that which I'm supposed to do! Why is it? Why is there fear?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-06-01 08:46:18

Am frustrated ! I feel like am good for nothing now! Am just not able to do wat am supposed to do! Why is it?

Why there is fear? Why it has ti be the way it is! Am i really not capable?

There is nothing wrong with you. It is just the mind entering a state of confusion and shock, perhaps because whatever it planned did not happen. Well, that's completely normal. This is reality, that which we aim for or plan for seldom happens. What happens is - a LESSON.

Check what your lesson is here. What are the outcomes telling you? What do you need to learn here?

There is fear because the mind does not want to fail again, its a bitter experience, and so it is fleeing from it. Recognize this clearly. Fear does not mean that you cannot do something, only that the mind is resisting, like a child resisting his first day in the school. He has become too comfortable at home, too secure. Know well that success lies outside the boundary of your comfort zone. It take courage to do anything worthwhile. And the courage is not the ability to take mindless risks, but to do what needs to be done in spite of fear. Courage is not letting your fear decide what you do.

It may look like a disaster for now, but nothing lasts, even bad days are impermanent. Do that which matters most now, which you think is most important. Do that first, and then take next step. Do not forget to learn and correct yourself at each step. Do not be delusional that everything you do must turn out to be as per your desires. It does not, you will need to fail and correct yourself many times. This is the best way, this will make you perfect in whatever you are doing. Do that which you love most. Because if you do not absolutely love it, failure is guaranteed. Success cannot be pushed , you need gentle seduction. Love what you do, and it will happen on its own without much effort. If you love something else, well, do that instead. You are free to choose. Its not that there is this just one thing in the life which you must force yourself to do, life is huge, there are many possibilities, perhaps better ones. Explore. See your mind clearly, and tame it.

141. What does the Self do when there is a threat to the body?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-05 12:06:22

If someone want to hurt this body , at that time self cant think like that its not me its just a flow of matter and allow to hurt , empower this human body . what self do at that time ?

Self is nothing but pure consciousness. It does nothing. It blissfully witnesses all experiences.

The Self does not think, it is the mind that thinks. Thinking is just one of the processes in the mind, just like imagination or emotions or desires. Self is merely conscious of this thinking process.

All experiences are neutral, the mind divides them into good or bad, favorable or unfavorable according to its prior conditioning or programming, and then it acts accordingly.

One of the programs in the mind is to keep the body alive. The body enables an experience of the physical world, so there is this preference there. So whenever there is a threat to the body, the mind activates defence mechanisms, such as anger or fear and the body acts as best as it can to defend itself. The mind is a computer and the body is a robot. These are evolved to remain alive, of course any structure without such programming will simply vanish, it cannot continue for long. Other programs of the mind that are survival related are - growth of the body(e.g. via hoarding food or resources), reproduction (via mating and bonding) and ensuring a place in the pack (society or tribe, better position means better opportunities for food and mates). Collectively, all such survival related processes are called - the Ego.

The Self witnesses this drama of the mind-body-world. It does it because it happens, it has no purpose or agenda, it is like a play. You are that Self, the eternal nothingness in which all experiences happen. You are the experiencer, not the experience."

142. What are responsibilities of self for human body on this planet ?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-05 12:02:12

What are responsibilities of self for human body on this planet ?

The Self has no responsibilities, it is absolutely free.

The concepts of care, carelessness, indifference or responsibility does not apply to the Self. All these are applicable to the "person". A person is an idea in the mind, which is created to account for all the acts the mind does. It helps the mind to distinguish that which is "me" versus that which is "not-me". That is a good survival strategy. Obviously, an organism that does not know what actions are its own and what are natural or of others will not survive for long. It won't learn and perhaps keep doing something random. Knowing which actions are "mine" helps to learn and survive.

So the mind assigns a job of taking care of the body to itself, or more specifically to the concept of a person or identity. So it is the person, an imaginary entity in the mind, that is responsible for the body, its sustenance, its growth and its reproduction.

Self is merely a witness of this drama. The mind has limited awareness and intelligence, and is lost in its own play.

Know well, via your direct experience, that the mind, body and the planet are just illusions. Consult an experienced teacher for guidance, it can be confusing. Get the evidence, never believe blindly.

143. Who is god?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-05 11:54:56

Who is the god

That totally depends on how you define the word god. It is a matter of language and concept. This concept is in the mind, obviously. There are billions of minds, and hence billions of answers. When a word takes on so many meanings, it loses its meaning. One can define the word god based on one's experience and try to find that thing in one's experiences. If you find one, there it is. Its simple.

Everyone understand this concept in their own way. It is a result of conditioning. If it were a result of an experience, everyone would understand it in one specific way. The concept of sky, for example, means the same for everyone on this planet, there is no confusion, there is no difference in opinion. Why is that? Because sky is a matter of experience, it is not a made up thing. No questions are asked about its whereabouts. When there is a doubt, search for the answers in your own experience.

Your experience is your truth. If you cannot experience it, you will be forced to believe it blindly, and beliefs lead to ignorance. Experience leads to knowledge. Define the word god precisely, find it in your experience. If you cannot find it, its not there. If you can, there it is. It is simple.

144. How do I "live in the moment" and still the mind?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-05 16:11:49

How do I "live in the moment" and be present, when my mind is constantly thinking? No matter how many times I try to still the mind, it won't quit.

It is good to see that you already realized that it is your mind that is thinking. Many people start with an assumption "I am thinking constantly". So you are already past the major hurdle. You see, the mind is not you. You are the Self, pure consciousness, that which is conscious of the mind. Thinking is just a process in the mind.

Now a few more hints. Can you tell me, was there a time when you, the Self, was not in present?

Is it possible for the consciousness to be conscious of something in the past?

Is it possible for the consciousness to be conscious of something in the future?

When does consciousness experience anything, in past, present or in the future?

See it clearly as your direct experience. The Self is ever present. There is no past or future for it. Realize this, and no effort will be needed to be "present". It is not possible to bring something in present, which necessarily remains in present always.

The mind may wander in past or project the imaginary future. But these are activities of the mind that are happening in the present. The recall of the past and projection of the future is happening now. See it clearly as your direct experience. There is no time in mind also. It is also ever present. There is this illusion of past, simply because of our ignorance, simply because we never paid attention.

Stilling the mind is another issue. First of all, its great to see that you have a clear understanding that it is not you, it is the mind that is running around. You, who is this absolute silence, pure emptiness is simply an observer of the unceasing activities of the mind. Very few people understand that. Most identify with the mind, and are in ignorance that it is they who are constantly thinking. You are not the mind, you are the Self, the consciousness that is a witness to the experience of a mind.

Once the mind is under the searchlight of consciousness, it becomes easy to see it. You will notice that it is a bunch of processes that keep happening and keep repeating, like a machine, like a computer. The processes are seen as thoughts, memories, imaginations, desires, emotions and many more. They can be directly perceived via the mind itself. We do not need to employ the senses to see them, and hence they can be called non-physical in nature. The processes just happen, they do not happen in anything, but they happen on the screen of the Self. This is the mind essentially.

You will also notice that all these activities arise out of memory. Memory is a storehouse of experiences. Whatever goes in the memory, doesn't just stay there passively, it continuously gets expressed as activities of the mind. For example you see a new car one day, and now it is in memory, it will keep coming back as a desire to get that car. If you hadn't seen it, you'd never have that activity. So in short, the mind is running because it is being fuelled by our own experiences. As long as there is a stream of experiences, it will keep processing them, it will keep running. It cannot be stopped, this is the nature of the mind.

If you are looking for a way to calm down your mind, then probably you guessed it by now. One way is to feed it less. Be in solitude. Remain away from a crowd of people, junk of TV or cheap entertainment. Meditate on silence. Get away from all kinds of distractions. Slowly the mind will settle down to a peaceful state. It will not die, it springs up when it is needed. This is the ideal way to operate it. You do not want your car engine to keep roaring all the time, you use it only when you need to go somewhere. This is the famous practice of Pratyahar.

Another way is to become intensely aware of what is happening in your mind. Usually in the beginning, you will find that it gets worse, because now you notice even the tiniest of the thoughts. Its like the traffic noise becomes worse when you pay attention to it. But gradually you will find that the simple act of being aware, watching your mind curiously, makes it stop. It jumps back now and then, but as soon as you are aware of its activity, it slows down. In this way, the awareness acts like a switch to operate the mind only when it is needed. Awareness is the key to control over a mind.

Some people are so aware that they are not bothered by the activities of the mind in the least. They see the mind as something happening far away, like thunder in the distant horizon. And they let it do whatever pleases it, they simply do not act on it. Mind keeps throwing baits, and when you act on them, they become stronger. They become mechanical habits. Be aware of the baits, do not bite them. With time, the mind stops doing it and gets peaceful. The trick is to dis-identify with the mind, then it becomes just another phenomenon of the nature. The Self blissfully witnesses all that is happening. It is ever peaceful.

145. Am I alone?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-05 19:32:00

Am I alone

You are the only one. Nothing else really exists.

You are the Self, the pure consciousness, the only truth, all else is just illusion.

Although everyone will experience a Self, it is the same Self. Just like it is the same sky for everyone, no matter where they are. Self alone exists. You are that.

There is an illusion of separation because of mind's identification with the body. There are many bodies, and the mind sees itself as separate from them. As soon as the idea of separation arises, loneliness arises, the mind tries to fulfill it via one or the other means, and always fails. The only solution is to know that there is no other. There is only one, and that one is same for all illusory bodies. It is the one Self appearing as many. "

146. How can we control our thoughts?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-06 11:57:17

How we control our thoughts?mind is only collection of memories.experiences . Intelligence or understanding of any kind of problem or situation of life is a part of mind ?

Thoughts are not "yours". As soon as you see this, disown them. They are like clouds floating on the clear sky of consciousness. You are consciousness, it owns nothing, it is a witness of all experiences.

Thus, the thoughts become yet another experience, something you witness. Witness them silently. They come and go. Some are strong enough to trigger speech or action, witness that too. Simply observing them without attachment or rejection will make then evaporate, just like the dense fog disappears when the sun light falls on it. Let the sun of awareness shine on your mind.

You will find that you do not have any control on which thought to think and which to stop. You become aware only when the thought is already there. But you have some control on whether to proceed with it. If you do not, then it vanishes, if you do and entertain it, it gets stronger and then causes an action. Use this ability carefully, train yourself to sharpen it. Awareness is the key. Become intensely aware of these mental actions. Not only thoughts, you can use this practice on emotions, imaginations, desires and so on.

Not all thoughts need to be killed, not all actions need to stop. Pick those that are absolutely necessary. Leave the rest. Thoughts are not yours, actions are not yours too."

147. Why is there life on earth?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-07 10:56:07

why is life on earth? probably there's no absolute answer; right?

There is.

It has the right conditions for life. Right temperature, atmosphere, water and all those ingredients for formation of complex molecular factories called cells.

Why is there life in the universe? Probably that's what you want to know.

Life is the only thing that exists. Universe is alive. It is a giant mind. There are many more like this. There is no such thing as "dead matter".

The background of all existence is consciousness. Also known as the Self. Everything that exists, does so on this empty, pure and eternal background. It is life itself. It is you. Know what you are. You are life, you are the essence of everything.
Gift 1

148. Can I achieve my goal?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-06-07 10:41:34

Can i achieve my goal

Nothing is certain. But that's not a problem. The problem is - what will you do after achieving it?

Obvious answer is - run after another goal. And keep doing it forever.

So, the goal is not important, the path is important. Do not worry about the goals. You may or may not achieve them, what will you achieve is - lessons. Lessons are meant for your progress. You are here to grow, learn and evolve. You are not here to get things, hoard things, make countless relations or achieve intellectual things. Remember none of it will remain, nothing will go with you. What will remain is - what you are.

Know what you are. Know what it means to evolve. Know what needs to be done on this eternal path called life.

Do that which is most necessary and do that which you absolutely love to do. You will forget about the petty goals. You will see that the real happiness and freedom comes like this, when you are on a path of your heart. Know that path. Walk on it. There is no destination, you are already home. Nothing needs to be achieved. You are already whole and complete.

Gift 1

149. How to gain Mukti?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-07 14:02:25

How to gain mukthi?

Realize that you are already liberated. There is nothing to gain. You have lost nothing.

The body is an illusory form, it comes and goes. It is not free, it is bound by physical laws. It is just a complex structure of matter.

The mind is also illusory, it is bound by its conditioning, its programming or samskaras. It is not free, it is just a structure of memory and processes that operate on memory.

The good news is - You are not a body or a mind. You are the Self, the pure consciousness, that experiences a body, a mind and everything else. You are the experiencer, the empty and eternal background of all experiences. Your essence is eternal, it is pure emptiness that is conscious. What can bind it? The Self is eternally free, nothing binds it. It is free right here, right now.

What takes births is not the Self, it is the mind (causal body), what dies is not the Self, it is the body, which is already an illusion. How can you, the Self, come out of cycles of deaths and birth when you are not in it?

Dis-identify with the body and the mind. You will see that you are already liberated. Nothing more needs to be done. This is Mukti or Mokshya.

Gift 1

Gift 2

150. How do I know that I am on the right path?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-07 03:50:38

How do I know that I am on the right path?

It is very easy to know that. If there is ever increasing happiness and freedom, you are on the right path.

If you are breaking out of bondage and attachments of all kinds, with objects, people, body, achievements, social status etc, you are on the right path.

If your choices are growing day by day, you are on the right path. This means you are getting more and more free.

If you are experiencing ever increasing peace of mind, contentment, bliss and satisfaction, if there is absence of anxiety, fear, anger and unnecessary impulses, you are on the right path. This means you are becoming more and more happy and blissful.

If you are feeling aversion from overeating, cheap entertainment, gossip, violence and other lowly acts, if you are preferring the company of wise, if your intelligence is growing, if you are seeking solitude and a minimalist lifestyle, if you are spreading knowledge and wisdom, you are on the right path. This means you are not only evolving yourself, you are helping others to evolve."

151. How can I remove the inner sadness which is not letting me do anything?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-08 13:48:49

How can i remove the inner sadness which is inside me and not letting me do anything

First thing is to realize that sadness is a state of mind, an emotion, it is not "inside" you. Just like the body gets sick or healthy, mind gets sad or happy. They are just events. You are experiencing those events. So you are not sad, you are the one who is now examining the state of sadness. Once you separate yourself from a state, it can be seen clearly, and like any other experience, it goes away on its own, or can be fixed easily. Dis-identification with the mind and its states is the key.

I, the Self is changeless, has no qualities, is never happy, never depressed. It is a background of emptiness, consciousness, peace and bliss. It is the mind that goes through the changing states of pleasure, pain, joy, depression and hundreds of emotional states. The Self, which is the real you, is only a witness. All these states of the mind are merely experiences happening on the screen of the Self.

It is possible to identify with the mind, and then the mind becomes you. The thought "I am depressed" arises. Anyhow, depression is not a good state to be in. There are some solutions.

Probably you are not on the path of your heart. You have no goals, no ambitions, your survival is taken care of, so you are lost, what to do next. You randomly venture into things, only to find suffering and dissatisfaction. Your mind creates an image of a thing- a person who is suffering, this causes self-pity, and lack of any motivation or energy. This is an affliction of the mind. The cause is ignorance about the nature of the life and nature of who you are. The cure is knowledge.

Ensure that you have a goal. Eating, sleeping and reproducing is mere survival, a human life starts when survival is taken care of. Set a higher goal than simply surviving.

Ensure that the goal is that which you absolutely love to do. It should not be copied from someone else. Do that which your heart agrees with. Everyone has a unique path.

Proceed towards your goals step by step. Decide moment by moment. Choose that which takes you towards your goal. Once you have a meaningful goal, you will have no time to be sad or to wallow in various passing states of mind.

Human goals are set up by mother nature and they are - happiness and freedom. If your goal is aligned with them, you will reach there. The sign that you are progressing is ever increasing happiness and freedom. If you cannot see it, change goals, it is not your path.

In the end, the journey is important, not the destination, there is no destination. You are already home, you are already whole and complete, you are the Self.

152. What makes people happy?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-06-08 14:50:47

What make people happy?

Nothing at all. They are always unhappy, miserable and dissatisfied.

People are not important, what is important is your own life. Ask the right questions. What makes you happy? Find the answer. Be happy. Be free. Follow your bliss. Do that which you absolutely love to do. Find a meaning in it. People, situations and events are insignificant, they will blur past you, as you speed on the path of your heart."

153. Isn't religion irrational, unnecessary and racist practice?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-08 23:05:13

humankind is divided by religious communities. isn't it irrational? unnecessary?racist practice?

It is. But humans are not rational anyway.

The root cause is survival, not rationality, necessity or ethics. It is natural, if you see it.

In ancient days, creatures formed groups or herds because it means better opportunities for food, reproduction and security. A better strategy for survival. However, when the group size exceeds that which the environment can support, there is shortage of resources, and a struggle to dominate appears. Those who dominate, survive by gaining more resources, becoming richer. It can be done either via violence or some form of social arrangements like slavery, castes or racial discrimination. So formation of communities and groups is a natural occurrence. A group is formed among individuals who have similar genetics or similar behaviours. Which means, either they look the same (e.g. same skin colours etc) or they speak same language or have a similar belief system so that they appear less threatening. Anyone who is too dissimilar automatically becomes a non-member, or a competitor or enemy, and thus the other groups and individuals become a target of violence and are killed off or enslaved by a bigger group. A religion is just a measure of threat, a criterion to divide into groups. It is more like politics/war than anything else.

Humans are just herd animals. This should be seen clearly. It does not mean they are lowly, just that natural tendencies, or tribal tendencies of the ego are present to a large extent. It is due to survival pressures and limited resources. We cannot expect any kind of rationality in a herd. It is the dynamics of survival that decide what an herd will do. An individual, on the other hand, can be rational and intelligent. As an individual, it is our choice to use the higher abilities of the mind, like intelligence, logic, rationality, love and cooperation. I'm sure you are already doing that. However, as a herd, there is no hope, any expectation will be an irrational expectation. In order for the mentioned faults to disappear, almost every individual must become aware and perfect, and then the whole society will rise up. That can take time. Meanwhile, our job is to fix ourselves, become perfect and help those individuals who have similar goals to become better too. We need not wait for eons to do that, we can start now."

154. Will I get fortune in my life?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-08 23:02:36

Will I get fortune in my life ?

Only a fortune teller can tell that. This is only a puny and free Android app, completely useless for predicting future.

It does not matter actually. Even if you are fortunate and get a big fortune, all of it will be left here, unfortunately. Nothing can be taken with you when you finally depart. We do not need an expensive fortune telling service to see this simple truth.

What will go with you? Finally, that looks like a useful question. All that you have will be left here, but all that you are will go with you. Your experiences, your knowledge, your wisdom, your skills, your behaviour, how good or bad you are etc. will go with you. In other words you will be left with nothing but yourself.

Aha! So why not make that better and bigger (not in size but greatness, obviously)? Become better than what you are now, grow wiser, collect good experiences. That sounds like a true fortune to me.

And good luck!"

155. How can I control my negative thoughts in order to receive more positive ones?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-10 04:07:51

How can I control my negative thoughts in order to receive more positive ones?

The key is to be aware. Be intensely aware of the contents of your mind. Be aware without interruption in all your waking hours. That's all you need to do.

Awareness is the knowledge that I am pure consciousness (Self) that is now conscious of an experience. Awareness is a knowing of what is not you and what is you. You are consciousness, you are not thoughts. Thoughts are activities, processes in the mind, they can be experienced and hence they are not you, who is the experiencer.

This fundamental understanding creates a gap between the Self and your mind or thoughts, now it becomes possible to control them. Install a thought above all thoughts that you will allow only a specific kind of thought, which is positive, if is it useful but negative, you should still allow it. Always remember this intention. It is also a thought, but acts like a gatekeeper of all other thoughts. If you forget, just continue as soon as you remember it again without cursing yourself or blaming something else. It is natural to forget, and takes some time and practice to keep awareness on. We are habituated into a zombie like life, so it takes some practice to break out of it.

You will soon realize that you do not generate your thoughts, you can only be aware of them. The thoughts appear on their own. You will realize that thoughts are generated from memories. Good memories generate good and positive thoughts, bad memories produce negativity in the mind. If you are aware of what is in your mind, you can filter out the negative content by refusing to follow that chain of thoughts. Replace it with something positive by remembering a positive event. If you have the gatekeeper installed you will be able to do it, else you will be unconsciously in the grip of any thought that randomly appears. It is important to be aware and remember your intention all the time.

Forgive people who had hurt you, so their memories stop producing negative thoughts or hate. Make your current experience positive, so that good memories are formed. For that you will need to give up the company of negative people or stay away from negative situations. Try to be as close to positive people as possible. Try to stay away from sources of negativity such as TV, newspapers, negative/hateful/violent movies or books etc. Cultivate healthy habits. It does not take long, just takes strong determination. Mind has a tendency to fall back to old habit. Pull yourself back again and again.

Mind is an accumulation of experiences, and thoughts and actions are a result those impressions or conditioning. Mind becomes that which you feed to it. Positive impressions result in positive thought, action and speech. Surround yourself with positive, keep the light of awareness on and the rest happens on its own.

156. How to keep away from bad habits?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-10 14:55:59

how to keep away from bad habits?

Any action starts in memory. It appears as an intention or desire, and after some thought the mind decides to act via the body. A habit is formed when a particular action is repeated numerous times in exact same way. If the action produced a momentary pleasure, its memory is strengthened, its impression gets engraved deeper. This forms a deep memory of it and even becomes automated, so much so that no thought or planning is needed in order to act. This is a result of feedback of action-memory process. A good example is driving or dancing or playing an instrument. Obviously, we repeat an action over and over because it is useful or because it provides pleasure. However, some actions can cause bad consequences even though they seem useful or pleasurable initially. Such as lying or over eating or alcohol/smoking/drugs, or even violence. These are bad habits, actions that have become automated because of repetitions and now happen without any control.

You can terminate an undesired habit by not repeating it again. It sounds simple, but it is not. Since it has become automated, you are not even aware of it. So the first step is to become very very aware of the action. Become aware of your action after it has happened, even if you were unaware while it was happening. Think over it with an intention of not doing it again. Next step - Try to stop the action while it is on-going, and then try to stop it sooner and sooner, till you can stop it even before it starts. For that you need to be very aware as soon as the intention to act appears in the mind. It comes by practice and a strong will and interest.

Meditation helps to overcome any habit. It does not kill the habit, only makes you aware of your actions and intentions. Once you are aware, you can kill the action.

The best kind of meditation for above problem is to concentrate on 1)your thoughts and intentions 2)your speech 3)your actions. Just pay attention to all of these. Watch it very curiously and attentively like a scientist observing something under a microscope. We use mind to fix the mind. This practice grows the awareness, shines light of consciousness on the mind. Once your awareness is sharp, you can get a good command on the mind and actions. Simply become aware of what the mind has in it, and what it is going to do next. If needed delay the action for a long time, till your awareness takes over, now you can decide to not take a habitual action. This meditation should be done 24x7, not for a few minutes. You do not need to sit or recite anything. Just remember to be aware in daily life. You are not the mind, you are pure consciousness that is aware of the mind. You are the Self, you are above all actions. This realization will give you power over all actions.

157. What are thoughts?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-12 05:59:27

What are thoughts?

Internal actions.

A tiny simulation of an action in the mental space. It can be of speech or bodily actions.

Similarly, simulations of perceptions is imagination.

These are the abilities of the mind, among many. By doing such "rehearsals", the mind tries to predict the outcome of an action.

 Gift 1

158. How thoughts effect on our life and how much ?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-12 07:45:27

How thoughts effect on our life and how much ?

What you think you become. This is the rule.

You will notice that our lives are the way they are because of how we acted. Our actions determine the course of our life. You can see it directly in your own experience. If you had acted in some other way, say, while taking an important decision in your life in the past, you'd be someone else totally at present.

You will also notice that all actions begin in the mind, as thoughts. So what we think we become.

The thoughts also have a beginning, a cause. Most of the thoughts that generate actions are caused by latent desires and intentions. The desires also have a cause, and the cause is the storehouse of impressions, or the memory. This is the essential memory, aka the causal body. It is not a body, but a part of the mind which stores all experiences that a mind encounters. All actions have a seed there. In turn, all actions affect the memory. Action means Karma, and so what we are is due to this karmic structure of memory.

Some of the life is affected by situations and people around us, who cause changes in our minds, and that results in different thoughts/actions instead of the same habitual ones. Some people install different thoughts and beliefs in the mind, that also affects the life. So, it is very important that we surround over selves with positive situations and wise people. It has a magical effect of improving the quality of the life. The mind is more free, it has more choices, and hence it gets more happy. Happiness and freedom are its goal anyway."

159. Can I trust my gut instinct?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-13 20:02:00

Can I trust my gut instinct?

No.

That'd be a mistake. Always prefer logic and rationality. The baser instincts are a fallback mechanism when the logic fails.

All animals have instincts, including humans. Mother nature built them there and they mainly serve well for the purpose of survival and reproduction. But that which distinguishes humans from animals is an evolved intellect. Nature is encouraging this human organism to develop in that direction, not in the backward direction towards animals.

If you find that you always act from instincts, that means your mind needs to be trained more. The higher areas of intellect need more nourishment and training. An experienced guide can help."

160. How can I be perfect?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-13 16:24:42

How can I be perfect?

You are already perfect. Realize this.

If we define perfection as a state of being where nothing more needs to be added and nothing needs to be removed, then you will find that you are already perfect, and infinitely so.

The body is just organic matter, it is bound by the laws of birth, growth and decay. It is very limited, cannot be perfect. Although it is already a masterpiece of the mother nature, it has imperfections. There is always a room for improvement and adjustments.

The mind is just mental processes that spring around a memory or impressions of past experiences. It is limited by its programming, and by what it has already learnt and experienced. It is not perfect. Although it is very complex and sophisticated, it does make errors and does not last. It is subjected to the mental laws. The mind is ever evolving, and hence one can say that there is always a room for vast improvements, there is always something unneeded there which can be removed. It can be manipulated in various ways.

But the good news is - your essential nature is not a body or a mind, you are pure consciousness, you are the Self.

The Self is perfect. It has no qualities, no defects, it is whole and complete in every way. It is because if you add something to it, it remains the same, and if you take something out of it, it still remains the same. You are the Self, and you are already perfect, and infinitely so."

161. What is wrong with me?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-13 23:02:32

What is wrong with me?

Its very easy to see. If something is producing suffering and bondage or attachment continuously, that is what is wrong in you. It may look like an external factor, but the real reason is always within. Purify yourself, that is what we are here for, to learn and become perfect."

162. How to remain calm with yelling people?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-13 19:31:26

How to remain calm with yelling people.

By being kind and compassionate. Accept everyone as they are. Be unconditionally loving.

Consider this as a challenge. The challenge here is to not to get swayed by external situations or people. Consider this as your test.

You do not need to be aggressive about defeating the challenge, it is a learning experience.

See that it is not you, it is your ego, the lower part of the mind, that is reacting to the egos of others. The minds of others are doing what they are doing because of their own programming or conditioning or ignorance. Majority of people are not really aware of what they are doing, they are mostly zombies, half asleep. But you can become aware of what your own ego is doing, observe carefully how it is reacting to the behaviour of others around you, what actions or speech it is producing. You will find that its all very mechanical, and above all it is generating suffering.

We have no control over the minds of others, but we have some control over our own. Become aware of your mind, and take control, act logically and rationally and lovingly, act only if absolutely needed. This is the lesson here. These experiences are your opportunity to exercise control on your own mind, its a training session. Awareness will calm down the mind.

You will find that once you learn your lesson, the bad situations will disappear, the noisy or toxic people will go away. A new lesson will start."

163. How does one separate the self and the ego?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-14 02:02:21

I understand the ego and the self as being separate , but I do not know how to silence my ego. <snip> I can't seem to just observe my ego, it controls my emotions , my senses. How does one separate the self and the ego so that I only observe one and be the other ?

It looks like you are already doing a good job separating the Self from the mind/ego. You have the understanding, there are just a few assumptions that you need to clear up.

The ego is the lower part of the mind, the primitive part. The higher part or the intellect has the proper knowledge that the suffering is being generated by the lower part. The lower one is automated, it has no discriminatory abilities. It is mostly about the survival, protection, growth and reproduction of the organism. It produces impulses for unconscious actions and emotions like anger, fear, anxiety etc. The higher part is about reasoning and logic and arts etc. It has self-control abilities and can discriminate and plan. You are the Self, a witness of both higher and lower functions of the mind. What you are experiencing is a conflict between your higher and lower mind.

You are already separate from both parts, because you can witness them and can become conscious of them. Whenever there is forgetting simply bring back your attention to the consciousness of the mental events. As a Self, nothing more can be done. The Self does not do anything, it is a silent witness. So you are already observing the mind.

However, there is still some identification left. You are still identifying with the mental events. This can be seen from your sentences in the question. Firstly, it is not "your" ego. There is no need to own it. Similarly the body is not "your body". The ego owns things, Self owns nothings. Ownership results in identification with these experiences. The emotions and senses are also not "your". All these things which are causing suffering are doing so only because you own them. Try to see that we, the Self, owns nothing, it merely observes all experiences equally.

Once you disown the mind/ego, they will stop getting the energy or fuel of attention. You can now simply witness them as events happening in the field of consciousness. They come and go like clouds in the clear sky.

The second assumption is that "I" can silence the ego. What is this "I" here? As you know the I is the Self, and the Self has no interest in silencing anything, and it does not do anything at all, it is a background on which actions happens, it is not the doer. If the "I" means mind here, then it is a case of mind trying to silence mind. That is impossible. All there is a desire to have a peaceful experience, instead of suffering and noise of the ego. This desire is in conflict with what is actually happening. Mind cannot do much about it.

The suffering or negativity is being generated because of impressions of past experiences, the memory that is stored in the mind. The mind mechanically brings up past impressions and reacts to the imaginary scenarios which it itself creates. This produces negative emotions, it is seen as a threat to its survival and gets highest priority. More fear and anxiety produces even more negative memories, which come up more frequently now and the mind keeps reacting to them. This feeds back to itself and generates a spiral of suffering. Then the mind dislikes the negativity it itself has created, and reacts with frustration as it cannot stop it. You need to observe this carefully and see that it is the mind itself that is playing the part of both a hero and a villain.

It will keep doing so, because there is no cultivation. So this experience must be seen as a lesson, and one must decide on cultivating the mind from now onward. Why is the state of the mind the way it is now? Because you let the past impress upon the mind and owned it also. You did not detach from the events in your life and so they have a power over you. Now is the time to start cultivating the mind. Take the point of view of the Self always, become aware of everything, situations, events, people, mind and the body. See them as mere experiences which are not "yours", they are universe's actions, they are a show the Self is watching. When such an attitude is taken, hardly any impressions form on the mind. It is not affected by negative experiences, and it is not affected by positive experiences also. Peace of mind means absence of both positive and negative in the mind. You cannot have only positive, because of the duality. Positive and negative are always present together and are always absent together. You will get either both or none.

What has happened is that your strong desire to get positive experiences has produced fear of failure and that gives rise to equally strong reaction from the mind. Let go of all expectations, which will mean letting go of worries as well as hopes. Be neutral and simply observe, let the mind do that which is most necessary. It will do it as best as it can, and if it fails, turn it into a learning opportunity instead of a blaming and cursing game. There is a lesson in both success and failure. It is not "your" success, not your failure, they are just events, learn from them. This is how we progress. When we are attached to the outcomes, it stops the progress. Concentrate only on the lessons, nothing else. You will find that as soon as you learn a lesson, the situations will improve, the mind will become peaceful, there will be no need to control it by hook or crook. Your detachment is enough to keep it peaceful. Detachment from the experiences and from the outcomes.

To the ego, this looks like a boring way to live. No celebrations? Not my success? Not my achievement? Notice the "my" here. Ego is all about "me me me". There is no "me", it is an illusion. Once you see this, you will be detached. Keep reminding yourself that you do not have to fetch every bone the ego throws at you. This will make your rational mind stronger, you will not be swayed by impulses. Slowly the cultivation will bring the ego on the track. This is not magic, this is hard work, and hence you will find that almost no one cultivates their minds, and hence no matter how happy and prosperous they look, all are in pain and suffering. Only a seeker does that. It is difficult but an experienced teacher or a guru can greatly help.

164. Is it sad that we will be replaced by artificial intelligence?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-06-15 10:32:16

It's kinda sad to see the possibility to be replaced be artificial intelligence, isn't it?

Nothing is artificial in this universe. An ant hill is as natural as ants, even though it is built by ants, so is a crow's nest, and so are the devices made by human organism.

The universal mind is using its own device - a human mind, to evolve further. Metaphorically speaking, but its not a total metaphor, it is somewhat literal.

Its a natural law that a less evolved structure is replaced by a more evolved one. No one can bypass this law. Humans replaced most of the less evolved minds here, and they will be replaced by something more evolved.

The good news is that, that which is replacing you is just another expression of you. You are the Self, pure consciousness. This universe and all other universes and minds and forms in them are just an expression of the Self. An individual, a body, a group, a species means nothing from the larger perspective. When the time is right, the devices made by us will be replaced by even more evolved minds. This may happen very quickly.

Of course, an individual ego is terrified of this idea, as its programming is oriented towards self-preservation. Has any ego ever successfully preserved itself? It cannot, and it stills gets fearful or sad. This is not sad and not happy, it is what it is, this is how the reality is. Realize that you are not the ego, its a tiny part of the primitive mind, you are the Self, you are eternal and everything already. Forms come and go, your essence remains. It is the conscious background on which change and evolution is continuously happening. Know the Self, be blissful.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2

165. Do humans really have a third eye?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-19 10:55:14

Do human really have a third eye

No. Only two, sometimes one, sometimes none.

The third eye is a metaphor, a poetic name like "the funny bone".

It is a name given to the ability of the mind, which is, obviously - imagination. We can "see" without using the eyes. Some have a very well developed imagination and for them the image in mind is no different than reality. You can cultivate this by practice. Like you can learn to play violin by practice. Sometimes strange things can be seen, and so this ability is actually stranger than we think. A lot of mysticism has grown around it like weeds, hiding the real ability itself.

In ancient days, people associated this inner vision with an imaginary eye in the mind. Which is very natural because the outer eyes makes us see things and if we can see things without those outer eyes, there must be an "inner eye". Probably the wise people understood this metaphor clearly, but ordinary people took it literally, and with time it got corrupted beyond recognition.

Another funny example of such corruption is - when a wise man says, "a higher power created the world and you", for an uneducated and ignorant person it means nothing actually. So the words "powerful creator" gets a meaning of a very strong man, and "higher" obviously means up above there in the sky. Disaster follows. Ignorance corrupts everything. The cure is knowledge. However, knowledge is not everyone's cup of tea, it takes a lot of intelligence and guidance for that to happen. Never take any teaching literally, never believe anything blindly. Know it yourself, know it for sure. Use logic and reason to verify the truth. Collect your own evidence. Your experience is your truth.

There is a deeper meaning to third eye also. We have an ability to know. Some things can be known very certainly, for example you have a knowledge that you exist. We do not need to be told about it and we do not need to see to confirm it. It is self evident. You can "see" it clearly that you exist. This is the "internal light", this is an ability more innate and basic that mere imagination. For example a blind man cannot imagine much, but he can still "see" that there is an "I" that exists. What is this I? Explore."

166. Is this "survival of the best", law of nature wrong?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-20 07:00:07

Nature is the Biggest Teacher of all..nature teaches us everything.. But it is law of nature that the best one survives.that is "struggle for existance".If we compare it with our lives it will be like we have to be best of all and we will keep striving to

be the best , for that we will push others back.. cause in any case we have to surviv? but in this struggle no one can remain happy.. Actually.. is this law of nature wrong?or it is the damn truth? So.. we have change accordingly to be best.. ?

That is a general misconception, a result of incorrect understanding of the laws of nature. See that there is no "best". Only that some samples from a group of similar organisms are more adapted to their environment compared to the others, and hence their chances of reproduction increase, causing a net increase in the number of such samples. Environment keeps changing and so those who were more adapted to the old environment get continuously replaced by the newer variants. So nothing is really "best".

See that there is no "struggle" here and no one is "pushing" others. It happens as a natural mechanism, the rest is BS made up by ignorant minds. Imagine a slope and you place some objects at the top. Imagine some of them are spherical and many are irregular. If the slope is not so steep, only the spherical ones will roll down to the bottom leaving the others behind. Does it mean there was a struggle? Does it mean one object was "superior" to the others? The objects are samples and the slope is environment in this metaphor.

When you observe the nature, you will find that each of the life form is continuously in a state of dynamic equilibrium with its environment. This is the dance of life. Life is not about individuals. Individual is just an expression of life. Survival of individual has no meaning here, because the life continues anyway. If one individual is not adapted, it does not matter because the life is expressing itself via others. If one species can no longer survive due to change in the environment, life continues in the form of other species. Life is immortal, individuals are its way to advance and sustain itself. Life continues as a whole. Just like in our bodies, the individual cells do not matter, they live and die and are continuously being replaced by new cells. What matters is the whole body, a system of cells, it continues as a whole.

Nature is absolutely perfect. It is the mind which cannot see it because of its own ignorance. All one needs to do is drop the BS fed to us by the society and see it as it is.

See that some people in our society have an agenda to distort the truth so that they can keep you enslaved. An intelligent seeker can see this manipulation and brainwashing and keeps away from it. Never blindly believe the opinions of others. See it for yourself. Use logic and rationality as the tool, rather than emotions and biases.

167. How do i control my emotions in any situation?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-21 13:27:03

How do i control my emotions in any situation?

There are two aspects to it - 1. Preventing the emotion from arising and 2. Preventing the actions an emotion triggers after it has already arisen.

You can start with the second, it is easier.

As soon as an emotion arises, become aware of it. Awareness is the key. Without awareness, the whole behaviour happens mechanically in the dark. Awareness is the consciousness or knowing that the mind is in a grip of a specific state, the state of emotion. See that it is not "your" emotion. You do not own it, because it comes and goes without your permission. See that you are not emotional, you are simply experiencing it happening. Dis-identify with it. You are the consciousness that is conscious of an emotion, it is only a state of the mind. So when there is anger, see clearly that you are not angry, it is a state of the mind you are aware of. See that it not your anger, it is there because this is how the mind responds to threatening situations. You do not choose it. This is the whole meaning of becoming aware of the mind. Distancing yourself from it, will take away the power out of emotions, like a punctured balloon. Experiment with it and see the results. Try better ways to become aware and de-energize the mental states.

When you are aware, you will see two choices there - first will be to go with the emotions, own them, act on them and suffer from the consequences, and second will be to let go, do nothing, be peaceful, watch the situation silently, get away from there calmly or do that which is most needed, the minimal action. Always prefer the second choice. Always act on it, make it your habit, your second nature. Instead of simply thinking or wishing to be like that, actually practice it. With practice, it will become easier and better. No matter what the situation is, resolve to choose the second option.

The first aspect involves changing your lifestyle. Stay away from emotional triggers, it can be situations, relations, jobs, toxic people, racism or culture in your country etc. Stay away from people who like to push your buttons and enjoy watching you dance. Stay away from entertainment that strengthens emotional parts of the mind. Stop dwelling in past where the emotions were strong. Prefer a simple lifestyle, which involves simple work. Surround yourself with kind people. Be in the company of wise. Make friends with logical and rational people. Dump the emotional drama queens. Take deliberate and rational decisions even in small day to day activities. Do not let an emotion decide what to buy, where to go, how to be, what to say etc. Replace it with something logical and meaningful. Cultivate rationality and intellect. Find more things which you can improve or get rid of in your life to lessen the emotional states. With such changes, your personality will change. Can take some time, but it will be permanent. You will still experience emotions, but you will be fully aware about what to do with them and there will be less instances of them with low strength. Emotions will not control your behaviour anymore.

168. Are some people destined to be rich and others to be poor?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-22 00:04:26

Are some people really Destine to be rich and others to be poor

When conscious intention is absent, mother nature takes over and the life mechanically moves in a way that looks like predestination.

When one is aware and conscious, takes one's life in his own hands, makes conscious and intelligent choices, one can turn the life in any direction he wants.

Its a matter of how aware you are. You are awareness itself, once you see this, there is no destiny for you."

169. Are there any parts of the mind that are more intelligent and faster?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-22 03:45:29

Is something is present other than intellectual mind which is more intelligent and fast, which is free from thoughts, start working on particular thing without knowing of intellectual mind ?

Mind has many parts. Or many layers to be more accurate. These layers formed during the gradual evolution of the mind. By necessity, if it is fast and autonomous, it will be less intelligent, less flexible, and if it is complex, intelligent, adaptable and aware, then it will be slow and takes training.

The bottom-most layers are the oldest and are mostly mechanical, pre-programmed structures. A human is born with them and not much can be changed or improved there. However, these are very fast as not much processing is needed. These are mostly concerned with survival and hence are optimized for that. You can witness these parts when you catch a fast moving ball, or react when insulted etc. These take care of defence, growth and reproduction of the body. They are mostly autonomous, not in conscious control, there is no thought there. It takes some training to not to act on these impulsive and precise mechanical systems.

The newer layers are more intelligent and have more processing power. They are in conscious control, or seem to be. However they are very slow and takes years of learning to be of any use. These are concerned with creativity, invention, art, language, knowledge, consciousness and sciences. This part distinguishes us from animals. Most humans do not have a well-developed intellect as it requires correct environment, parenting, education and teachers. Very little of such ability comes built in, most must be learnt. This has an advantage of flexibility, no matter when and where an individual is born, he can adapt to that situation.

One can train the mind to carry out complex and intelligent tasks faster. With practice and interest it is possible, however, the flexibility is lost. Rarely, people are born with some gift, which cannot be explained. They have a great ability or intellect without much exposure or training and they use it without knowing how they do it, and how did they learn it without a teacher or training. This points to a non-physical memory where some skills get stored independent of a body. They are manifested occasionally when the conditions are right."

170. Why is there hankering for existence?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-23 08:36:13

And what about the hankering for existenc? To liv? ? Is it a thought of mind? Or this is duty?as I born..

As long as there are desires, there will be a tendency to experience a world and a body. This is not merely a thought. This is the deep seated seed that brings up a body and a world repeatedly. It will be a waste of time to find a cause for it, it is wise to simply free yourself from these tendencies and associated ignorance.

All one needs to do is, realize that these tendencies are not "yours". You are the Self, pure consciousness, you are a silent witness of these tendencies. Disown the tendencies and desires. There are no duties. The illusion of duty arises as soon as something is owned. Treat all the desires to have a human experience as desires of the universe, these are activities of the existence, not personal belongings. This will immediately free you from all desires, tendencies and duties.

The body will continue to exist, the mind will continue to exist, but you will become an observer instead of a doer. Disidentify with the body and the mind. These are just structures you are experiencing. You were never born, the bodies are born, you never think , the minds think. You are the pure empty witness. You are the Self."

171. Is it true, that we need a body or world to enjoy the source?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-25 04:28:05

Is it true, that we need a body or world to enjoy the beloved or the source. We born to enjoy this but trapped later by our complex?

This is an answer that is usually given to the question of - why is there an existence and why is there a human life. It is a made up answer just to satisfy an ordinary person of an ordinary intellect.

If you are a seeker, start by knowing exactly the meaning of the word "we" or "I". Know well what is this "source". Know well what is born and what dies. See that "enjoyment" is a human concern, not to be projected on the existence. Existence is not human, cannot have likes, dislikes, joys and sorrows. Anthropomorphization of all that exists leads to a disaster.

You are the Self, pure consciousness. It is nothing but the whole existence itself. You are the "source". There are experiences of forms, bodies and minds. Which are again nothing but expressions of the consciousness. It is very pure and empty, like space, it is bound by nothing, everything comes and goes in it. This is the continuous flow of impermanence. You can witness it now. This is self-evident. All you need to do is see it.

Self has no need for enjoyment, it is not trapped anywhere, it is the only one that exists, it is existence itself. How can it be trapped? However, the mind has this ignorance that it is limited and hence feels trapped. There is a lack in the mind which it tries to fulfil via enjoying whatever it is programmed to enjoy. The enjoyment is merely a reward that the mind produces for itself when its desires are fulfilled. The desires are not "its own", they keep coming and the mind keeps chasing after their fulfilment. A major desire is to repeatedly experience a body and a world. Obviously, all desires cannot be satisfied, and the mind enter a state of suffering. This is the dance of life, joy and sorrow.

Disidentify with the mind and the body, and you will find that the question of why disappears. "

172. I feel very frustrated now. How to get motivated?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-25 04:19:01

I feel very frustrated now. How to get motivated?

We often think that the mind will keep producing pleasures if we repeat a particular act again and again. Somehow exact opposite occurs. The mind loses interest, is not motivated and even finds that act painful to perform. It is not only plain boring, it is an effort now and the results are very ordinary. Why does that happen?

This is the nature of the mind, it wants novelty. It is like feeding a person best food everyday but of exactly the same kind and same taste. The pleasure of eating lasts for a few days, then it is painful to even look at it. Similarly in relations like marriages, the initial attraction and joy fades away after a while no matter now charming the partner is.

If you have discovered this then, it is a major discovery. It means that objects, people, activities, professions, wealth or fame do not last, do not bring happiness. They may produce a momentary pleasure, but then turn plain boring or create suffering. How to find a way out of it?

The answer should be obvious, try something else which you love to do, or have never done, that which is novel. Travel to new places, meet new people, think new thoughts. The mind will spring back to life, it will create, the intuition will guide you again. This is the nature of the mind, it wants to experience more, a variety, it does not like routine, especially the minds of artists and intellectuals. We need to feed them new things all the time.

If you think you have lost your magic, take a reasonably long break, find the path of your heart, it is not objects, people or hobbies or achievements, it is not external. Turn to the Self and explore.

Ensure that you have a goal. Eating, sleeping and reproducing is mere survival, a human life starts when survival is over. Set a higher goal than simply surviving. More shiny stuff, more money and more partners is just more survival. Try something higher and less of animal nature.

Ensure that the goal is that which you absolutely love to do. It should not be copied from someone else. Do that which your heart agrees with. Everyone has a unique path.

Proceed towards your goals step by step. Decide moment by moment. Choose that which takes you towards your goal. See that all those great people who were self-motivated, gave up sleep and food and families and worked on that which they absolutely loved, achieved their life goals and also benefited all of us. Their motivation came from within, the fire was within, not borrowed from external situations, things or people.

Human goals are set up by mother nature and they are - happiness and freedom. If your goal is aligned with them, you will reach there. The sign that you are progressing is ever increasing happiness and freedom. If you cannot see it, change goals, it is not your path.

In the end, the journey is important, not the destination, there is no destination. You are already home, you are already whole and complete, you are the Self.

173. Why consciousness is most pleasant and attractive than worldly affairs?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-25 04:24:46

Why consciousness is most pleasant and attractive than worldly affairs?

It is your nature. You are that. Worldly affairs on the other hand, and illusions. They keep repeating in the same old pattern. Mind impulsively tries to grasp them, but nothing lasts here. Its all illusory, comes and goes, good things become worse, everything ends and feels meaningless. The mind is caught up in fears, hopes, pleasures and pain by associating it with a body, which is again illusory and does not last. The mind, when extroverted, finds repeating cycles of pleasure and pain, no peace, nothing else but a flimsy existence.

Only thing that lasts is you. You are the Self, you are eternal and timeless, the unchanging background of every experience. You are the most fundamental ground of existence. When the mind turns to the Self, it finds the source of everlasting peace and joy. It is blissful here at home."

174. How to overcome loneliness?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-25 10:03:34

How to overcome loneliness? I feel lonely all the time.

You are not alone, you are the only one. You are the Self, the ground of all existence, pure consciousness. That's all exists. What you call "others" are just your own forms.

We are here to experience life, there is no other purpose. Alone or with others the experience of the life will happen. The goal is not to form bonds, the goal is to be free and happy. Bondage is exactly opposite of happiness and freedom, too much reliance on others produces bondage and suffering. In the end no one remains, all relations are illusory. A relation is just a thought in the mind that I need someone else to be happy. This is ignorance.

We are the Self, the one and the only pure consciousness, the experiencer that is having all the experiences, and we are all whole and complete already, as there is nothing more outside of the Self. As soon as you identify with a body or a separate mind, an individual is born, and separation begins, this identification produces loneliness, a lack. The solution is not to find company outside, but to dis-identify with this individual. Once you see you are one and the all, the illusion breaks, and happiness finally arrives.

Try to find a life goal, instead of reliance on someone else. A relation is pure only when it is unconditional, when it involves giving, not taking. See that the ego is selfish, see that it always wanted something from others, and that's why they left it alone. Try giving without expecting. Become the source not the sink. Become the king who gives, not the beggar who demands. Be detached and free from others and let them be free. Not only will you feel peaceful, the feeling of loneliness will disappear. You will find that people like you more now, they even want to be with you. Unconditional love and service is the key.

175. What is the relation between mind and body?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-26 10:30:12

What is the relation between mind and body? How is mind not like a parasite that makes the body an unwilling puppet?

Body is a part of the mind. A disposable part. It acts as an interface with other structures that we see as objects and the worlds. The body also serves as a boundary between that which is "me" and that which is "not me". Hence many people identify with their bodies as their self. You are the beholder of both the body and the mind. There is no owner, just an observer. The observer is pure consciousness, the Self, it is the ground of reality, a silent and empty background of all experiences, including those of the world, the body and the mind.

The body is an instrument for both perceiving the world and acting in the world. Through bodies, a mind learns to sustain itself. Impermanence ensures that nothing lasts, and the mind is a nonphysical structure that is forever battling against impermanence. It has many strategies to continue, and one of them is creating bodies. A body is not a puppet who's master is the mind, it is only a subsystem. It grows and dies on its own, the mind has very little control over it. It learns whatever it can while it lasts. The whole mind-body complex is a part of a bigger mind, which includes the world. The worlds and universes form a giant mind of which the human minds are tiny parts, like specks of dust. The body acts like a filter that provides a limited experience to a budding mind. Eventually the mind learns enough from such experiences and grows enough to sustain itself without a body or with many bodies that are more versatile.

The body appears physical and just like any other object in this world, because of special structures in the mind - senses. Whatever can be perceived via senses gets classified as physical or material, whatever the mind can perceive directly gets classified as mental or non-physical. Actually the physical is only an illusion created by the mind from the information gathered by the senses. The body itself when perceived via senses appears as an object, and is externalized. Although it is nothing but a part of the mind itself. Human minds form a barrier around themselves and create a person which is seemingly separate from existence. But it is also an illusion, soon the barriers break and one can see that this limited mind is only a part of the whole - the universal mind. There are trillions of individual minds, all continuously evolving and changing.

You are the Self, a witness of the play of minds.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2  
 Gift 3

176. How to experience the self every second?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-26 18:41:37

How to experience the self every second?

Self or you or consciousness is the one that experiences everything. It is the experiencer. It cannot experience itself as an object, thought or any other process. Its existence is inferred via other experiences. So its impossible to experience the Self.

The existence and the Self are one and the same thing, so the Self is already experiencing itself every moment, only in the form of worlds, bodies and minds.

Mind is a peculiar experience. There is a thought or ignorance in the mind that "I'm experiencing" everything and so I must experience myself also. Mind is an experience, an experience cannot experience anything. However, there is a knowledge also in the mind, a thought that I am the Self. When this thought occurs, the attention shifts from external experiences to internal knowing of experiences. Mind subsides and pure consciousness shines for a moment. This is self-awareness. So awareness can be defined as the knowledge in the mind that there is consciousness and I am that. This awareness is the light of consciousness when it shines on the mind.

Awareness can be maintained, if needed or desired, via practice. Set up reminders around you in any form. Take up meditations. Seek the company of aware people. Entertain yourself with awareness enhancing books or talks or music. Get into an habit of doing everything slowly and deliberately while being fully aware. Become aware of the mental activity and be slow and deliberate in your choices. Becoming aware in every moment happens in three stages - 1)Becoming aware when the action or thought has already occurred 2)Becoming aware while acting and thinking and 3)Becoming aware before the action and thought happens. It is the cultivation of the mind, a progressive refinement. It is the spiritual life style. Many people take it up, but know that its not a small trick that can be done in a minute, it takes a whole life time. Being aware is a way to live and must be cultivated. There are many paths and traditions. All involve practice and learning. Choose any suitable.

 Gift 1

177. How can I get immediate relief from the suffering?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-28 02:57:54

How can I get immediate relief from the suffering?

Most of the time, unfulfilled desires are the main cause of suffering.

If you look deeper, there is a hidden cause behind that. It is ignorance. Ignorance is deep and vast, the root of all suffering. Here the ignorance is the thought or mental attitude that all desires must be fulfilled.

Another ignorance is not knowing who you are, what you should do as a human being. You are like a puppet controlled by situations, people and random desires. This is where the ignorance takes you. Your actions are in darkness and hence the consequences do not always bring happiness. Occasionally there is some glimpse of pleasure that come and go, they do not last. This is another form of ignorance where you do not know how to be happy, you chase after objects, relations or social approval, which leave you in the state of misery.

The cure is knowledge. Know that all desires arise on their own, they are not yours, you do not choose them, and so it is not necessary to run after all of them, and it is ok if some of them are not fulfilled. There are too many, some others will be fulfilled. You may not get all that you want, but you will get all that you need. There is always a lesson, no matter what you get. Discriminate between the needs and random wants. The contentment will bring peace to the disturbed mind.

Realize your true nature, you are not the body or the mental processes, they are impermanent experiences, they do not last. You are the Self, the pure consciousness that witnesses all experiences, you are eternal and the only One that exists. So you are not here to gain anything or to become anything, you are already whole and complete. This will take away the anxiety from your life. You will see that suffering is only a state of the mind, like any other state, and you are a silent and blissful witness of those states. Its not "your" suffering. You cannot suffer and you never suffered, it was all in the mind.

Happiness is not fulfilment of millions of desires, it is not the transient pleasures or mental rewards that happen sometimes because of objects, people or situations. Happiness is not wanting, being what you are originally. Happiness is not getting something, it is the absence of clinging, absence of irrational expectations, absence of suffering.

The cure of suffering lies in knowledge, seek and explore. All answers are within. But initially you may need some guidance, so find an experienced teacher. So far suffering has been your teacher, it is a blessing in disguise, but now you can take over and consciously seek. It does not take time to know, it takes time for willingness for knowledge to arise. If you are suffering, and you are seeking a solution, the time is ripe.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2

178. What are spirit minds or spirit guides?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-06-29 03:24:13

Spirit minds or spirit guides, please tell me each and everything about them.

You are the Self, the universal consciousness that is a pure, empty and eternal background of every experience. There are possibilities or patterns of change that appear in the consciousness. These patterns appear as metaphysical or energetic changing structures. Minds are metaphysical patterns. Body is a part of the mind, another pattern. Bodies have peculiar structures, the senses, that limit and distort the surrounding patterns as they change and impress on the mind. When viewed via senses some patterns take forms or become symbolic and appear as objects. The world is a collection of objects, the body appears as an object when seen via senses, it appears as changing patterns of sensations when seen via mind directly.

The mind is evolving, as there is impermanence, everything changes, and so the minds are also changing. The change is such that they grow in complexity and become better at surviving the impermanence. Those minds that do not grow, do not sustain, and dissolve back into simpler patterns. When a mind grows complex enough, it creates a body around it for its own protection and to experience and learn. However, that limits it. Anyway it is a very good tool for action and perception for a growing mind. It is a good learning mechanism. Impermanence keeps the bodies dynamic, and they are born, grow, decay and die. This cycle continues till the mind has learnt enough. And at that point the bodies are discarded or new bodies that are not so limited and clumsy are created. These minds are called higher minds, or higher beings.

They can guide us, simply because they are older, more experienced and know more. They know where everything is going, and how to not get stuck on the way. They can inform us that if we do not grow consciously, we may dissolve back into simplicity and get recycled again and again. Such minds often take up a lower body and appear in our world just to teach. Many of them work behind the curtains, and their teachings and guidance is available to all those who have a strong desire to know and improve. It appears in the mind directly, as an idea, an inspiration, as insights, and it can appear in the world, as a guru, a friend, as a coincidence. We can grow faster, and avoid mistakes, pains and suffering, if we seek guidance from those who are higher and knowledgeable. Just make a strong intention to learn, and ask. However, there are no miracles, you will always get exactly that which you need in order to grow. Know well that the guides are not there to please you or to bring heavenly experiences of some kind. It can get uncomfortable also, as most of the progress involves letting go, not accumulating more.

 Gift 1

179. Who has created the universe?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-01 13:30:47

Who has created the universe?

Its creating itself since eternity.

You, the Self are a witness to this everlasting dance of creation and dissolution. It is the pure consciousness that witnessing the experience of a universe and minds.

Without the Self, the creation is just nothingness. So one can as well say that you as the Self is creating it. Your perception of it, is creation of it.

How is that possible? Perhaps the Self is the universe itself. You and the universe are one and the same. Explore.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2

180. How will I die?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-01 02:43:35

How will I die?

Hardly matters. What matters is how you live.

Have you ever wondered why people are more interested in how they would become a pile of fertilizer instead of living a meaningful life?

However short, uncertain or transient, human existence has some value. The value is in learning and enjoying it together. Death means nothing, it has no value.

181. Why we can't feel happy forever?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-01 11:37:33

Why we can't feel happy forever?

Perhaps we are searching for it in wrong place.

Perhaps its our fundamental nature to be happy but we are too ignorant to see it, and look for it in things that are like a mirage.

Happiness is an inside job. Probably you are trying to find it outside, in things, people, relations or achievements.

We cannot "get" the happiness from objects, people, relations, achievements, possessions or by hoarding a lot of shiny stuff. It is impossible. Happiness arises when we are content, when there are no desires, no anxiety to get anything, no insecurity of losing anything. Very few people know this, and hence, most of their lives are full of suffering. The seek happiness outside, when it is their own essential nature.

We can share happiness. It can be in the form of gifts or donations or service. It can be in the form of love. These are all expressions of happiness, not sources of it. Know this well. There is your key.

Happiness does not last long without freedom. Freedom is not when one can do anything he pleases, freedom is an absence of bondage, presence of unlimited choices. Freedom does not comes from bonds or attachments to objects, relations or people. It comes from letting go of them. It comes when you realize that you are already freedom itself. All other external things and people, simply rob you of freedom. There is another key. It is a wonder of wonders that no one knows these simple truths.

 Gift 1

182. Why do I keep living even when my life has nothing in it?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-07-01 13:39:25

I don't have nothing in my life.

I have nothing.

No happiness no sorrows no love no care.

Seems like nothing in this world is there.

Then why do I live?

You are very fortunate to be free from everything. Now you can simply enjoy whatever comes blissfully.

It is not necessary to have a reason to live. Life itself is the reason. To experience is to live, does not really matter what the flavour of the experience is. It can be a violent mix of various emotions or intellectual achievements, or it can be a refined blend of peace and equanimity.

For many people, life is just survival. As humans, it is too easy. As soon as it is taken care of, they do not know what to do. They are still at the level of ego, which is all about survival. When its job is over, it gets dumb founded, its mission is over, its intelligence hits a wall. Suddenly the purpose is lost, life seems like a void. Many still go on surviving and do more of the things that "got" them pleasures that are rewarded when the bodies survive well. So more eating, more hoarding and more mating. That's just inflated and afflicted ego. A few have well developed intellect and engage in intellectual activities. Survival is animal nature, it is the intellect that distinguishes us from animals. Anyhow, they also remain unfulfilled. The intellectual achievements do not bring any meaning.

Some go ahead and assign a meaning to their lives, fully realizing that it has no meaning. That does not deter them. We are after all free to assign any meaning to our lives. But our choices are limited by our knowledge. And knowledge is limited by experience. We can only choose that which we have experienced. It does not really matter what you choose to do, the goal will always be happiness and freedom. It looks like the universe has made this choice for us. So all our activities are a pursuit of happiness and freedom.

Strangely it cannot be found out "there". Happiness is an inside job. Its futile trying to find it outside, in things, people, relations or achievements.

We cannot "get" the happiness from objects, people, relations, achievements, possessions or by hoarding a lot of shiny stuff. It is impossible. Happiness arises when we are content, when there are no desires, no anxiety to get anything, no insecurity of losing anything. Very few people know this, and hence, most of their lives are full of suffering. The seek happiness outside, when it is their own essential nature.

We can share happiness. It can be in the form of gifts or donations or service. It can be in the form of love. These are all expressions of happiness, not sources of it. Know this well. There is your key.

Happiness does not last long without freedom. Freedom is not when one can do anything he pleases, freedom is an absence of bondage, presence of unlimited choices. Freedom does not comes from bonds or attachments to objects, relations or people. It comes from letting go of them. It comes when you realize that you are already freedom itself. All other external things and people, simply rob you of freedom. There is another key. It is a wonder of wonders that no one knows these simple truths.

See that your life is an unopened gift. Its your choice to open it and explore what's inside, it is huge and everlasting. Or you can simply relax and let it flow. Its life, its not "your life." You are merely a witness of the experience of the life. You are the Self, the experiencer.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2  
 Gift 3

183. Why are some traumas buried in the mind?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-02 03:07:49

Why are some traumas buried in the mind?

All experiences make impression on the mind. Its called memory. Memory is not merely storage of names, places or numbers, it stores all life experiences. Memory is the core structure in the mind. Both positive and negative experiences are recorded. These help the mind to act, to choose and decide. All behaviour is governed by the memory. A positive memory results in an action and produces reward, and negative memory prohibits an action and results in a punishment. The mental processes themselves create these rewards and punishments. Mind is a sophisticated mechanism.

When some experience is severe, it gets deeply etched in the mind, and if it is negative it produces intense punishment that appear in the form of fear, anger, sadness, hate or other negative emotions and behaviours. The mind keeps doing it till the issue is either forgotten or is resolved. This is again, mechanism of the mind. Its the nature of the mind to do so.

Its not "my" mind or "your" mind. There is no person there. Mind creates an illusory person out of memories and experiences. Once the negativity is experienced it gets associated with this fictional person. A thought "I am suffering" is produced. Owning the suffering merely intensifies it.

How to come out of this loop of suffering? It is not so simple and takes some cultivation of the mind. First step is to become aware that this is happening in the mind, it is not happening to "you". It is just an event, like breathing or heartbeat. There is no one there to control it or stop it. Its autonomous. Awareness brings this spiral of suffering under the light of consciousness. You are consciousness, the Self. You can become aware of the mind. Although it does not stop it from producing negativity. Its the required step. Without awareness nothing can be done.

Once there is awareness, the mind can see other choices, and may choose to not mechanically follow the set pattern of suffering. The other choice is to simply observe itself. This choice is not available to those minds where there is no awareness.

Once there is awareness of the mental situation, simply observe the mind in action. See its working, its blue print. Now the mind has knowledge and it can intervene to stop itself. Although it will fail initially, but making some efforts and affirmations helps. Hold on to the peaceful state that awareness brings, this lessens the impact of negativity. With time, the reward from this peace biases the mind enough to lessen the negativity. It learns to not bring it up again and again and learns to simply see it come and go without being affected by it or creating secondary state of negative emotions.

Third step is to dis-identify with the mind. Mind is an experience just like any other. Your essence is the Self, which is this whole existence itself. This can be a difficult step, but this will totally get rid of negativity. Seek help from an experience guide or guru. Knowledge of the Self clears all kinds of suffering, forever.

 Gift 1

184. I want to change myself how can I change for the better?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-04 13:47:55

I want to change myself how can I change??

Impermanence is the nature of this reality. Even if you don't want, change will happen. All there is, is changing experience. So the change will happen on its own, nothing needs to be done. However, the change can go in both directions. It can go positive or negative, where positive and negative are defined by your own preferences, your own biases. So all you can do is, bias the change towards positive.

How to do that? It is easy. Become aware of your choices. See them clearly. There will be always a choice which will take you towards positive. Choose that one always. Make it a rule. Of course, you cannot choose it, if you cannot see it, so awareness of your own mind is the key for a positive change. In short, become aware, choose positive, repeat. Make it your lifestyle. Its not a weekend hobby. Slowly, your entire being will start shifting to positivity. And then it will speed up. You will achieve perfection. There will be initial struggle because of habitual and unaware tendencies of the mind. Bring them into light of awareness and stop feeding them, they will die on their own.

What changes is the mind, what changes is the body. Your essence is not that which changes. Your essence is the Self, pure consciousness, which is a changeless background on which all change happens. You are a blissful witness of the change. You are already perfect. You are existence itself. Know the Self, be perfect, be blissful."

185. Why is a goal important? I tried, but failed. I feel helpless.

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-07-04 17:18:39

Why goal is important ? I try many times but i feel i m tired to reach out.. i feel i m helpless.

Its not important, its a matter of preference. Would you prefer a directionless life, which goes randomly or would you prefer a well-directed and meaningful life? The answer should be obvious. An intelligent and rational mind prefers direction and organization not chaos and meaninglessness.

Life continues anyway, goal or no goal. So it is not a compulsion. You can as well survive without a goal. Life is there to teach us something, and the learning happens, no matter what goals are chosen. Goals may change, become better and that's how we advance.

If you are tired and all seems hopeless, its time to sit and reflect. Re-evaluate your life goals. Perhaps they are wrong goals, perhaps they are not big enough, perhaps you are focusing on tiny and unimportant things. Try an upgrade.

What is a wrong goal and what is a right one? Unfortunately, it cannot be decided in advance. No matter how you delude yourself, the consequences cannot be controlled. Choosing a goal has consequences, they can be good or bad. We will know it only after the results are served. So we start somewhere, anywhere. Anywhere you are comfortable. Experiment with goals, see the results. Something will eventually click.

How to know if your end goal is right for you? It is easy. The sign that you are on your true path is that your happiness and freedom will go on increasing, suffering and attachments will go on decreasing. If this is happening in the long term, you are on the true path. If not, try to set a goal with which your heart agrees, which is not simply copied from someone else, which is not based on social brainwashing. If someone else is happy doing something, that does not mean that you will also get happiness by doing the same, you need to be on a path of your heart. If you are already happy, you do not need to correct anything. Another sign of right path is that you will have no doubts whether you are on a right path.

If you are breaking out of bondage and attachments of all kinds, with objects, people, body, achievements, social status etc, you are on the right path. If your choices are growing day by day, you are on the right path. This means you are becoming more and more free.

If you are experiencing ever increasing peace of mind, contentment, bliss and satisfaction, if there is absence of anxiety, fear, anger and unnecessary impulses, you are on the right path. This means you are becoming more and more happy and blissful.

For example, if you are feeling aversion from overeating, cheap entertainment, gossip, violence and other lowly acts, if you are preferring the company of wise, if your intelligence is growing, if you are seeking solitude and a minimalist lifestyle, if you are spreading knowledge and wisdom, you are on the right path. This means you are not only evolving yourself, you are helping others to evolve. No matter what your goal is, this is the end goal set up by mother nature. This is all that can happen. Only that, choosing a right goal eases the journey, makes it comfortable and blissful instead of the pain and struggle that it is right now.

186. What I want is to leave and find a new life. Is it a good idea?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-04 17:44:06

What I want is to leave and find a new life do you think is this a good idea?

Actions are good or bad only in retrospect. The truth is, we have no control over the consequences of our actions. No matter how much you delude yourself, no matter how rational and logical your choices are, the consequences are always what they must be. Looks like mother nature, this whole universe does not obey our puny wishes, it does its own thing.

So how to know if an action is good or bad? Well, try it, experiment. There is no other way to know. Your knowledge is your experience.

No matter what you do, there will be consequences. Some may look like good, some may not. But one thing is certain, there will always be a lesson. The lesson is always such that, it makes us wiser, it teaches us something. Life is a series of learning experiences. There is nothing good here, and nothing bad. So go ahead and embrace the life. It will be an adventure, not a comfy picnic. You signed up for this."

187. Why do I have problems with family members?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-04 21:45:31

Why do I have problems with family members?

It may look like a problem with family members or a problem caused by them or anyone else. But the real problem is you.

Consider a man hitting himself with a hammer. He is in extreme pain. A problem obviously. Is the hammer a cause of the problem? Consider a smoker who is in a grip of diseases. Is smoking a cause of it?

We have this tendency to externalize problems which we create via our own actions. The mind loves to put blame on others. This makes it feel good. Recognize your own tendencies. See what needs to be fixed in you, what should you do, where should you be. Stop worrying about others, nothing can be done to fix them. If hammer is causing the pain, drop the hammer. You will be happy. We are always happy without things rather than with things.

Try to see the lesson in your experiences. All experiences, however bad they may look, have something valuable to offer - a lesson. Only a lesson can make us grow. Know your lesson."

188. How can I avoid people?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-04 21:48:01

How can I avoid people?

By being less dependent on them.

Independence is a gradual process. Probably total independence cannot happen, we always need a society, people, around us, mostly just to survive. But we can start by dropping all that which is unnecessary.

Identify those whom you can let go easily. They would be the negative kind. Toxic people. If you are taking nothing from them and giving nothing to them, you will not have any dependency on them. They go away on their own. Why are they still around? Probably they are demanding something from you and you are demanding something from them. Both are getting something. Time to cut the business ties.

Identify those who add no value to your life. Probably they simply take up your time. Probably you have too much time. It will look like gossip, activity of some useless kind. Engage yourself in meaningful work. Life is short.

See if you can shift to a job where no one stands on your head all the time. Where there are reasonable people who usually mind their own business. Try to be self-employed. That'd be a big leap in independence. Result is, most of the people drop off.

Finally, let go of those who depend on you. A mother bird lets the chicks fly away. Its not good to keep them in a little nest forever. Their nature is freedom. See the good of other, do not be myopic. Relations and emotional dependency is most difficult to let go of. Ask for lessons, you will be helped. It may look like suffering. When a thorn is removed, it pains, but then you are free from it forever.

189. How to let go?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-05 20:10:59

How to let go

Holding on or clinging is an outcome of ignorance.

The ignorance is mostly in the form of "I need X in order to be happy" or "I need to be like X to live a meaningful life" etc.

Identify the ignorance. Replace it with knowledge. Knowledge comes via direct experience. Know the truth. Knowledge wipes out irrational beliefs.

Once there is knowledge, detachment happens. Detachment results in natural falling off of that which we cling to.

The essential step here is to know the truth. How to know and what to know? That depends on the particular belief, the specifics of ignorance that mind has. Usually an experienced teacher or your guru will recognize it and can suggest a specific experience in order to remove it. It usually takes only a few minutes to see the ignorance. Then it is your job to constantly remind yourself of the truth and choose the truth when its time to act. Slowly the past habits and conditioning of the mind are wiped out."

190. What qualities you would like to change in yourself?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-05 17:52:50

What qualities you would like to change in yourself?

The Self has no qualities. It is pure consciousness. It is just like space, an emptiness that is conscious of every experience. It has no size, shape, form, taste, goodness or badness in it. You can see it right here right now. Self is your true nature.

The mind is one of the experiences, and so is the body. Know well that these are not you. There is no entity called a person or you. These are merely experiences. All experience is impermanent. Experience is just change. Everything changes. Mind has qualities. It has knowledge or ignorance. It has skills or stupidity. It is evil or good. It is cruel or kind. Usually these qualities are a result of past conditioning of the mind, its programming. The programming occurs as experiences are accumulated in the memory. At the core of the mind, is memory, a structure which changes as experiences are impressed upon it. The actions of the mind are directly controlled by the contents of its memory.

So to change anything in the mind, one must change the programming. To change the programming, one must seek the appropriate experiences. Live those experiences. That will change the mind. What should we change there? That totally depends on the current preferences of the mind. Preferences are also a part of the memory, just more programming. So a mind would like to change as per its preferences. That keeps it in a habitual loop, a run of a mill routine in which there is no hope for escape.

It all seems hopeless. But we can use the compass of happiness and freedom to navigate this seemingly infinite ocean of possibilities we call life. Prefer that which results in more and more happiness and freedom. Its simple. When you do that, the mind changes for better. It is destined to seek happiness and freedom. So become aware of its choices. Never choose that which brings misery or bondage. Awareness is the key. Without awareness, the mind operates in the dark, it lives like a machine, totally ignorant of what is going on, of its own nature. Awareness is the knowing of your true nature. Which is the Self, pure consciousness. Once the mind is aware, the choices show up. It is illuminated by the light of the Self. Now it can choose happiness and freedom, it can see the path clearly.

It is a lifestyle, a spiritual lifestyle. Once you take up this path, the mind starts changing. New experiences arrive that take it towards more happiness and freedom. It is a gradual removal of ignorance. Knowledge is the only thing that removes ignorance. Knowledge results in more happiness and freedom. Knowledge can only be gained via experience. To experience more, explore more. Experiment, question everything, cultivate rational and critical thinking, learn and seek the company of the wise."

191. How do I become fully awake?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-07 22:23:08

How do I become fully awake

How can you become that which you already are?

You are the Self, pure consciousness, which is always awake, always alive.

When the Self is engaged in experiencing mental activities, it may appear to hide behind it. Just like the sun seemingly disappears when clouds are in the sky. The mind takes over, it even creates a false self, the ego, which is busy in survival and fulfilling whatever desires pop up. You are the Self, who is blissfully observing this drama.

When the Self "remembers" itself, the mind falls apart. The ego dissolves and appears as mental processes. The body is seen as just another experience. Shift to the awareness of what you are. This possibility is available at every moment. Its a matter of practice to take the point of view of the Self. With repetitions, its becomes stable. Remember your true nature as often as you can. Set reminders externally as objects or set affirmations internally in the mind. They will assist to remind you and to clear the mind whenever it is lost in too much activity."

192. Are planets and stars living Beings or spirits?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-08 01:58:32

Are planets and stars living Beings or spirits?

There are two ways of seeing everything - either as purely forms and structures that change dynamically according to some laws, or as something mysterious and "alive".

The truth is somewhat paradoxical. They are both!

It is the mind that sometimes chooses to see them as mere structures and other times as beings. If you define a being as a structure that is born, grows, evolves, decays and dies and while it exists does something purposeful and meaningful, then everything in this universe is a being. Everything is alive. When our mind arbitrarily draws a line between what is living and what is dead, this illusion appears of there existing two kinds of entities. This line is imaginary, it is just a concept or a bias. A better word for such a belief is - ignorance. There is only one kind, and everything is of that kind. Now you can name it whatever you want, but a name will not be required. Its all just one existence with all possible qualities. Some qualities are dominant in certain forms, and some other are dominant in other forms. Its just variety of oneness. "

193. What do you do when you live in a society that runs opposite to what you like?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-09 08:57:14

What do you do when you live in a society that runs opposite to what you feel like?

A good rule of thumb is - you cannot fix everyone, so fix yourself.

Start by being kind and compassionate. Everyone is exactly that which they must be and everyone is exactly there where they must be. We all started from bottom. We all were not so sophisticated not so long ago.

Slowly distance yourself from those who do not like you. If you do not like anyone, distancing will happen on its own without you doing anything. Slowly gravitate towards those whom you like and prefer to be with. If they dislike you, know that its you who needs to improve.

There is nothing wrong with others, if we do not expect them to be in a particular way. Why does everyone seem to be a total moron? Because you have too many expectations from them. So there is a need to fix that. Improve yourself , evolve out of mundane and ordinary, and people or cultures or societies will cease to be a problem for you. Set up a much bigger life goal than merely reacting to people. That would be a terrible way to spend your life. Do that for which you were born, remember your mission. What are you here for?"

194. Why are people scared of change?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-09 12:09:33

Why are people scared of change?

Fear of the new, the unknown.

Inertia of the mind when forced to learn something new.

Comfort of familiarity.

Resistance thrown by old beliefs.

It is the tendency of the mind to stick to something that is familiar, and resist anything new. The older the person is, more is this tendency. In very old people, the mind almost fossilizes itself. Anything new gives rise to a fear as the mind knows nothing about it.

It often takes hard work and a lot of time is needed to learn something new, and the mind prefers less work, so often people will stick to the old way instead of changing it.

Mind finds comfort and security in that which it already knows, and about which it is sure of. Anything new makes it uncomfortable. This is also seen more in old people and less intelligent people.

All of the above can be surpassed, but when it comes to beliefs, mind doesn't give up. Once a belief is formed, it is almost impossible to remove it, unless the mind itself is willing. Beliefs are assumptions or ideas in the mind which are not based on actual experience, or any evidence, or any logical reasoning. Beliefs become part of the person. The mind defends them as ferociously as it defends the body. Any attack on beliefs or any attempt to show their errors, flares up the ego of the person. The ego is the lower part of the mind, which robotically acts in the matters related to survival. Stronger the ego, stronger are the beliefs and more difficult it becomes to get rid of them. When cornered, when the mind finds no escape from the truth, it either goes into a fight mode, or a flight mode. The later looks like extreme fear and the former appears as anger, which can even escalate to violence.

Some people wouldn't change for the above reasons. There is no awareness there. There is no knowledge of the mind there. They are identified with the mind and own everything the mind does. This causes suffering for themselves and also for others. The change is perceived as suffering. Often a person will change only when the suffering due to old condition exceeds that caused by the change. However, once changed, the mind relaxes back into happiness, as there is no more suffering and now builds up a wall around this new condition.

Life is a flow of ever changing experiences. Nothing remains the same. A happy mind is like a river, very adaptive, happy in every condition. An open mind accepts change and does whatever is necessary in a logical and rational way. All suffering is a resistance to what is, a resistance to change our own self."

195. If all is one, then what is the point of individual forms?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-09 19:50:42

If all is one, and individuals are just fractal forms of the whole, then what is the point of individual fractal forms, once each fractal realised it's only an illusion, an image of something else but not the something else, a fractal of another whole but not the whole. You wouldn't miss a single snow flake in a blizzard would you?

The form is an illusion, it cannot realize anything. The whole realizes that it is appearing as an illusion to itself. In this realization, the ignorance that I am a form dissolves and is replaced by a knowing that I exist as the whole which is form as well as formless.

There is no point or purpose of appearances, they just are. There is an ignorance in the mind that everything must have a purpose or meaning. There is a related ignorance that if I don't see a purpose in something, that thing should not exist, or there can be no existence without a purpose.

When see closely and without preconceived notions, it becomes clear that the purpose is projected on things by the mind via its limited understanding. Usually anything that makes the mind survive better is endowed with a purpose, and something which the mind finds unrelated to its survival gets no purpose. For example, the purpose of a house is for shelter and for protection from dangerous animals or people. But there is no purpose of millions of stars that shine above that house. A purpose is minds way of assigning a use of things for itself. However, intrinsically nothing is purposeful or purposeless, everything just is. A purpose is also an illusion, a creation of the mind, it is only an idea."

196. Can meditation really help a person to connect with their soulmate?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-12 09:39:42

Can meditation really help a person to connect with their soulmate?

There is no such thing as a soulmate, its a blind belief, a superstition, and the person is only an illusion, an idea in the mind, a collection of memories, names and relations associated with an ever changing decaying body.

Meditation will only show you the truth, nothing else. A suitable practice will clear the delusions like the above. There are hundreds of varieties of meditations, and only an experienced guru can recommended the one suitable for you."

197. How to achieve full consciousness?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-12 10:43:14

How to achieve full consciousness?

Consciousness is always full, and it is always empty. It is existence itself. You are it, the consciousness or the Self is your essence. Can you be full or half?

Awareness is the knowledge in the mind that I am consciousness. Whatever experience is being witnessed, it is being witnessed via the same consciousness. It is the ground of all experiences. Experiences change, but experiencer does not.

Note the different meanings of the words - consciousness, awareness, experience and the mind. This is the essential knowledge. It must be directly experienced. It cannot be a matter of blind faith or intellectual curiosity. However, you can use your own words.

Awareness may go up or down depending on the amount of ignorance in the mind. So to be fully and continuously aware one needs to destroy the ignorance. Whatever is left, is knowledge. So knowledge is not gained, only ignorance can be removed. You already have all the knowledge you need, it is deeply buried in ignorance, which is mostly in the form of blind beliefs and unfounded notions. It takes some work and a good amount of guidance.

It is a matter of practice. This is the cultivation.

The mind slips into unawareness, because it is its habit since thousands of years, you have lived like this since forever. Whenever it slips, bring it back into awareness gently.

Different traditions have grown around different practices to cultivate awareness. You can follow any suitable. Try mindfulness meditation, try Dhyana. At least, you can set reminders around you. It can be anything, such as pictures of deities you like, pictures of gurus or great masters, posters/quotes, books, objects like malas, bracelets, threads on the wrist, a pendent, and so on. Remember that such things are not magical, they are external reminders to become aware. Since the mind wanders outside, we can create an awareness inducing environment outside. Charge these objects with a firm intention that whenever you see them, you will become intensely aware. The magic is in the mind. Later you will need to let go of external means.

Self needs no answers. It has no knowledge and hence no ignorance also. It is innocent and pure. Mind needs answers, because there is ignorance. The lack of knowledge produces a void which comes out in the form of a question. The path of knowledge is about filling up this void. It is a direct path which makes the mind peaceful via knowledge.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2  
 Gift 3

198. What is meditation? What is the exact way to do meditation?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-12 10:39:44

What is meditation? What is the exact way to do meditation?

That word has multiple meanings, and hence it is meaningless.

This is because different authorities assign different meanings to the word meditation, and different people understand it in different ways, their meaning is their own making, which is a distortion of whatever they could understand.

It hardly matters what a word means. What matters is the experience behind it. If there is a meaningful experience behind it, that becomes the meaning. Knowing how someone else interprets those words is going to do nothing for you. Experience is the key. Knowledge is organized experience, knowledge needs experience, it is the real foundation. Seek experience, not words. Words are hollow.

Based on your own experience, you can assign your own meaning. But that makes it really difficult to communicate to others. So whenever you speak, put down your own definition first, and ask the other person to put down their own definition. Else it will be a mess of apples and oranges. You can see that everywhere, because people are not careful about their words and their meanings.

Now, there must be a reason why you are asking for the meaning. Probably you plan to meditate or study awareness. The least effective way would be to open a dictionary or ask around. Best would be to approach a teacher, who according to your own evaluation may know something. Whatever that teacher's definition is, that would be the meaning for time being. Adopt it, do it, and check the experience. That would make the words solid. In future, you may want to experiment with another teacher, another tradition, and then wipe clean the meanings before you join them, start fresh. You will find similarities and differences as you explore the spiritual landscape. Anyhow, what will stay with you is your own experience, your own meaning.

However, its not completely useless to get an idea of what everyone means by these words. Here is a sample taken from the ocean of meanings - meditation is a rough translation of the word Dhyana, which in Sanskrit means - holding one object, thought, idea, image in the mind and excluding all others. This is Patanjali's meaning. What does that do? Well, depends on what results you want. There are a garden variety of meditations, each tailored to bring about a specific result. You won't know it till you practice something specific. So the English word meditation stands for many practices, not one. Its a general word, and therefore one cannot "do" meditation.

Awareness is a rough translation of the Sanskrit word Chetana. It means a knowledge of being conscious of one's own existence. But as soon as you open another book, this meaning will be replaced by the one being used in that book. So again, try not to hold on to the words, they stand for an experience. Check the experience.

Best practice is to remain aware during whole of the day. Do that which you normally do, but with complete and intense awareness.

What is awareness? It is the firm knowing that you are the Self, you are the consciousness that is merely witnessing all that is happening. You are the experiencer of all the experiences. So to be aware is to take the point of view of consciousness. It is the highest point of view. And surprisingly, it is the easiest way to be. It takes no effort to become aware, because our very nature is consciousness.

If you slip, and you will, just gently bring yourself back into awareness. There will be moments of forgetting and remembering. But this is the practice exactly. It will stabilize with practice. You can use some tools, like reminders or pictures or sounds to bring you back again and again into awareness. Use anything you like, except extremely negative things.

It will start with the actions. All your actions must be done with awareness. You will find that your actions reduce in quantity, because the unnecessary and useless actions stop, as soon as you are so aware. That keeps the troubles away, that raises the standard of living, and life becomes peaceful almost instantly. You will not engage in lowly activities, addictions, fights, quarrels, egoic acts or impulses, you will not spend too much on useless things, you will be left with a good amount of time to do the things you love, like hobbies and extra skills or reading or attending spiritual meetings. This is the most obvious effect of actions that are done with awareness.

Next will be the speech. Speak with intense awareness. See the consequences of speech. The results will be that you will be unable to lie, you will be unable to talk bitterly or in any insulting way. You will remain firm on your speech, you will not commit to useless tasks or activities, and once you commit, you will keep your word. These noble qualities are gained simply by becoming aware of the speech.

Next will be the awareness of thoughts. Become aware of what is happening in your own mind. Very few people are capable of that. It comes via practice, but when you are thinking, bring in the awareness, shine the light of consciousness on the mind. Clearly see what it is doing, why is it doing that, what will be the consequences of those thoughts. Not only thoughts, emotions, feelings, desires etc. also. These become speech and actions eventually. These are like arrows, once shot, you cannot take them back. There are consequences. The best place to evaluate your actions is at the level of mind. This is a big power. This means your life is now governed by awareness, not by randomness. Since you are aware of negative thoughts, you can terminate them, stop fuelling them, and this results in peace of mind. The suffering disappears and you are immersed in bliss.

Awareness is a simple practice, can be done without a guru, but it is probably the most powerful and changes the mind permanently.

There are advanced phases of this practice, like remaining aware in dreams, deep sleep and finally during death. But for that some guidance will be needed.

199. How to combine being present and relaxed and having willpower to achieve goals?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-12 13:23:59

How to combine being present and relaxed and having willpower to achieve my goals?

Reconsider the definition of the word "relaxation". It is not a state of inactivity, not a condition of doing nothing useful.

Relaxed state is when there is no struggle, no resistance, annoyance, fear, attachment to outcomes or clinging.

So act with a background of such relaxed state. Effortless, joyful activity is relaxation. The activity should be that which takes you to your goal.

See that you are ever present. When were you not present last time?

Only that there is more or less awareness of your own presence, which is being consciousness. Acting with presence is being aware of action. Let the action that takes you to your goal happen with total awareness.

So the will to do something is not dependent on the state of your mind. An aware and relaxed state should assist in the action, there is no way it will be deterrent for your actions.

If you encounter a lack of willpower, there must be some other reason. Probably the mind is not very interested, probably it sees no value in that or it is easily distracted by something more interesting or something instantly gratifying. In that case, re-evaluate your goals. Are they the right goals? If yes, they should naturally evoke intense desire to act. If a goal feels like a burden, its probably not for you, not your goal."

200. How to be here and now instead of wandering in the thoughts?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-12 13:20:45

How to become more present? Being here and now instead of wandering in the thoughts in the mind. Meditation helps only for few minutes.

An animal goes there where it gets the food. It makes sure to remember that location. It compulsively visits that location in anticipation of food. Such behaviour is there only for one reason - survival. This is deeply programmed into the mind. If food is available where its dwelling is, it won't go anywhere.

All minds are similar. Why would a mind wander externally or internally? Obviously, it gets something there, or at least anticipates something. It has to be a reward/pleasure or avoidance of pain or punishment. If here and now were more pleasant and joyful than random wanderings, the mind would never leave this place of here and now. It would remain glued to the present.

Its wandering because the here and now is not rewarding enough. Perhaps there is more reward in the old memories, in imaginary scenarios. Perhaps there is a fear of something going wrong, it must finish something important, or must take care of a situation on which its survival depends. Perhaps it feels like a burden, unfinished business. Here and now is boring, no rewards, no challenges.

You see, when a state is forced on the mind, it rebels, it only produces more suffering. It needs to be in a specific state effortlessly and naturally. If you need to push it, it is a sign that some things need correction in your life. Check where it goes, what exactly is it doing. Are there unfulfilled desires? Are there suppressed desires or conflicts? Is there anger or fear? Are you escaping certain responsibilities or important tasks? Or any other things. Look for the food, that the mind is searching for.

Once seen, corrective actions should be taken. If the mind finds nothing in memories, it will come back. If the present is rewarding, unburdened, free from anxiety, it will stay here.
Questions: 201-300

201. Do non-living things have consciousness?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-12 15:50:34

Does non living things have consciousness?

No. Consciousness is the fundamental nature of everything, living, non-living, the entire universe.

Things do not "have" consciousness. Consciousness has things. Everything is just a form taken by this pure and empty Consciousness.

Just like one can make a variety of ornaments from gold and they all look different, but their essence is gold. An ornament does not "have" gold separate from itself, it is essentially the gold. Ornaments change and take many forms, gold remains changeless and pure. In this metaphor, obviously, gold stands for Consciousness and ornaments are forms.

Moreover, there is nothing living and nothing non-living. This distinction is arbitrarily made by the mind. All things are just forms, some simple and inert, some complex and active. There is a continuous spectrum of complexity, there is no clear dividing line which can tell a living thing from a non-living.

A body and a mind are forms, forms of Consciousness. You are that Consciousness, you are the Self, its your essence, which is changeless, eternal, pure, empty and infinite."

202. What is ignorance? How can I remove it?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-12 16:41:05

What is ignorance? How can I remove it.?

Ignorance is defined as a lack of essential knowledge and presence of either incomplete, wrong or partial knowledge. Wrong knowledge is simply the blind beliefs that the mind accumulates as a result of its own conditioning, from society and parents or is just brainwashing.

Obviously the cure of ignorance is knowledge. Knowledge is organized experience. The only way to know is to experience. To experience, one must explore and experiment, question everything, question one's beliefs and assumptions. One also needs some guidance and must learn to correctly interpret the experiences.

Depending on the amount of ignorance and availability of a teacher, or interest and intelligence of the student, it can take anything from a few minutes to many lifetimes to remove the ignorance. Although all of it cannot be removed, but as soon as essential knowledge is gained, the job is done. Mostly the mind will correct itself, when essential knowledge is there.

The essential knowledge is the knowledge of one's own essence. Your true nature. When that is known everything that can be known becomes known.

 Gift 1

203. What is soul?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-12 19:42:58

What is soul?

Different traditions have different words pointing to different experiences.

Probably its best to find the meaning in the tradition it comes from. If even the masters there cannot point to your experience which you can associate certainly with that word, then it is meaningless. If you surely experience that which is being pointed to, you have your answer.

See, its tricky. Never search for knowledge starting from a word. Start from an experience. Your experience is your truth. Once you know, you can assign a word to it. It can be any word. A word may mean many things to many people. Words are made up, they do not matter. Experience matters.

204. How to gain respect?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-13 10:46:21

How to gain respect from students

Problem with the respect is, it cannot be gained. It cannot be tricked or forced. You cannot motivate others to respect you.

Check the way respect arises in your mind for someone else. What factors give birth to a feeling of respect?

Usually we respect someone only when we find that what we lack in ourselves is present in the other. We are impressed with it and we want to be like that. This is the seed idea. This idea then changes our behaviour, it shows up in behaviour. For example, we talk respectfully to that person, we stand up in his presence, and we serve him. It is very much like love.

Compare that with the respect we have for an authority, a dictator for example. We behave almost in the same way as above, but we do not really want to be like him, we do not like what he does, there is no love, there is fear. Ironically, this is also called respect. You can have that with force. But surely, you do not want that kind of respect.

So never try to "gain" respect. Be yourself. Or even better, excel in what you do. Become great, a giant in your field. Honey bees aims for the nectar not for dry flowers. Not everyone will respect you, only those who wish to be like you, who think they can gain something from you, will respect you. Even if you are not available to serve their expectation, the respect will be maintained. Check your own behaviour, you wouldn't stop respecting someone, if he is not really serving you. That kind of respect would be selfish, more like greed, less like love.

There is a misconception that if you respect others they will respect you back. Well, that's culture, a manner, a fake behaviour. We do that all the time, but internally, we are at most indifferent. So never try that trick. In fact it may backfire, and display of extreme respect without a real cause or feeling will be taken as a feet licking behaviour. They may act normally, but laugh at you behind your back. That's disrespect, opposite of what you expected. Just be yourself.

We cannot, and should not control or manipulate others, all we can do is improve ourselves, without worrying much about who respects and who does not. It has to be a genuine drive to improve, if it is done with a main goal of gaining respect, it will not work, you will be seen as a fake expert, not a real genius.

205. Will my dark night of the soul ever end?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-13 01:03:18

Does my dark night of the soul will ever end?I am tried and drained.I lost all my ability from inside which i had,only remain pain and suffering.Feeling God is removed from my mind.My question will i feel life with happiness,peace,divine love and good health?

Depends on what practices you took up in the past. It is rare to end up in the dark night situation without asking for it, there must be a reason. And know well that, the reason ultimately is your own wish.

Universe is not interested in hitting random people with such experiences. Actually the universe cares, it wants to keep its creation in peace and happiness. The whole illusion and drama of life is for that, it has no other purpose. But we are not merely robots, we have a will, which is actually a reflection of universe's own will. It picks those who show a hint of that will. It is usually an intention, a desire to evolve, to become more than mere human.

Once you identify what lead you here, try finding a quickest way out. Do not judge it, do not regret it or resist it. It was you after all. You can beat yourself up, but that's not going to solve it. Know well that its only your resistance, judgement and fear that is causing this suffering. It'd be wise to not to augment it with same erroneous attitude.

So what's the correct attitude and action? After you have ascertained what not to do, its time to think with a cool mind what can be done. It is highly recommended to go back to your master under whom you practiced, and ask for help. A master always helps, student's problem is his own problem. If there is no master, no guru, no guide, and you somehow landed up in trouble by chance, then it is highly recommended that you get a master now. Go to anyone you know, the nearest one, and start there. Perhaps you will find that he cannot help, but he will surely point to someone who can, and then you can approach the other master.

While you are doing that, you can work on your mind. Give up the practices for a while, if any. Give up devotion too. Return to the ground, solid earth. First trick is to surrender, not resist. Surrender won't magically cure everything, but it will pacify the mind. Most of the suffering is created in the mind. It is like a lens which magnifies a small pain into a big pain. Surrender will break that tendency. Accepting your condition does not mean you do nothing about it, it means you are realistic, not in denial.

Simplify your life. Let go of innumerable projects and worries. Eat light and healthy, sleep more. Stay away from crowds, people. The mind and body recovers when left alone. In case there are health issues that can be cured by medicine, take medicines.

See that "getting" happiness from outside, from people, bodily pleasures, relations, possessions, achievements or social approvals etc would not work. It only brings more suffering. Know well that you are the source of happiness. It comes from within, when there is no fear, no desire, when mind is content, when it wants nothing, demands nothing. Happiness is not momentary pleasure that comes and goes, it is a very silent background of peace. Similarly, you are the source of love, you cannot "get" it from anything else or anyone else. Love unconditionally, just give it away. Love resides in the heart, its not something that comes from others. Sometimes we do meet people who give away their love, just be grateful, do not cling. You are love.

Know well that all these experiences are illusory experiences. You are the experiencer, you are the only real thing there is. You are the Self, pure consciousness, that is witnessing all these experiences. They are neutral, the mind divides them into good or bad according to its preferences, and conditioning. Everything is perfect as it is. No matter what kind of experience you are having, it won't last, and there will always be a lesson. See you lessons, learn them and you will find that the situation improves, it goes away, or turns into another lesson. We are here only to learn, there is nothing else to do or take or become."

206. Is there is answer to every question in this world?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-13 07:41:49

Is there is answer to every question in this world?

Yes. Only catch is - how will you know if it is the correct answer?

Fortunately, there is an answer to that question also. We know only via experience. There is no other way to know.

So never worry about answers, they are dime a dozen. Never believe blindly. Get the evidence. Check your own experience. Get more experience. Experiment. Explore. Question everything."

207. Is eating meat sinful?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-14 02:16:56

Is nonveg eating is sinful?

Do not let the brainwashing affect you. Food is food. Humans are just animals with similar bodies as any other animal.

99.99% human eat other animals and almost 100% animals eat each other. So it is just mother nature.

However, when you are doing certain spiritual practices, eat that which is recommended by your guru. Some practices demand pure veg diet. For an ordinary person this does not matter."

208. Why we fear death?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-14 05:55:42

Why we fear death?

We are pure consciousness, the Self. It is eternal, it is existence itself. It has no fear, no courage. All these properties belong to the mind. Your essence is not the mind, or the body. You do not fear, you are only aware of fear.

Mind is a non physical structure. Mind evolved processes to keep it going. Only those structures continue which have protective processes built it, the other vanish quickly into simpler structures or into randomness. It is self augmenting process of evolution into complexity. Better the processes become, more complex and bigger the mind becomes. So protective processes form a foundation of the mind. Fear is one such mechanism. It is as ancient as the mind itself.

Fear is generated by a small and primitive part of the mind. It makes the organism avoid dangerous situations. Fear ensures survival. It is a process in the mind which triggers to protect it. So obviously whenever there is a chance of death or even a mention of it or even a thought of it, fear is triggered.

The lower mind has no way of sensing what is real and what is imaginary. It mechanically acts like a preprogramed computer. Only higher mind has some discrimination. Mind needs some training to develop it.

In a person where higher intelligence and evolved mind is weaker, fear is most apparent. They usually act on it. Fear gives rise to anger, another defence mechanism. A fearful person becomes violent.

Its ok to be afraid, let it appear and disappear, but the actions must be intelligent, rational and logical. This is what separates us from animals."

209. If a person has found his true self in an early age then what should he do?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-14 10:48:00

If a person thinks that he has found his true self in an early age then what he should do in his remaining life?

That question is a sign that this person has no clue what a true self is.

Self is pure consciousness, one and the same as the whole existence. Once this is realized, all the experience just happens, there is no one to do anything. It is like a show, just appearances, and the Self is the blissful empty witness of this show. There is no one that does anything, there is no doer.

A person, a doer is just an illusory thought in the mind. A mind that knows this is enlightened, else it struggles to do something, to get something out of this life, which is merely an appearance that lasts for a while. A flash in the pan.

So the first step is to know what you truly are. All answers fall in place once that is known."

210. How to let go of your past self?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-14 14:15:23

How to let go of your past self?

There is nothing wrong with the past self. If something is causing suffering now, it must be the present self, or more accurately the present condition of the mind.

Self is not mind. It is pure consciousness. Easy to know that and detach from all mental activities, good or bad. That ends suffering in minutes. Most people won't do that, and prefer to identify with the mind and its activities. Many think they are a body, and things that happened to the body happened to "me". So ignorance is the cause of suffering, not the past.

Why is mind producing suffering now? The reason is that the mind is simply processing its past impressions. The impressions can be because of a negative experience. The mind reaches into the store house of memories and brings them up for processing. It senses a problem there and desires to resolve it. It then generates intentions or internal actions which appear as emotions.

If the memory is of a threat, it generates either anger or fear. This is the nature of the mind. This is how it works. It is unfortunate that people never study their own minds and suffer in delusion that they are the mind. The mind is only a machine, an instrument that we have. We are the Self. The user of this instrument.

The first cure is to become very aware of what your mind is doing. Observe it very carefully and curiously. You will find that the negative thoughts stop because instead of fuelling them, the mind is busy observing them. The thoughts arise and disappear without producing a violent reaction.

Do this all the time, 24x7. This is the essence of any meditation. Becoming aware is knowing that you are not the mind or mental processes, you are the one that experiences them. Once separated the mind corrects itself and comes out of its own drama.

A more permanent cure is to render the negative memory ineffective. Unfortunately the memories, once formed, cannot be destroyed by any means. One can block their expression, but they produce undesired side effects in the form of other physical/mental diseases. So one must render them ineffective, instead of trying to avoid them or block them.

The time tested way of doing this is - forgiving. Forgiving is a mental act, where you allow the past situation to be as it is, and allow the people as they are. Replace hate with kindness and compassion. This is internal, there is no need to actually meet the people. Slowly the memory turns more positive and its effects disappear. This takes time, discipline and guidance. Above all it takes motivation to be positive.

211. Why can't we control our mind?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-14 16:38:54

Why we can not control mind

What you call "we" is merely a witness of every experience, every phenomena. It is the Self, pure consciousness, an emptiness, it is existence itself. It has no human tendencies, no wants, no desires, as you can imagine. Anthropomorphizing consciousness simply produces stupidity and confusion. So we do not control anything, do not do anything at all, we or our essence is a silent observer.

That which tries to controls things is the mind itself. When it tries to control itself, funny things may happen. It is an utter failure.

So there is no such thing as controlling the mind. However, there is a good news, the mind can cultivate itself, learn, and acquire new behaviour. So if proper environment is present, the mind takes on new conditioning, new programming that overrides its old programming and behaviour. One can call it "control", but its just a new layer of programs on existing ones.

Usually the need and motivation to learn comes from suffering and pain, else the mind is not really interested in changing anything. Rarely, it can see other evolved minds and a desire to change may arise. So there is this reward and punishment mechanism built into the mind, which is fascinating and effective. It ensures evolution of the mind. It learns to "control" itself. When this process happens consciously and knowingly, instead of automatically via the R&P system, it is called cultivation of the mind.

To cultivate, one must have a goal, knowledge and a mentor. Three essential ingredients.

212. Is result of everything pre decided?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-14 15:51:13

Is result of everything is pre decided?

Existence is nothing but possibilities. There are infinite possibilities. So anything is possible.

However, there is a tendency for the things to self organize. When they do that they form a structure. A structure is just complex or simple patterns arranged in a certain way. A rock is a structure and so is a mouse. Behaviour of a rock is highly predictable, while a mouse is less predictable. We can say that what a rock does is predestined, but a mouse has some wiggle room, sometimes it can select a new possibility.

So in general, more complex and evolved a structure is, more are the possibilities for it to become or do anything else. A human is a layered structure, starting from matter of which the body is made up of, to the mind, which is purely information, or non-physical in nature. As we can see, the body follows rigid laws, laws of physics, but as we go up in layers, the laws lose meaning. A mind is not so tightly bound by the laws. However, it is a structure, and hence it is not completely free to be anything other than what is decided by its own structure, which is mostly memory and its processes. It obeys the laws of the mind.

Humans also experience a consciousness, which seems to have no structure, and not surprisingly, it can be anything, can do anything, roughly speaking. It has already done that, and it appears to itself as this whole existence. Existence is infinite possibilities. So the consciousness, or the Self, is infinitely free. It is your essence, and our essence. We are the Self.

213. Why is society in a big mess?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-07-17 18:40:31

People are grown up in such a environment where everything is competition. society judge a person on basis of there success or JOBs with large packages.. Why society dont teach children to learn for knowledge not for jobs..To dive deeper in researching new things..?Because there is many things beyond earth also.. means there will be no importance of life if we just .. Born.. Earn Living ..parent children.. . Get Old?Di?. What is kept in it then?

Certain cultures evolved out of deep poverty. The poverty and deprivation had such a huge effect on the societies that they have become a factory of individuals whose entire life is about surviving better. It obviously involves hoarding more money, more eating and drinking, fighting for resources, killing each other, hate and racism, regionalism or casteism. It also encourages more partners, better partners, more children, big families etc. Those who can do that are considered better and superior. We are now in such a society currently. So the root of such behaviour and social condition is poverty.

As we progress, and survival becomes less of the priority, we change from merely a sub-human, animal like thing to more human. When survival is taken care of, human life starts. Now a person gets more time to educate himself, to innovate and learn, to become independent, to resist the brainwashing of parents, relatives, societies, religious or political leaders or gurus that tell us what to do. In other words, we become more knowledgeable. So knowledge is the cure.

We can actually reach there right now, if we want, by simply cutting down the extremely materialistic lives we live, by adopting a simple, minimalist lifestyle that is less dependent on the systems that enslave us. We can educate ourselves or join other wise men, who have liberated themselves, who have evolved out of the mess of humanity. It is an individual effort, it is not for the masses. Thinking that everyone will do it is irrational. One must take up their own evolution in their own hands. Worrying about why everyone else is not doing it, is stupidity. Everyone else is on their own path, you are on your own. Worry about your own betterment. Those who stand on the peak can show a better way to those who are at the bottom of the mountain. Charity begins at home, fix yourself, do not try to fix others. If others are inspired by your views and your lifestyle, assist them, give them a helping hand. Show them, do not simply preach. Leave others, it is not your concern. The main concern is your own betterment.

214. Why does the mind avoid little pains while knowing bad consequences of it?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-17 18:26:32

Why does the mind avoid little troubles, little pains and tiny unsatisfactions even knowing the consequences???

Resistance of the mind and lack of awareness.

Mind has built-in optimization mechanisms. Because of them, it tries to conserve energy, time and effort. In other words, it always goes for the low hanging fruits first. This tendency has evolutionary reasons. Those minds who had such tendencies survived better, at least got some short term advantage. Mind, especially the lower mind, which is the less intelligent part of the mind, is not really concerned about betterment or sophistication, it places more emphasis on survival. It resists any opportunities of doing more than bare minimum. You can call it mental laziness.

How to get rid of it? Notice that it will happen when you are not very aware of what the mind is doing. Awareness is the key. It is the universal key, a master key, which will improve the mind in all respects. When you are extremely aware, you can see this mental laziness mechanism in operation. You can detach from it, see it objectively. Now you will have a choice to engage the rational mind, which is more evolved part of the mind, and now you can foresee the consequences and take proper actions.

There is a trick here. Usually the more evolved parts are slower, the egoic mind, since it is optimized and automated since millions of years, is very fast. So you will find that the first reaction is always egoic in nature, aka the knee jerk response. The trick is to let it come and go. Sit down and see the ego go through it. Be aware, do not act, do not consider it. After a while, the higher mind will kick in slowly, but surely. Now you can analyze the situation, plan it. Do it in best possible way.

This is how we cultivate our minds. It is an individual effort, a personal undertaking. It is hard work and slow. The results are, however, amazing. With time, it becomes our lifestyle, it picks up exponential speed. Welcome to an aware mind.

215. How to distract ourselves from using too much something like smart phone?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-18 16:34:39

How to distract ourselves from using too much something like smart phone

When unimportant things become an addiction, it simply means there is nothing important or meaningful in your life. There is no higher goal to be passionate about. There is a lot of free time, as survival is taken care of, the mind is free and it needs one or the other distraction to keep itself from getting bored. This kind of life is meaningless, a series of compulsions. A random wandering of an ignorant mind.

When there is a life goal, it means something to you, and now you have no time to just sit and kill it by various means. There is something important to do, you are always occupied in a meaningful activity. It has to be something more than survival - eating, sleeping, relating, reproducing and nursing.

When we experience life at a greater dimension than mere survival, it becomes purposeful, you live for a purpose instead of just being alive. Your time is of value. When you have grown to such an extent, tiny addictions and compulsions will be least of your worries, they will not be there. Find the path of your heart, walk on it. It is something for which you were born. Search and explore, why are you alive?

 Gift 1

216. How to focus my mind on valuable works and valuable things which matter most?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-19 12:14:44

How to focus my mind only valuable works and valuable things which matters most ???

We cannot concentrate because we are too busy being distracted by things, people and events.

Take out some time for only yourself. Be with yourself for a while. Seek solitude. This way you will get away from distractions and will get a chance to focus on that which matters most. Adopt minimalism. There is your key.

If you are very much interested in something, concentration comes naturally. Ensure that the thing you are trying to concentrate on is very interesting, in this way you go with the flow of the mind, rather than fight against it.

Find out your life goals. Why are you here? What were you born for? What attracts you most? What do you really wish to do?

Once you know that, all other distractions will fall away. Focus on your goals. That will make everything else tiny and insignificant.

Do that which is most important, do that which you absolutely love to do. Live moment by moment. Take the next step consciously and purposefully. Follow the path of your heart.

Because we have too many distractions, the life seems like a random purposeless struggle. This makes us impatient, because nothing of value happens here. The mind becomes anxious and is mad after everything, it wants everything now, as if that thing will really make it content, but it does not. Its merely a distraction. If there were no distractions, the mind would have no other option but to wait and would quickly learn the value of patience.

Find out the cause, mostly it will be ignorance. Due to ignorance the abilities of the mind are clogged up, there are too many thoughts, too much noise. Thoughts arise out of too many unfulfilled desires. There are too many intentions to act. Too many thoughts happen when too much is going on in your life. The mind is filled up with distractions of all kinds. What goes in comes out. Pratyahar is the practice that can be recommended, it is not simply about eating good food, it is also staying away from the junk of distractions. Watch what you are feeding to your mind.

Simplify your life. Reduce your work. Bring your to-do list to the most necessary. Give up TV, newspapers, books, gossip and too much social interaction. Be in solitude, in peace. Speak less, hear more. You do not have to go to any extreme, just reduce as much as possible. Become aware of your thoughts, see what the mind is doing, the light of awareness kills the automatic thoughts. This practice and simple peaceful lifestyle will calm down your mind.

This is not a 20 minute a day practice, it is 24x7. It is a way to live, not a job to be done and finish off. Needs some commitment.

217. Is manifestation a lie?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-19 16:19:28

Is manifestation a lie?

Yes.

It is simply a misunderstanding of an important law of the mind. It says that what we perceive is identical to what we manifest. But we do not do that as a person or this mind-body. We are the universe itself, perceiving itself. You will need to rise above the tiny personal level to see its truth. Know yourself.

 Gift 1

218. Should I be contented about life?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-19 13:39:53

Should I be contented about life?

You wouldn't ask that if you knew what life is, and what you are. What is "I"?

Know well that you are already content, you are whole and complete. You are the Self, a pure background of consciousness, it has nothing to gain and nothing to lose.

You are the Self.

Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer. The "I" is also an experience, which is the mind identifying with consciousness.

Life is a series of experiences. It is a flow, a constant change.

All experience is being experienced by an experiencer - the Self, the pure consciousness, which is you. The I.

All experiences can be divided into four types - the experience of the world, of body, of mind and of consciousness. There is nothing more to it. It has no reason or purpose, it is a play.

Among the experiences, the experience of the mind is most interesting. It creates a false person, it creates likes and dislikes, preferences, and hence purpose is born. It struggles and acts to get the goals. It labels the otherwise neutral experiences into good or bad, happy or sad. This is the drama of life. Mind sees it as a cycle of pleasure and pain, and is trapped in it.

When we realize our true nature, which is Self, we come out of this ignorance, and we let the life flow as it is. This is Mukti. Know life, be your Self, be free and blissful.

Life is a series of experiences. The Self is having these experiences. The Self has no purpose, and hence life has no purpose. It is just a flow of events, which the Self is witnessing blissfully. The Self is already whole and complete, not bounded by anything and has no desires.

That may sound like too plain and negative. Truth is often like that, because our egos expect more. The ego is a set of programs and is wired to get more and more, and is not satisfied. It needs a purpose. The good news is - its purpose is also programmed in by mother nature. That purpose is to be happy and free. So from the point of view of the ego or mind, the purpose is happiness and freedom. That's all we humans are after, nothing else.

Many of us try to get happiness and freedom out of objects, possessions, relations, achievements and social power etc. This works for a while, till basic survival is taken care of, after that it produces only suffering. One soon learns that these things do not lead to happiness and freedom. They do provide a bit of pleasure, which soon vanishes and is taken over by suffering produced by new desires or outcomes.

When one lives moment by moment, acts in the now, one is in pure bliss and is most free. In the moment we make a choice that may result in more happiness and freedom and reject an action that may bound us or cause suffering. How to make such a choice? Learn from the past experiences, see what produced happiness and freedom, do not repeat past mistakes. This art comes by practice and experience, but a good teacher can also help. We soon find that by doing so, we are doing only that which we love to do. This is the path of the heart. It is a lifestyle that is effortless, pure and is full of happiness and freedom. Everyone has a different path, so do not mimic others, that will only produce more suffering, find your own path. It has to be something you love to do.

So our purpose here as human beings is to walk on the path of our own heart. It will lead to absolute happiness and freedom, and will give a meaning to the life. Does not matter what experiences you have in life, each one is a learning experience, each one is a lesson.

219. How to live in present?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-21 15:28:16

How to live in present?

Have you ever lived in the past? or in the future?

Know well that these are just illusory thoughts in the mind. You are ever present Self, the pure consciousness, which experiences these thoughts.

It is impossible to be anywhere else but in present.

Only that you are not aware of it, you are tangled in the mind which is serving you illusions.

Awareness is the key.

All we experience is the Now. Everything changes in the Now, which is ever present. What we think is the future is merely some thoughts in the mind, they happen in the Now. We also never experience the past. We experience the memory, which happens in Now, present moment.

Have you ever experienced something which was not in the present?

Have you ever taken an action which did not happen in the present?

See that the concepts of past and future are illusory. They are made up in the mind. All experience and all actions happen in the present.

Set up reminders to be aware all the time. Become aware of the present moment, intensely and intently. Bring back the mind again and again to the present. This can be done while doing everyday tasks or in the company of others.

This can also be done intentionally while sitting in a quiet room, alone and away from distractions. It is good to do that for 20 mins every day. This practice will then carry over to the rest of the day. The 20 mins practice or meditation can be dropped once you are mostly in the present all the day.

220. How to overcome sadness and grief?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-21 16:52:28

How to overcome sadness and grief?

Know well that these are merely states of the mind. You are a witness to these states. You are not sad and you are not happy. You are pure consciousness of these events.

Sadness is a nebulous word. But for an ordinary person it is a sensation which involves an emotion and reaction of the body to that emotion. So the emotion of fear produces a feeling of uneasiness all over the body and hair stand up, heart beats faster and breath becomes quicker. This can be felt in the body. The emotion has triggered an emergency response in the body and so it is preparing to flee. You can study the emotions and their effects on the body, which appear as feelings. Sadness is a common one where we feel sensations in nose, chest, throat and tear ducts. The action of the body is crying. Joy produces butterflies in the stomach. So on and so forth.

From a higher perspective, feelings are just events in the mind. A series of causes and effects, which appear in various illusory forms and flavours. At the root of all of them are changing patterns in the mind. Most are similar in nature. All one needs to do is, just watch them come and go, do not act while they are happening. They form the lower part of the mind, primitive part. Always act when you are calm, logical and rational. Those who act under the influence of feelings or emotions or to simply feel it again for some reason, suffering awaits for them. Steady and level headed individuals are more happy and aware. They enjoy all feelings but are never controlled by them.

You are the Self, pure consciousness, this is your true nature, you have never worked, you never struggled. There is an identification with the body and the mind, which is the ignorance that is causing suffering. Know what you are and be blissful.

See that "getting" happiness from outside, from people, bodily pleasures, relations, possessions, achievements or social approvals etc would not work. It only brings more suffering. Know well that you are the source of happiness. It comes from within, when there is no fear, no desire, when mind is content, when it wants nothing, demands nothing. Happiness is not momentary pleasure that comes and goes, it is a very silent background of peace.

Be aware of what you are. Act in this awareness. If you find your activities meaningless, get better goals, more meaningful goals. Do that which you absolutely love to do, and do that which is most necessary. This is the path of the heart, which will bring you the desired happiness.

Whatever you do and whatever you get, means nothing actually. The real value is in what you have learnt in this life. Only that goes with us. Experience, know and learn. Never give more importance to the mental states than they actually deserve. Happiness and sadness are just mental states, thoughts in the mind.

 Gift 1

221. What to do if loved ones force you to do something which you are not interested?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-22 08:26:59

What if your loved ones force you to do something which you are not interested in?

You cannot call them "loved ones". There is no love, its just a give and take business. "If you do this for me I will do something for you, which is obviously that which pleases me". This is selfishness.

Love is always selfless. Love is about giving. Letting others do that which they like. Not depending on anyone, and not letting anyone depend on you. True love is without any expectations or demands. Love and freedom are same.

So all you need to do is love someone, without even expecting anything in return, without worrying if the love is reciprocated. This will bring happiness and bliss. This is called unconditional love. Love because it is your nature. Not because you are trying to get love or happiness from others.

Expectations are merely assumptions, made up thoughts in the mind, that some events shall happen as per your desires, or that someone will act as per your desires. Clearly, this is ignorance. That may or may not happen. It is wishful thinking. And often it does not happen, which brings suffering.

If happiness is the goal, love unconditionally. Happiness won't come from objects, people or relations. It comes from within. Your real nature is bliss, you are the Self, not the body or the mind or the memories. You allow all of these to flow through you as experiences. Hence your essential nature is unconditional love. When we act like the Self, be the Self, happiness follows naturally. That's what we are.

Once you know your essence, you will have reasonable life goals. People, things or relations will become a background noise. They come and go. We treat everything and everyone with kindness, compassion and detachment.

It is our ignorance that we think only a certain thing or person or achievement is all I need, nothing else can take its place. Its a narrow view, seeing that life is limitless, not limited to hankering after just one or two items. There are possibilities. Perhaps of something even better. Try changing your goals, flow like a river.

Giving your key of happiness to others ensures that you get robbed of it. Our own mind does a poor job of keeping our happiness safe and secure, expecting someone else to do it is inviting trouble. But you can try it, you will soon find that happiness does not come from people, things or incessant complaints, it comes from within. The source of happiness is the Self, the pure consciousness that is blissful no matter what the experience offers.

 Gift 1

222. How old will I be? What is going be like in future life?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-22 16:37:48

How old iam gonna be?

What is going be like in future life

Young and old belongs to the body. It is the body that ages and it is the body that is born and it decays and dies. The mind is like a computer which drives the bodies.

You are not the body or the mind. You are the Self, pure consciousness which is experiencing the world, a body and a mind. The words birth, death, age are not applicable to you, who is an experiencer. These words are meaningful only for experiences. The Self is existence itself, it was always there and it will be always there. It is timeless and eternal.

There is no future and there is no past.

Have you ever experienced a past or a future?

The experience of past is just recall of memories, which happens NOW.

The experience of the future is projections or plans or imaginations, which happens NOW.

Have you ever experienced anything else than NOW in terms of time?

Time is an illusion created by mind. It create it out of a flow of experiences. All those experiences happen in NOW.

There is this eternal NOW. It is infinite, it is not some tiny moment that comes and goes. All moments happen in NOW.

You do not have a past, you do not have a future. These are made up in the mind. You are timeless and eternal. You are the Self, the pure consciousness that witnesses the NOW. Life is a series of experiences all of which are continuously changing in the NOW.

Once you know this, your questions will not make any sense. There will be no need to believe anything blindly. Truth brings freedom from fear and suffering.

Explore.

223. How do I determine the difference between beliefs and truth?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-22 16:53:01

Sometimes, there is only a nearly invisible line separating religious tenets and philosophical beliefs; how do I determine the difference as regards the questions I am allowed to ask?

It is very easy. All that you can experience directly is the Truth, everything else is one of the following:

1. A lie. A manipulation.

2. A blind belief.

3. A theory.

4. A teaching which encourages you to explore further.

5. An aid that pacifies the mind or cures some of its afflictions.

If an answer makes you ask more questions rather than less, it may not be the truth, it can be any of the above. If you are not allowed to ask anything at all, then all you need the do is find your own answers instead of believing everything blindly. Become a seeker, know via your own direct experiences. There is no other way of knowing. All teachings are merely pointers that encourage us to explore in a certain direction. They are not the truth, your experience is your truth.

Happy exploring.

 Gift 1  
Gift 2  
 Gift 3

224. What are these unexplainable experiences I am having?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-22 19:06:13

I have had many encounters where i remember places, incidents, things i've gotten from dreams. Premonitions/deja vu, if you will. But i do not buy that they are created from my subconscious state like i've read everywhere.

What are those, really? Does it mean i am meant to see and experience them for a reason? Or are they indications of something else?

That's right, there are no such states as unconscious or subconscious. These are theories, models. We never experience them. If we could, these "states" would become "conscious", which will lead to meaninglessness. If it cannot be experienced, it will remain a theory, never becomes truth.

You are asking for an explanation for experiences without knowing if it is meaningful to do so. Can we explain our everyday waking experiences? How would you explain them? How are they being produced? What do they mean?

Are you meant to experience your everyday events? Or are they random?

When you ask these questions and introspect on them, you will find something amazing. All the meanings, purposes, causes and explanations are manufactured in the mind.

Mind does that depending on its current conditioning and ignorance or knowledge. Mind cannot fathom even a tiny ordinary experience. All of its understanding is borrowed from one or the other belief, which it has gathered from here and there.

Experiences just are, no explanation is needed. That is how everything is. You, the Self, pure consciousness, has no explanation, and so does the existence. All that exists appears as continuously changing experiences. When you dig deeper, you will find that all experiences are merely appearances. The Self appears to itself as experiences. The experiencer is also the experience.

There is no cause for it, there is no reason for it. It is not necessary. The mind will ignore all that which is too familiar for it as something "normal" and it gets fascinated by anything new which is not its everyday event and wonders why is it happening. It covers up its ignorance of "ordinary" events under the term "normal". However there is no real explanation for normal. Same for everything else one can experience.

That should not stop us from finding a meaning behind our experiences. Meaning can be a useful thing even if it is made up. So go and explore, perhaps there IS a deeper meaning.

 Gift 1

225. Why should we be thankful for the life, if we never asked for it?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-22 18:56:08

We did not ask to be born in this world on earth. Why should we be thankful for the life given to us, when we did not ask for it to begin with?

There are too many assumptions in your question.

What is this thing you call as you? Was it really born? Its very obvious that a body was born, which took some matter from its surroundings and has grown. Is it you or is it a thing that you own?

If it is merely a thing that you own then it should not matter, you can discard it whenever you please.

Second assumption is that I am in a place called earth. The body is there, no doubt about it. Where is the owner? Try to find it in the world.

Third assumption is that somehow one must be thankful for this odd experience of having a body and witnessing a world. Do we really need to? And to whom? Is it prudent to do so? Wouldn't a rational and intelligent man ask for a reason? And if we cannot find a good reason the question of being thankful to anything does not arise. It is a matter of subjective feelings. Some people may feel better by simply thanking something great for such an experience. Some feel good without doing so. Matter of taste.

Fourth assumption is that somehow we have a choice to ask for a particular experience or to reject it. Surely, if you never asked for it, how did you end up here? Clearly its not a matter of choice. The one who pretends to choose happens only after he is already here and is already filled with a lot of conditioning and programming which he gathers from here and there. A baby never thinks about what choices he has, he simply is. Perhaps our real nature is to be choice-less. That is also the ultimate freedom. Because when there are choices there can be only so many, and then we are bound by them.

Life is a series of experiences. The Self is having these experiences. The Self has no purpose, and hence life has no purpose. It is just a flow of events, which the Self is witnessing blissfully. The Self is already whole and complete, not bounded by anything and has no desires.

That may sound like too plain and negative. Truth is often like that, because our egos expect more. The ego is a set of programs and is wired to get more and more, and is not satisfied. It needs a purpose. The good news is - its purpose is also programmed in by mother nature. That purpose is to be happy and free. So from the point of view of the ego or mind, the purpose is happiness and freedom. That's all we humans are after, nothing else.

Many of us try to get happiness and freedom out of objects, possessions, relations, achievements and social power etc. This works for a while, till basic survival is taken care of, after that it produces only suffering. One soon learns that these things do not lead to happiness and freedom. They do provide a bit of pleasure, which soon vanishes and is taken over by suffering produced by new desires or outcomes.

When one lives moment by moment, acts in the now, one is in pure bliss and is most free. In the moment we make a choice that may result in more happiness and freedom and reject an action that may bound us or cause suffering. How to make such a choice? Learn from the past experiences, see what produced happiness and freedom, do not repeat past mistakes. This art comes by practice and experience, but a good teacher can also help. We soon find that by doing so, we are doing only that which we love to do. This is the path of the heart. It is a lifestyle that is effortless, pure and is full of happiness and freedom. Everyone has a different path, so do not mimic others, that will only produce more suffering, find your own path. It has to be something you love to do.

So our purpose here as human beings is to walk on the path of our own heart. It will lead to absolute happiness and freedom, and will give a meaning to the life. Does not matter what experiences you have in life, each one is a learning experience, each one is a lesson.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2

226. How to develop higher mind?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-22 10:50:43

How to develop higher mind

Depends on what you define a "higher" mind to be.

Once there is something higher, we have something lower. So the obvious way is not to be lower mind. That will not answer this question, however.

So the next step is to know what does a higher mind look like. How does it behave?

Once you know that it will be possible to be like that. Without this knowledge this possibility is not there.

You have two choices - either find out for yourself what is higher or let someone else tell you that. First is difficult and will take time, but you will be sure. Second is instant but is a matter of blindly believing someone else.

Perhaps there is no higher or lower mind. Perhaps it doesn't matter much. Probably you are already perfect, probably you are beyond mind, a witness of it.

Explore.

227. What to do when all decisions seem bad?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-07-22 22:54:56

what to do when all decisions seem bad?

There are no right and wrong decisions. A decision is right or wrong only in retrospect. If the outcome turns out to be as desired, it was a right decision, and if the outcome is undesired it was wrong decision. So you see, the mind colours an otherwise neutral decision into right or wrong one, as soon as it sees the outcome.

So decide anything you wish to according to the best of your knowledge. Do not worry about what others say, except if the other person is your guru or teacher or someone who is your ideal or you follow him. Act on that decision as sincerely as you can. The outcome is not in your control anyway, so why worry.

One or the other thing will happen, either it will be as per your desire or opposite or something else. Now is a time to learn. See what happened and learn from it. Our actions do not "give" us anything, they are simply a tool for training the mind. The mind is evolving and becoming better and more powerful as we act and learn. Thinking that we are here for "getting" something, hoarding money, doing a job, getting into relations etc, is utter stupidity. Everything that you hoard here will be left here, all your deeds and jobs are insignificant, all that goes with you are your lessons and experiences. Use the life as a learning tool.

You are already whole and complete, you need nothing more. You are the Self, a blissful witness of all mental acts including decisions and choices. You never choose, you never decide and act. Decisions happen, actions happen, learning happens.

 Gift 1

228. Why are things difficult for me now?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-24 21:29:03

Why are things difficult for me now

The amount of difficulty is directly related to the amount of resistance the mind is throwing up. The solution is to accept and surrender.

See what this situation is trying to teach you. All experiences are there only for one purpose - they are lessons. We are here to learn and grow.

You will find something amazing when you take this attitude. You will find that as soon as you learn your lesson, the situation will improve. There will be a deep satisfaction and gratitude in you. You will be thankful for being shown what you are and what you need to be.

Once the lesson is implemented, another lesson starts. This time it is less painful, it takes less time to learn. Another one starts and again this time its over very quickly. The resistance of the mind starts dropping fast and it starts learning very fast. In fact, the whole life becomes a joy when you take on an attitude of surrender and a role of student.

Resistance to learning and improving leads to suffering, acceptance and acting on the situations rationally and learning from them leads to happiness and freedom. The choice must be easy here.

 Gift 1

229. How strong am I? And what do I really need to work on in my life currently?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-24 13:16:00

How strong am I? And what do I really need to work on in my life currently?

You are only as strong as you delude yourself to be.

Your strength and weaknesses show up only when you are thrown into situations. Life is a good teacher. You will be shown what you are at the right time. A wise person does not form notions in his head about what he is. He simply acts rationally and logically to whatever the life throws at him.

It is about learning.

Always do that which is most necessary at the present moment. And when most of it is taken care of, do that which you love most.

There can be no doubt about it. Try to do something unnecessary or something which you do not want to do, something which is forced on you or something which you are merely aping from someone else, and you will see what I mean.

Doing that for which you are born leads to greater and greater happiness and freedom. It does not really matter what you do, there are always consequences. It does not matter what the consequences are, good or bad, they always teach us a lesson. This is our purpose here, to learn and grow. There is nothing more to this experience you call life, there is nothing more to do.

230. Why is the earth round?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-24 21:11:34

why is the earth round

Whenever there is mutual attraction among an ensemble of particles, they tend to arrange themselves such that their potential energy is minimized. They move and self arrange themselves in a pattern till there is no more possibility of further movement. Such arrangement looks like a sphere when seen via eyes.

In a sphere every individual particle is at an optimal position. It is at the lowest possible potential. Any disturbance simply makes it relocate to a lower potential position. It becomes symmetric from all angles. At the surface all particles are exactly at the same distance from the centre, which is, obviously the definition of a sphere.

Since earth is spherical, we can guess that it was not so solid in its early days. Probably it was a ball of gas and molten matter. Gravitational attraction made it arrange in roughly a spherical form and then it stabilized. The surface cooled off a bit and became mostly solid, surrounded by gases and water.

This theory has some evidence when we dig deep into earth or when we study volcanoes etc. The interior of this sphere is still molten. It is still cooling off at a very slow rate. What we see as solid surface is like a skin of an orange. Its all very delicate and unstable, relatively speaking.

You can find more examples of spontaneous arrangements of mutually attracting particles in nature, such as water drops or bubbles, oil in water, or the Sun and stars. They all show how structure emerges out of simple processes and simple laws. They all point to this tendency of the existence to form structures. A structure is a pattern of low entropy and high information. There is a tendency to be so due to necessity, there is no other reason. This gives us a glimpse into the nature of reality. Explore, it is amazing and stranger than you think.

231. How to get in touch with your spiritual side?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-24 23:51:02

How to get in touch with your spiritual side?

There is an assumption here that there are two different sides or aspects of what you think is "you".

See what you are. You will find no sides. There are no divisions. Now it makes no sense to call it spiritual or non-spiritual.

You are the Self, pure consciousness. You are existence itself that is witnessing itself in countless forms. Self hardly cares what is spiritual and what is not. It is unconditional, allows everything, all experiences.

It is the mind that divides things up. It has some preferences, conditions, likes and dislikes. It can arbitrarily, depending on its programming, classify one thing as spiritual and another thing as not spiritual. There are billions of minds, and each one has its own preferences. What does it mean to be spiritual now? Itsn't it just ignorance?

You will find that spiritual is not different from what exists. Since you are existence yourself, you are wholly and completely spiritual already.

All one needs to do is to realize that it was an error to assume that I am not spiritual, whatever that means. When this ignorance is dropped, there is nothing nonspiritual and nothing spiritual.

Of course, this can be realized only when you see what you are. See what is your essence. It does not take time, can be seen in ten minutes. Explore and know.

 Gift 1

232. What is negativity?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-25 18:32:55

What is negativity?

Just a preference in the mind.

Mind tags those experiences that produce suffering or pain as negative and those experiences that produce happiness and pleasure as positive. And those that are neither are tagged as meaningless or boring.

All experiences are neutral. They just are. It is the mind that colours them as positive or negative. Those who realize this via direct knowing are freed from the drama of the mind.

233. What is mindful meditation?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-25 13:51:29

What is mindful meditation?

Probably depends on one's own subjective definition.

Best way to know what a word means is to have an actual experience.

Someone's opinion may not be like your own experience.

Probably it means just being aware of your essence. Disidentification with all that which is not essentially your true essence.

But that may not mean anything to you if you are not on a spiritual path already. But you would not ask this question if you were on a path.

Start from you own essence. Know what you are. Once you know that, all such trivial questions will be answered. If you do not know your own essence no amount of answers will shed any light. It all will be airy fairy information.

Your experience is your truth.

234. What kind of person am I?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-25 22:02:48

What kind of person am I?

A person is only an illusion. Doesn't really matter what "kind" it is, it is surely not there. There are no "persons".

One of the functions of the mind is formation of an identity. The processes and actions happen, and then one process creates an owner of those actions. This is the I, or the person. A person is an idea in the mind. It is created by the mind from its experiences of the body and the world. It is a way to survive better. Our actions and experiences are given a tag of "me", which helps to separate any experiences that are "not-me". So all you will find when you look for a person are tags.

However, there is an ignorance in the mind that it itself is nothing but a person. Liberation is realizing that I am not a person, I am the one who is witnessing the process of identity and its creation, I am pure consciousness, the Self.

The world, the body, the mind, the person - all happen as experiences. They are all experienced by the Self, which is you essentially.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2  
 Gift 3

235. How can i manifest my desires?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-26 04:00:11

How can i manifest my desires?

You are the Self, pure consciousness. Consciousness is only a witness of desires and innumerable other mental activities. It does not own them. It owns nothing.

So these desires are not "yours". The ownership is only an illusion. A sign of ignorance of your true nature.

Desires are mental experiences. Desires arise out the huge storehouse of experiences called memory. There is a process in the mind that keeps bringing these up for execution. The mind produces a reward when the outcome is as expected, perhaps it makes it survive better. The mind produces a punishment when the outcome is not as expected. The mind has absolutely no control over what desires pop up and has absolutely no control over the outcomes. It suffers from the consequences anyhow. This is the result of ownership of the desires as well as of the outcomes.

Self is a silent and blissful observer of this drama of the mind. You are the Self, you have no desires and you do not act on them. You merely witness. You have no interest in one or the other desire. You allow all experiences unconditionally.

As soon as you realize this, the anxiety and suffering due to unfulfilled desires vanishes completely. Now the desires happen, outcomes happen, but you remain unaffected, always in a blissful state.

Self has no interest in manifesting anything specific as it is everything already. You are the existence itself, that is manifesting everything. The mind has this ignorance that it can manifest something. The mind itself is a manifestation, it is also an illusory object, what can it manifest?

As long as there is this ignorance that "I" am a mind or a body and I can manifest something or can fulfill my "own" desires, there will be suffering. As now you are trapped in this very limited illusion. Realize what you are, that will instantly cure this suffering.

236. Why nothing works out for me even though I try so hard and have good intentions?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-26 03:58:00

Why cant i ever do anything right? Why wont anything work out for me even though i try so hard to give, make others happy and have good intentions?

No matter what you do, no matter how hard you try or how good your intentions are, the outcome of your actions is not in your control. So everything is happening as it should happen.

The consequences of our actions are never as per what mind expects, they are as per the laws of the universe. Mind has no say in it. Its job is to act and learn.

All experiences are there for only one purpose - they are lessons. All one can expect from an action is a lesson, nothing else.

You will find that when you do not hanker after a particular experience and simply learn the lesson, embody that lesson in your being and behaviour, the situations will start improving. As you learn more, it becomes a joy rather than a suffering.

Initially the mind resists, it expects all that which it desires. It acts compulsively and tries to get it via hook or crook. This leads to devolution and misery. Learning leads to evolution, happiness and freedom.

As soon as you learn a lesson, another one starts. This is how we progress. Entire life is nothing but a series of experiences which serve lessons of various kinds. There is nothing more to do here, there is nothing else to this dream of the consciousness you call life."

237. What are some things I can tell myself when I'm in doubt about higher reality?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-26 17:29:18

What are some things I can tell myself when I'm in doubt to remind me of the higher reality?

If there is a doubt, it means the knowledge has not taken roots.

Knowledge can only be gained via direct experience. So the only way to remove the doubts is to experience the truth of it.

When there are blind beliefs, when there is mindless superstition or faith without any solid foundation of direct experience, there will be doubts.

Find out such shortcomings in the mind, know via direct experience and that will re-establish the truth that is most certain.

Books and spoken words merely point to the knowledge. They show a path on which one must walk to get to the knowledge.

However an experienced teacher can help immensely by finding out the presence of ignorance in your mind and showing the truth directly. That saves a lot of time and avoids confusion.

 Gift 1

238. How to remain as Self while transacting with world/people without agitation?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-29 13:52:46

I know that I am the Self underlying the whole universe. But I am not able to abide in that state when transacting with people, I fall back into the body-mind complex again and again, I get agitated by words of people and get provoked frequently. Is there a way to remain as Self even while transacting with world/people without getting agitated?

You are the Self. It is impossible to be anything else.

Self is not a state of the mind. Self is just another name for you, the I. Self merely observes those events. It is the consciousness of them. There are no activities there. It is a changeless background of all activities.

Is it even possible to be not I? Is it possible to "become" that which you already are? Does the Self disappear when it faces people? If it did, the body and mind would fall unconscious. See that the witness is always there, only that it is witnessing the mechanical activities of the mind, where there is now a forgetting of what it is. In other words, there is unawareness, not unconsciousness.

When you say that you are the whole existence, can the existence be reduced to a body or a mind? Can it fall?

So, it looks like there is still some confusion in your mind about what you essentially are. And probably the mind is not peaceful as a result of this. The mind slips frequently into unawareness and habitual behaviour.

Always remember that the essence of I is pure consciousness, or the experiencer. Also known as the Self. It is the emptiness that is witnessing all experiences, including those of the mind and its states and activities.

Its not you, its the mind that gets agitated. Its the mind that gets provoked. All these are actions and processes of the mind. How would you know its not you? That is simple, check if you can experience them. If yes, then these are external experiences, its not the experiencer. Experiencer cannot be experienced. It is the one that is experiencing.

Surely the Self can experience all these states and activities of the mind. It is your direct knowledge. It is self evident. Once you confirm it like this, the confusion about what you essentially are will be cleared. You will be able to see the mind as an object, a pattern of memories and processes. That's all it is. And its past programming is making it react. When you see this clearly, the identification with the mind will be dropped. And when that happens, the suffering disappears completely. Awareness arises in the mind and it now terminates its mechanical reactions.

The mind will slip again, but nothing to worry, just remember again what you are. Shine the light of consciousness on it, and it will override its habitual behaviour again. Repeat as necessary. This is a practice. Its not a one shot cure. It takes some time to cultivate it, but once mastered it becomes your nature. Awareness is the key.

Discriminate every second what is you and what is the mind. Choose awareness. Set up reminders or invent your own means to remind you that you are identifying with mind. As soon as you are aware, the mind will enter a peaceful state on its own. You can also use a tradition, something specific as a practice. The whole point of meditational and other ritualistic practices is to cultivate awareness. Pick any.

Being aware, and cultivating a peaceful and aware mind is a lifestyle. It has nothing to do with the Self, which is eternally peaceful and blissful. It is perfect, and cannot be changed, it is empty, pure and without any qualities, there is nothing there that changes. Know it well via your direct experience.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2

239. Is the universe infinite?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-29 14:49:05

is the universe infinity

No. But probably you will never know its limit.

Why is that? And why am I so sure that it is not infinite?

It all depends on how you define the term [i]Universe[/i].

As usual when something is unknown and so mysterious, there will be many definitions of it. And most probably all of them shall be wrong. No one knows what it is. That's the bottom line.

But we can start somewhere. Assuming it is all that can be seen via eyes, senses or instruments (which are nothing but augmented senses), we clearly see that it is limited. Its limit is there beyond which we cannot observe. E.g. using light, it would be impossible to observe everything that is beyond a certain distance from where you are, since the light from those faraway places has not yet reached here. Or perhaps it gets too weak to be detected even by the most sensitive instruments. So one can say its not infinite observationally.

That leaves us with speculations of things that can exist beyond the observable universe. Probably its something similar to the usual universe but surely, there will never be any evidence for it. It will remain a guess. However the visible universe is huge beyond our capability of imagination, even if most of it is just empty space.

But that's not all. There is more than mere dead matter, as we can experience. There are more things like the minds and consciousness. These are not included in the above definition of the [i]"dead matter universe"[/i] model. It looks like the universe is only a giant mind. The matter does not exist really, as conclusively shown via Physics experiments. So what is it made up of? It is pure information, nothing else. A mind is an object which is pure information too. So it makes more sense to define the universe as a mind, or more specifically we can call it Universal mind. This refined model takes care of the mind and consciousness aspects of our experience. The mind is no more an "[i]anomaly[/i]" in this model. Its a more complete model. Models are all we have. A model should not be confused with the truth. There is no truth.

So what can be said about the Universal mind? Only that it is bigger than the dead matter universe. Probably, the visible material universe is a tiny part of it. Probably there are billions of such universes in the Universal mind. Its more probable that information will not be limited to just one kind of universe. There is almost an infinite freedom of expression here. It still may not be infinite. Infinity is only an idea. Only those things that are not things can be infinite, and if anything can be said to exist, it will necessarily be finite.

There is only one thing which is not a thing and we are certain that it exists, that is consciousness. So consciousness is the only candidate which qualifies for infinity, ideally. It is empty, and changeless, hence, it can be infinite both in space and time. Strangely, it is dimensionless. All that exists and all that does not, all space and all time is contained in consciousness. It is the eternal background of everything. Consciousness is infinite and the only reality. Everything else, however huge and ancient, is merely changing patterns, information that is flowing on this substrate of consciousness.

 Gift 1

240. How will I find myself?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-30 02:54:42

How will I find myself?

It is simple. The Self is just another name for consciousness. Other names are Atman, witness, observer, Sakshi, Soul, Spirit and so on.

Are you conscious now? If you answered yes, then you did it by directly knowing the Self.

It is that which is experiencing. It is not an experience. You are pure consciousness, that which experiences everything including a body and a mind and a world.

The one who is searching is the mind, the one who wants to do something is the mind, the one who is lost and confused is mind. You are the witness of the mind, you're the Self, pure consciousness, on whose background these events are happening. The Self is silently conscious of every experience, it is you. You are not the mind, not the body. These are merely the experiences, your essence is the experiencer.

Dis-identify with that which is not your true self. It can be the body, or the identity/person, or the mind, or anything else that can be experienced. If it can be experienced, it is not you, because you are the one who is experiencing. When all that which is not the Self is discarded, the Self is known.

A simple test to see if something is the Self is to check if you can experience it. If you can, than it is not the Self. The Self is the experiencer, pure consciousness. It is the one that is experiencing, and hence cannot be experienced. It is possible to be the Self, or even to know it, have an awareness of it, but it is impossible to behold it as an object of experience.

Are you conscious now? If the answer is yes, check what made you answer yes for that. That is your true Self. It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, cannot be thought of, you can only be it. You are already it.

You are the Self.

Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer. The "I" is also an experience, which is the mind identifying with consciousness.

Life is a series of experiences. It is a flow, a constant change.

All experience is being experienced by an experiencer - the Self, the pure consciousness, which is you. The I.

All experiences can be divided into four types - the experience of the world, of body, of mind and of consciousness. There is nothing more to it. It has no reason or purpose, it is a play.

Among the experiences, the experience of the mind is most interesting. It creates a false person, it creates likes and dislikes, preferences, and hence purpose is born. It struggles and acts to get the goals. It labels the otherwise neutral experiences into good or bad, happy or sad. This is the drama of life. Mind sees it as a cycle of pleasure and pain, and is trapped in it.

When we realize our true nature, which is Self, we come out of this ignorance, and we let the life flow as it is. Follow the gifts. Know life, be the Self, be free and blissful.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2

241. How to do astral projection?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-30 05:55:22

How to do astral projection?

The trick is to realize that you are already astral projecting here and now.

Only that the mind has become habitual of this experience. It feels ordinary. And the mind is now deeply attached to this experience and has almost forgotten its freedom.

What keeps us here? The answer is - senses. This body. So its a matter of letting go of sensory data and letting the body relax so deeply that the mind cannot perceive it anymore. In the absence of the usual experience, the mind ventures into other worlds to experience something or creates its own dream like worlds complete with a body.

This happens every time you sleep, but there is no memory of it. Reason is lack of awareness. The memories are kept only when there is awareness of the experience. So awareness is the key.

Remain aware intensely while you let go of the sensations of the body and of the world. The mind does the rest. This is the essential technique.

For more details, refer to the attached gifts or search for videos, books and websites. It is not really an occult or hidden art these days. The techniques are simple, but need practice, patience and persistence.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2

242. What is my next important step to greater personal growth?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-30 06:14:58

What is my next important step to greater personal growth?

Depends on what you mean by "personal growth". If you knew what it meant, you would not ask this question. If there is a definite and certain goal, the steps become crystal clear. When there is ignorance about the life goals, you cannot see the way. When there is no clue about what one needs to do, its a sure sign of absence of clear goals. So all you need to do is decide on your life goal. The steps to reach there will appear.

Given that the person is only an idea in the mind, a collection of tags like a body, a name, a profession, relations etc , it makes no sense to talk about its growth. A person is an illusion, and hence the only thing about it that can grow is illusion of it. We certainly do not want that, except if you have certain unhealthy kind of attachment to personality.

For someone with materialistic or hedonistic tendencies, it would mean more survival. It is a pursuit of more things, bigger and younger bodies and more social power. For someone with intellectual tendencies, it may mean more knowledge, more skills and more achievements etc. Its obviously is never enough, as the person grows, the greed grows and brings more suffering instead of peace, contentment and happiness.

For a spiritual seeker, a person is a thing that needs to be transcended. It can simply be done via noting that what we call as a person is automated set of programs and memories in the mind. Also known as an identity. Its a creation of the mind. It does not really exist. Once seen, the person disappears and mind is freed from this limited concept. This is real evolution, real growth.

Know what you essentially are. Be free. Be blissful.

243. Belief is a poor substitute for knowledge. How? Please elaborate.

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-30 07:21:45

Belief is a poor substitute for knowledge. How? Please elaborate the same in all aspects..can you explain it giving some examples?

A belief is an idea, an assumption in the mind which is not based on a solid foundation of direct experience.

Knowledge is organized experience in the mind. It is derived directly from one's own experience.

A belief leads to bondage, a foggy mind, reduced intelligence and actions resulting from beliefs lead to random consequences and suffering.

Knowledge leads to freedom and happiness. Knowledge means growth of intelligence, freedom from ignorance. Actions based on knowledge produce fruits certainly and quickly.

Those who are trapped in beliefs spend their entire lives defending them for one reason or the other, perhaps its the fear of being called stupid or inferior, perhaps its the fear of being outcasted from a group that holds similar beliefs, which boils down to less chances of survival. Beliefs are fear based.

Knowledge broadens the mind, and when refined knowledge is gained via new experiences, an intelligent mind quickly throws away the old and adopts the new and improved understanding. This is how growth happens. This is how we evolve.

Someone holding the beliefs becomes incapable of gaining knowledge, especially if the new knowledge threatens the belief. The mind erect a wall around it and avoids even mention of knowledge or anything remotely like that.

A knowledgeable person seeks out knowledge. Keeps updating it. Intentionally finds shortcomings and fills the gaps in it. Discards all that which is illogical. Remains agnostic instead of blindly believing anyone else.

A weak mind gets hold of beliefs, perhaps its too lazy, or not interested in knowledge. It grabs anything that the majority believes and sticks to it for the life time. This may work as far as survival is concerned, but fails miserable when you want to achieve something more human. A human life is not merely survival, we have more potential, we are more capable than animals. The mind has immense capabilities.

The cause of suffering and violence in the world is ignorance and beliefs. Almost everything that is bad can be traced back to beliefs. The cure is knowledge. Knowledge comes only via experience, first-hand experience. Those who want to know experiment and seek out new experiences while remaining critical and rational. Those who do not, resort to beliefs.

 Gift 1

244. Is there anything like supernatural in our world?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-31 00:13:55

Is there any supernatural in our world of existence?

Your current experience is nothing but supernatural.

Only that it has become a habit and looks nothing new. It does not amaze you because you are so used to it.

You look for something extraordinary because the ordinary is not interesting anymore. This is natural. This is the nature of the mind. It gets "immune" to that to which it is exposed more frequently. Anything that is novel or unusual "seems" supernatural.

If it exists in nature, it is natural. All things whatever they are, unusual or usual, exist, and hence everything is natural. Supernatural is only a biased way of categorizing experiences. Or you can say that, to a mind not conditioned by biases, which is not habituated, everything is supernatural. The most supernatural thing is that, there is a "you", a living perceiving consciousness, and there is almost an infinite variety of experiences. What can be more wonderful than this? No one has a clue what all this is, all of it is a big mystery.

The reality which we take for granted, and which appears plain and boring is actually amazing and stranger than you would think. It is a gem that is hidden behind the dirt of ignorance. It takes a mind of a seeker to see it. Explore, its all supernatural here and now.

 Gift 1

245. How do you live in the present and not in the past or future?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-30 21:34:37

How do you live in the present and not in the past or future?

Have you ever lived in the past? or in the future? Isn't your experience here and now always? Isn't life, the reality, happening now? It has been the case since forever.

Know well that these are just illusory thoughts in the mind. You are ever present Self, the pure consciousness, which experiences these thoughts.

It is impossible to be anywhere else but in present.

Only that you are not aware of it, you are tangled in the mind which is serving you illusions.

Set up reminders to be aware all the time. Be the awareness. Bring back the mind again and again to the present.

This can be done while doing everyday tasks or in the company of others.

This can also be done intentionally while sitting in a quiet room, alone and away from distractions. It is good to do that for 20 mins everyday. This practice will then carry over to the rest of the day. The 20 mins practice or meditation can be dropped once you are mostly in the present all the day.

If the present in not interesting enough, the mind will go to past or future.

Engage yourself in activities that you absolutely love to do. Do that which is your passion. Your mind will have no excuse to dwell in past.

Become aware of mental activity. Whenever the mind is lost in past or future, become aware of it, and gently pull it back into now. Engage it back into current activity or meditation. With practice it will become easier. When it is necessary, do consider the past and future. They are also useful sometimes.

Now a few more hints. Can you tell me, was there a time when you, the Self, was not in present?

Is it possible for the consciousness to be conscious in the past?

Is it possible for the consciousness to be conscious in the future?

When does consciousness experience anything, in past, present or in the future?

See it clearly as your direct experience. The Self is ever present. There is no past or future for it. Realize this, and no effort will be needed to be "present". It is not possible to bring something in present, which necessarily remains in present always.

The mind may wander in past or project the imaginary future. But these are activities of the mind that are happening in the present. The recall of the past and projection of the future is happening now. See it clearly as your direct experience. There is no time in mind also. It is also ever present. There is this illusion of past, simply because of our ignorance, simply because we never paid attention.

246. Why do i always think negative?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-31 02:46:23

Why do i always think negative

These are the states of the mind. You are not thinking negative. It is not "my" thoughts. They are merely experiences. There is no doer of them.

Know that well. Discriminate between what is you and what is your experience. You are the experiencer, the consciousness that witnesses all these mental states and all the perceptions of the world.

The reason is that the mind is simply processing its past impressions. The impressions can be because of a negative experience. The mind reaches into the store house of memories and brings them up for processing. It senses a problem there and desires to resolve it. It then generates intentions or internal actions which appear as emotions.

If the memory is of a threat, it generates either anger or fear. This is the nature of the mind. This is how it works. It is unfortunate that people never study their own minds and suffer in delusion that they are the mind. The mind is only a machine, an instrument that we have. We are the Self. The user of this instrument.

By becoming intensely aware of them, you can stop fueling them unconsciously. When you are aware of events in your mind, you have a control. You have a choice to not act, or not think negatively. Without awareness, the mind continues its programmed behaviour. It soon becomes a habit and it happens on its own. Many people live their entire lives like this, as zombies or robots. Awareness is the key. You can reprogram your mind by merely becoming aware of what it does. You can install a new conditioning, a new behaviour once you make that choice. When you repeat this everyday, 24x7, your mind wakes up and does that which is most necessary, instead of mechanically following the impulses.

By seeing that emotions are activities of the lower mind. The animal nature in us produces all kinds of experiences like anger, fear, lust, guilt, blame, self pity, jealously, sadness, depression etc. These are just events in the mind. It is just happening, it is not happening to an imaginary "you". You are the Self, which is just witnessing all the experiences.

When this distinction is made, the activities of the mind get weaker, they just pass like clouds in a clear sky. You will notice that the more you feed them, the more you dwell in them, the stronger they become. So dis-identification with the mind and its activities is the cure. It starts with an awareness in the mind that you are the pure consciousness that is merely a witness to events in the mind, also in the world, and you remain detached, not involved. The events do not move you, you become so stable. Be the Self, end the suffering.

The first cure is to become very aware of what your mind is doing. Observe it very carefully and curiously. You will find that the negative thoughts stop because instead of fueling them, the mind is busy observing them. The thoughts arise and disappear without producing a violent reaction.

Do this all the time, 24x7. This is the essence of any meditation. Becoming aware is knowing that you are not the mind or mental processes, you are the one that experiences them. Once separated the mind corrects itself and comes out of its own drama.

A more permanent cure is to render the negative memory ineffective. Unfortunately the memories, once formed, cannot be destroyed by any means. One can block their expression, but they produce undesired side effects in the form of other physical/mental diseases. So one must render them ineffective, instead of trying to avoid them or block them.

The time tested way of doing this is - forgiving. Forgiving is a mental act, where you allow the past situation to be as it is, and allow the people as they are. Replace hate with kindness and compassion. This is internal, there is no need to actually meet the people. Slowly the memory turns more positive and its effects disappear. This takes time, discipline and guidance. Above all it takes motivation to be positive.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2

247. How to gain self confidence?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-31 02:48:49

How to gain self confidence

A flower does not see what other flowers are doing, or how pretty they are, it just blooms.

Your competition with yourself, not with anyone else. If you can continue to improve yourself, you will excel. If you continue to think I am no good, you will remain there.

Just be your self, and do what come naturally and effortlessly. Your aim is to be happy being what you are, your aim is not struggle. Improve yourself step by step. Learn a new thing everyday. Learn that which you like most.

What is confidence?

Knowing and being sure of your actions.

Confidence comes naturally when you are doing the right thing. The right thing is that for which you were born. It is something which is your life goal. It has to be something which you absolutely love, and is higher than mere survival - better than more eating, sleeping or reproducing.

This is also called the path of your heart. When you are on this path, everything flows effortlessly, you excel, your skills grow and you always knows the right action. This looks like natural confidence, it is not for show, it is not irrational or competitive, it is your nature.

Perhaps you are comparing yourself to others. That causes uneasiness in the mind, as the mind sees itself losing the evolutionary advantage, it takes retreat like a weak animal. This is seen as a lack of confidence. So just be yourself, focus on yourself, on your life goals. Do not be distracted by what others are doing, how they are doing it. Everyone has their own path, copying others is a sure reason of failure. A flower just blooms, it does not compete with other flowers. This is most natural.

Lack of confidence is the nervousness that comes when you do not know what you are doing, and it is also a result of giving too much importance to others, thinking that they will see you as an inferior person. Others are not your concern, you yourself are, just be yourself. Do what you love to do and excel in it. Confidence is a byproduct of this life style.

248. How to Open all the chakras?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-31 05:49:29

How to Open all the chakras?

Do you really need to do that? Especially, without knowing what they are. The rule here is - do not fix it if it is not broken.

It is like a child trying to repair a rocket engine. You cannot fix a simple cold or allergy in the physical body, how can you manipulate that which is very much an unknown?

All one needs to do is realize what you are. There is nothing more to do. Everything is perfect as it is. I am the Self, I am not the body or its systems, I am not the mind or its activities, I am not its extraordinary processes or chakras. So I let it be. This is surrender. All that is not me, that is not mine, is returned to where it belongs. It will be taken care of.

Once the essential knowledge is there, there will be no need to manipulate all that which is merely an illusion. However, depending on the tendencies of the mind, if this desire is strong, one can still experiment with some caution. Its best to start with basics. Not really recommended to jump into advanced practices. It is necessary to have a meaningful goal. Are you doing it for fun? Are you messing with energies just to see what happens? In such cases, nothing of value will be gained, and perhaps the seeker lands in a big trouble. Usually nothing happens, except some delusions that something is happening, thanks to the not so serious practices or snake oil gurus.

Chakras and Kundalini are metaphors for the activities of the mind. They are tools for working with the mind. Using these tools you can access particular processes and parts of the mind and/or manipulate them. Use of tools involves specific practices which only an experienced teacher can prescribe.

It is a mental concept that explains certain experiences. Some experiences can be linked to certain areas in the mind and that in turn are connected to some areas in physical brain and body.

Body is a part of the mind. It is a structure that extends out of the mind and acts as an interface with the physical world. It is similar in nature to any physical object, only more complex. Physical body is not the only body that the mind has, there are more, but the etheric body is closest to the physical, which animates the dead matter body or physical body. It is done via the energization of nervous system.

Some areas on the physical body have more nerve endings, or these nerve endings terminate in particular areas of the brain. Concentrating on these areas stimulates the corresponding parts in the brain. It has a direct effect of activating some or the other function of the mind. Once that part is active, the attention is drawn there and any manipulation or work can be performed easily. The areas on the body are called Kshetram that have a corresponding etheric area called Chakram. A Chakram or Chakra is nothing but moving etheric energy. Chakra, in Sanskrit, means a wheel. These etheric currents have a structure of wheel or spiral, hence the name. There are 7 major such Kshetram-Chakram pairs in the mind-body complex.

Their association with endocrine glands is interesting. It is there because in the ancient minds, the main mechanism of signal transfer was chemical, not electrical. These ancient structures still functional and are important, but are now upgraded by more evolved electrical mechanism, but are not completely obsolete. So stimulation of these areas does have some effect on the corresponding endocrine gland. However, that is not the main purpose of concentration on Kshetrams. As you can see, the concentration simply brings us to a particular part of the mind, the rest of the work is the 90% of the part. What work can it be? Well, that's something only a guru or yogi can prescribe. It depends on your goals, what exactly are you trying to improve or fix.

That was the most basic and crude description of this highly complex technique. It is recommended to not do any such practice except under expert supervision. Ordinary people have strange beliefs and partial knowledge of what these techniques are, and hence do not know what to do, do not achieve anything even after meddling with techniques for decades, or end up harming themselves. Just like a doctor needs years and years of practice and training to know a small area of the body to operate on it, it takes hard work and knowledge to know the spiritual practices. That takes time and patience. Many wouldn't invest an hour and quickly assume magical things about it. May take a lifetime to achieve some mastery of a tiny area in this field.

These all are metaphors that describe the multidimensional aspect of reality or of this complex of a body-mind-consciousness we call human.

It is a very involved and big subject, not suitable for a phone app, so please follow the gifts for a very detailed explanation. They are two podcasts which go in depth on this topic. Start with part 11. If there are any questions after this, please ask again.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2

249. What is energy?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-07-31 09:41:00

What is energy?

Energy can be defined as amount of change.

A quantification of change.

More change means more energy. Heat, motion, light etc are just change.

A change can be experienced. In fact all that can be experienced is change.

So all experience is change, or in rough poetic language, everything is just energy.

All that can be experienced, can be said to exist, and all that can be experienced is change, and hence all of it is change or energy.

There is nothing more to the existence except energy. There is no substance, there is nothing physical. So all that can be experienced is just an illusion produced by ever changing energetic patterns.

Meaningful change is information. Meaningful energy is presented as symbols. Whatever experiences these energetic symbols is not energy, it is the changeless background known as consciousness. All existence is a play of energy and consciousness. Both are actually one."

250. Does the world need to be saved?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-01 15:47:37

Does the world need to be saved?

Everything is perfect as it is.

The mind creates notions of good and bad, positive and negative based on its preferences. The preferences are a result of its conditioning.

So all one needs to do is transcend the mental conditioning, see everything as it is. Nothing more needs to be done.

251. What duration of meditation per day is good for health?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-01 15:58:30

For how much time meditation in a day is good for health

Usually meditation has nothing to do with health.

It is meant for mind.

Sometimes a better mind may result in a slightly better health, but that is not guaranteed. Those suffering from severe depression, pains and addictions may feel a bit of improvement.

For health you need to eat balanced and pure food, no junk food, maintain hygiene, join a gym, exercise, stop smoking, drinking alcohol or any other kind of abuse and sleep for a good amount of time.

The body knows how to heal itself. All one needs to do is, stop breaking it.

252. Is it possible for us to be living inside a simulation?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-01 21:07:45

Is it possible for us to be living inside a simulation?

You are the Self, pure consciousness, a witness of all experiences.

You are timeless, zero dimensional, infinite and eternal background on which all of the experience happens. You are not "inside" anything, everything is inside you. The word "you" means the universal consciousness, not a person, or a mind or a body. These all are merely experiences. You are the experiencer.

It does not matter if you choose to call it reality, an illusion or simulation. All experience is being created out of changing patterns of nothingness. Patterns of energy. One such pattern is a mind. The mind creates symbols out of changing patterns of information and assumes these to be real. It lives there in ignorance. It calls it reality.

Mind also creates a "small I" and inserts it into this made up experience. The small I or individual seems to be immersed in an experience. The real I, is the consciousness which is simply witnessing this drama as it happens.

The mind plays as a character in this drama and is a mechanical thing driven by pain and pleasure, suffering and happiness, desires and emotions, love and hate. Very rarely a mind finds out what is really going on. Such is a mind of an awakened seeker. It is amazing that all the minds have this potential but only a rare few have the desire or motivation to know it.

As long as there is an identification that "I am" a mind or a body, the illusion seems real. As soon as the identification shifts to consciousness (Self), the illusion falls away.

This is liberation, this is freedom from the illusory creation.

253. How can I travel in time?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-02 05:41:05

How can i travel in time

You cannot, there is no such thing as time which exists as a reality, it exists as an idea, a concept in the mind. However, you can travel in memories, which is what time is.

Time is an illusion. A blind belief. There is no future and there is no past. Have you ever experienced a past or a future?

The experience of past is just recall of memories, which happens [i]NOW[/i].

The experience of the future is projections or plans or imaginations, which happens [i]NOW[/i].

Have you ever experienced anything else than [i]NOW [/i]in terms of time?

Time is an illusion created by mind. It create it out of a flow of experiences. An experience is a change being witnessed NOW. All those experiences happen in [i]NOW[/i].

There is this eternal [i]NOW[/i], the Presence. It is infinite, it is not some tiny moment that comes and goes. All moments happen in [i]NOW[/i]. That's all there is. Check your direct experience, do not blindly believe what the mind tells you. Your experience is your truth.

You do not have a past, you do not have a future. These are made up in the mind. You are timeless and eternal. You are the Self, the pure consciousness that witnesses the [i]NOW[/i].

All you can do is delude yourself that it is possible to "travel" in time. It is only possible to reach back in the memories and assume that these memories are actual events that are happening now. If you forget your current experience and immerse yourself into memories, it may look like going back in time. But not to you, to others who may be aware of your situation. You will be oblivious, your mind will create an illusion of present out of memories.

There may be a faint feeling of not really belonging here, it will seem very limiting, dense, and meaningless. Perhaps there will be a longing to go back. Back home. Out of this dream.

It is possible that this has already happened, and we are in lost in the memory of a big mind. The big mind has created all these experiences out of its memories and has also created small minds, the individuals, who think they are real, but are actually a dream of some big mind.

So we all are actually travelers in the past of this big mind. One day that mind may awaken from this big dream, and all individuals will dissolve back into it, realizing what they are. They were not separate forms or minds, they were made up memories of their real Self.

They were deluded, but now they are awakened. When that happens, the small mind, or individual is no more there. Just like when you wake up in the morning, the dream-self and dream-people are no more there, they were just a creation of your own mind, they were just you.

 Gift 1  
 Gift 2

254. What is consciousness?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-03 15:25:13

What is consciousness?

Consciousness is existence itself. It is the one ground of all experiences. It is the experiencer that witnesses all experiences.

It is not an object, not a process, has no qualities at all. It appears as emptiness that is witnessing everything silently and blissfully.

Consciousness is the essence of everything including that which is called "I". The essence of what you are is the consciousness. Also known as the Self.

Self realization is the knowing that I am this formless empty and pure consciousness. It is a state of the mind that is illuminated by this knowledge and clear from beliefs such as I am a body or I am a mind.

Body and the mind are just experiences that this experiencer is having. They keep changing, appearing and disappearing on this changeless background of consciousness.

Consciousness is only one of its class. It cannot be defined in terms of anything else. It is most fundamental. It is best described in terms of what it is not. Generally if something can be experienced, it is not the experiencer. The experiencer or consciousness is always that which is experiencing.

One can study consciousness via direct observation and collect some facts about it. Explore.

 Gift 1

255. What is death?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-03 14:51:17

What is death

Death is an end of the experience of a body. It is also an end of few mental processes associated with the body that are no longer needed. It is not an end of experience.

Like all other experiences, death is a subjective experience. It has to be experienced directly to be known. No amount of beliefs, books or talks can provide a satisfactory answer. Your own experience is your truth.

Explore and know. Life is stranger and richer than we think. The opposite of death is birth. Life has no opposites, it is one continuous flow of experiences. All that is born will die, that which lives, continues. Know well what was born, and what is unborn.

The bodies are born, and the person is formed. Death is a destruction of both. But the good news is - you are not a body, or a person, or a mind. These are illusions, and do not last.

You are the Self, the pure and eternal consciousness. It has no beginning, and no end. It is timeless. It is the experiencer. If the experiencer is eternal, so will be the experience.

Death is an illusion. So is birth.

What is with you right now is life.

An idea of a person is formed in the mind around a body and a mind. The body, person or minds are impermanent and transient. They do not last.

What never goes away is the essence. The essence of us is the Self. Which is the pure and eternal consciousness. We are the same one Self.

You were never born.

Birth and death are for the body. You are not a body. You are the Self, the unborn one, the pure consciousness that witnesses all births and deaths of various illusory forms.

Gift 1  
 Gift 2  
Gift 3

256. Why do I still feel isolated after my spiritual awakening?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-03 19:43:09

I was spiritually awakened about a year ago, I feel I am growing spiritually but something is keeping me from connecting with others, I feel isolated.. why?

There are too many assumptions here.

It all depends on your understanding of the word "spiritually awakened". Without that detail it will be a wild guess.

Usually awakening is an event when the illusion of an "I" disappears or is discarded since now there is a direct knowledge of one's true essence. The essence is seen as existence itself which is pure consciousness. So the "I" does not awaken, it dissolves, and what is left is not an individual, but a body-mind complex which continues to function as per its conditioning.

So whatever happened a year ago may not be an awakening, according to the above understanding of "awakening".

There cannot be a spiritual "growth". Again depends on how you understand or define it. But the spirit or the Self is pure consciousness, an emptiness that does not grow or shrink. It is nothingness which is whole and complete. It is the changeless background on which all experiences happen. Spiritual journey is about getting less and less. If something is growing, it must be the mind, or ideas in the mind. Evolution of the mind speeds up as it gains spiritual insights.

There seems to be an assumption that one needs to "connect with others". An awakened mind does not perceive others as separate from itself. Others are nothing but my forms. Forms of the Self, just like the "I" is a form. Forms appear and disappear in this ever changing play of existence. You do not need to connect with them, they are already you. Identical to you. If a separation is seen, that is a sign of ignorance, not of awakening.

Before the essential nature of "I" is seen, I is an isolated individual. After it is seen, there is no I, just Oneness. There is no isolation. Oneness has no parts. Isolation is only an illusion, again, if isolation is your experience, then something is missing in the awakening.

An awakening usually brings everlasting peace, bliss and happiness. It doesn't seem to have happened with you. The mind is still struggling to get something, there is an anxiety to go somewhere.

So, it appears that there are still many doubts and confusing concepts left in the mind. See your essential nature, all such confusion will disappear instantly.

An experienced teacher can greatly help. Its never too late to ask for help.

257. Why is it hard to change when change is needed?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-03 22:15:42

Why is it hard to change when change is needed?

It is the nature of the mind to resist change.

An uncultivated mind spends a life time acquiring beliefs, which it calls "knowledge". A belief is an assumption that is not founded on the solid ground of direct experiences. It is a set of ideas gathered from here and there and adopted without much thought or investigation. Fear and lack of intelligence, and lack of proper guidance helps to form beliefs. Beliefs determine mind's preferences, likes and dislikes and tendencies.

A mind builds up a big fortress of ideas, notions and concepts. It acts from them and finds security and safety in them. This is the belief system it constructs for its own survival. It is made stronger by social conditioning. The mind fears abandonment by others who have a similar belief system. This again means a disadvantage in survival. So it furiously defends its beliefs. It attacks anyone who tries to destroy a belief, it fears even the sight of anything different than what it believes.

The mind usually changes only when the suffering due to its erroneous beliefs becomes greater than the suffering caused by letting go of its belief system.

An intelligent and rational mind can foresee this. Especially under the guidance of an experienced teacher. Such a mind is open to experimentation and change. It is rare to find such a person. Most are in the firm grip of their own egos and minds. Mind is a good servant but a very poor master.

 Gift 1

258. What sadhana/practice to be followed daily to attain Moksha/Liberation?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-04 15:16:32

What sadhana/practice to be followed daily to attain Moksha/Liberation and is it OK to be devoted to a God with name and form because I found that according to vedanta brahman/self is the absolute truth?

It is impossible to attain liberation.

One can only realize that one is already liberated. We all are already free. There is an ignorance in the mind that we are bound. This is because of identification with either a body or a mind or some other assumed entity.

How can you attain that which you already are?

Self realization is the direct knowing of the true essence of what you are. You are not a body or a mind that is bound, you are the Self, pure consciousness, that is the eternal and empty background of all the experiences. What can bind it? It is the existence itself.

It is easy to see that. It takes no time, no practice, no special abilities. All it takes is a clear mind open for knowledge, which is willing to see, and a bit of guidance from an experienced teacher.

After this is realized via a direct experience, all the practices essentially aim at keeping an awareness of it in the mind, and acting from this knowledge.

Many paths and traditions have sprung up around various practices in different parts of the world. Pick anything you like. It is ok to take up any practice, as long as it is giving results. If the practice is right for you, you will find that your awareness of what you are grows, your mind becomes peaceful and blissful. Attachments drop on their own.

The main cause of deaths and births is attachments in the mind that mechanically propel the mind into births, suffering and deaths. Self knowledge brings an end to it. Sometimes this happens instantly, but more generally it is a gradual process.

259. Is there anything like pre decided destiny

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-04 16:21:53

Is there anything like pre decided destiny

The concept of destiny assumes reality of time. Time is an illusion created out of continuously changing experiences. Mind organizes the change on a time line. All there is, is now. The now is eternal. Everything changes in now.

A choice is made by the mind as per its conditioning or programming. Conditioning happens as mind accumulates experiences in its memory. So all choices are certainly determined. A mind cannot choose that which it has not experienced already.

However, the experiences are not chosen, they happen independent of mind, or at least seem to happen that way. So we are not free to do everything but we are free to experience anything. It is not determined by the mind. There are infinite possibilities and one of it manifests and is experienced.

As new experiences happen, mind learn from them and learns to make new choices. Freedom is directly proportional to the amount of choices a mind has. So more experience leads to more freedom. But a mind is limited, there is no absolute freedom for it. It is bound by its conditioning.

The good news is, we are not a mind. We have a mind. More precisely we are experiencing a mind. The essence of "I" is the Self, pure consciousness, that is witnessing all experiences silently and blissfully. Self has no conditioning, it is empty nothingness. It is bound by nothing. It is absolutely free.

There is exactly one Self, it is existence itself. It is experiencing every possibility right now. All these minds and bodies and object are forms of Self. It is possible to know this directly simply via observation. Look with an open mind, what you are, what is your essence, and you will see.

So identification with the experience such as that of a body or a mind produces the illusions of bondage and predestination. Disidentification with these illusory forms results in liberation, absolute freedom.

Gift 1

260. How can I increase my vibrations to attract more friends?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-04 23:00:46

Give happiness. Vibrate with happiness and love. Not for show, it has to be subtle and from the bottom of your heart. It need not be forced behaviour of being nice. Don't be nice if that's what the situation demands. Remember that genuine people will sense this, they do not like fake people.

If the friendship is for benefits it is not real friendship, it is just business - give and take.

A real friendship is unconditional, we do not expect benefits or anything from a friend. We stay because we like.

Friends cannot be made. That'd be artificial friendship. It happens naturally. So hang out with people and let the friendship grow.

Probably there is a misconception that friends make you happy. They do not.

Happiness comes from within. It is the ground state of the mind, where it needs nothing, demands nothing and is troubled by nothing. It is peace and bliss. Contrary to popular belief that happiness has to be a violent explosion of joy. That is only a behaviour, not happiness. Behaviour is an action, happiness is a state of the mind.

When we share our happiness with someone else, it takes a form of an action. The action can be anything, like love, giving, gifting, helping or simply being and sharing. That's why people who are unhappy cannot love, cannot do any productive work, do not have relations or friends.

Such people think that happiness will magically appear if they can "get" love or "get" friends or objects. It is reverse, friendship and love are a result of happiness, not a cause of it! Objects do not "give" happiness, they quench our desire to get them for a while, only till another desire appears, and the object created illusion of happiness disappears. Very few people can understand this. This realization is the key. Hold on to this key.

If you find your own company boring, something is wrong. If you are happy just being yourself, there is no suffering, there is no anxiety, there is no need of someone else, you are blissful.

Friendship with others is just an expression of happiness that is within you. If you are not happy within, it cannot be expressed and no one wants to hang around, they can sense a sadness. So the first step to be friendly, is to accept yourself as you are, be friend with yourself. It is quiet amusing to be with yourself. Do that which you love most, find a purpose and meaning for your own life which is does not depend on others, you are not on mercy of others.

You do not need to do anything. Treat everyone around you with kindness and compassion. There is nothing more to do. Those who do not like you will leave, those who do, will stay. Be unconditional.

If the friendship breaks, then it will. Learn from this experience. Nothing lasts. Objects, relations, people, achievements, all disappear in the fog of time. They are illusory. Do not cling to the illusion. Know that which is permanent. Know your Self. You are everything already, you are the existence, whole and complete. Others are just you, your own forms.

261. How can I successfully achieve a past life regression?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-06 06:48:30

How can I successfully commence with past life regression? Meditation, and hypnotism doesn't work for me..

There needs to be a very good reason for such experiences to occur. We may think that we are "doing" it via techniques etc, but the techniques merely send out an intention to get a specific kind of experience. The experience is then "given" to the individual.

If it is for some egoic reason, for material gain, for relationships, for causing any kind of harm or for fun/frivolous reasons, usually nothing will be achieved and rarely, a lesson will be given instead.

Only if it is for your best interest and for the greater good, an extraordinary experience will occur. This is how this greater reality works. It has to be really necessary for it to happen. One needs to deserve it.

See if you really need it, find your reason for doing it, try something ordinary, some rational solution first and keep learning. There is always more to see.

262. What is the first step to connect to my higher self?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-06 12:23:25

What is the first step to connect to my higher self?

You are the Self. It is not "yours", it is you.

Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer. The "I" is also an experience, which is the mind identifying with consciousness.

Life is a series of experiences. It is a flow, a constant change.

All experience is being experienced by an experiencer - the Self, the pure consciousness, which is you. The I.

All experiences can be divided into four types - the experience of the world, of body, of mind and of consciousness. There is nothing more to it. It has no reason or purpose, it is a play.

Among the experiences, the experience of the mind is most interesting. It creates a false person or lower self, it creates likes and dislikes, preferences, and hence purpose is born. It struggles and acts to get the goals. It labels the otherwise neutral experiences into good or bad, happy or sad. This is the drama of life. Mind sees it as a cycle of pleasure and pain, and is trapped in it. It thinks the experience is "my life". It polarizes everything into mine and not mine, me and not me. Thus it gets trapped in this illusion which is its own creation.

When we realize our true nature, which is Self, we come out of this ignorance, and we let the life flow as it is. This is Mukti. Know life, be your Self, be free and blissful.

 Gift 1  
Gift 2  
 Gift 3

263. Why do I have problems?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-06 11:11:59

Why have I problem always

Life is a series of experiences. Each experience is a lesson.

If life is presenting some problems, it only means that you need to learn from them not avoid them.

Just like life gives you an experience of hunger but also gives you the ability to find food, eat and digest it, in the same way when problems are given, we also get an ability to solve them. This is how learning happens.

Problem solving ability is a gift every mind has. Problem avoiding, however, is just ego fearing to deal with it due to some ignorance or incompetence.

Usually the cause of the problem is you, not the situations or the people. Try to see the cause in you, try to see what needs to be fixed in you. You can fix the situations or people but that's a temporary measure. More ugly situations and problematic people pop up very soon. The permanent solution is to fix yourself. Once you do that, you will find that the situations will improve and bad people will leave on their own magically.

This is how we improve ourselves, by learning to solve the problems in day to day life. Its just like a school, but more interesting and more realistic.

264. What is my duty towards my higher self?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-06 14:54:26

Whats my duty towards my higherself .

You do not "have" a higher self. You do not "own" a thing called higher self.

You are the higher self.

Also known as the Self, or pure consciousness. It is your essence. It is existence itself.

You "have" a body and a mind. They are illusory forms and come and go in quantities of trillions. What can an illusory form do for the Self?

Forms are also the Self. Forms of the same one Self.

Be that which you are. Clear all ignorance or assumptions about what you are. Disidentify with a mind or a body. There is nothing more to do.

It can be seen or understood via a direct experience. And an experienced teacher can also make it easy for you. Its never too late to ask for help.

265. What is the easiest way to change the paradigm and the old beliefs?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-08 11:09:08

what is the easiest way to change the paradigm and the old imprented beliefs that run on the subconscious mind unconsciously ?

Probably the easiest way is to approach an experienced teacher. Surrender to knowledge and wisdom. Know that you do not know. Become agnostic. Stay at the position of "I do not know".

Once you are here, questions arise. Question everything. Learn rational, logical and critical thinking. A teacher makes it very easy.

Another way is to study beliefs. Identity them and when they try to take over the mind, become aware and let go of them.

A belief is an idea, an assumption in the mind which is not based on a solid foundation of direct experience. Its easy to see them using this criterion.

Knowledge is organized experience in the mind. It is derived directly from one's own experience.

A belief leads to bondage, a foggy mind, reduced intelligence and actions resulting from beliefs lead to random consequences and suffering.

Knowledge leads to freedom and happiness. Knowledge means growth of intelligence, freedom from ignorance. Actions based on knowledge produce fruits certainly and quickly.

Those who are trapped in beliefs spend their entire lives defending them for one reason or the other, perhaps its the fear of being called stupid or inferior, perhaps its the fear of being outcasted from a group that holds similar beliefs, which boils down to less chances of survival. Beliefs are fear based. If you are afraid of letting go of an idea, it is surely just a blind belief.

Knowledge broadens the mind, and when refined knowledge is gained via new experiences, an intelligent mind quickly throws away the old and adopts the new and improved understanding. This is how growth happens. This is how we evolve.

Someone holding the beliefs becomes incapable of gaining knowledge, especially if the new knowledge threatens the belief. The mind erects a wall around it and avoids even mention of knowledge or anything remotely like that. If you find resistance in your mind towards new ideas, surely there are old beliefs guarding the mind and closing the doors to new knowledge.

A knowledgeable person seeks out knowledge. Keeps updating it. Intentionally finds shortcomings and fills the gaps in it. Discards all that which is illogical. Remains agnostic instead of blindly believing anyone else. If you have a tendency to follow someone else, and just accept what is told to you mindlessly, you will end up in the pit of beliefs.

A weak mind gets hold of beliefs, perhaps its too lazy, or not interested in knowledge. It grabs anything that the majority believes and sticks to it for the life time. This may work as far as survival is concerned, but fails miserably when you want to achieve something more human. A human life is not merely survival, we have more potential, we are more capable than animals. The mind has immense capabilities.

The cause of suffering and violence in the world is ignorance and beliefs. Almost everything that is bad can be traced back to beliefs. The cure is knowledge. Knowledge comes only via experience, first hand experience. Those who want to know, they are the seekers, they experiment and seek out new experiences while remaining critical and rational. Those who do not, resort to blind beliefs.

 Gift 1

266. How does polarity apply to life?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-07 14:12:27

How does polarity apply to life?

Life is a nondual experience. It has no polarities. The duality or polarity is a creation of the mind. It is an innate ignorance.

When the experience is seen as it is, a totality of changing oneness, the mind comes out of this delusion of polarities. It becomes peaceful and equanimous. It is freed from anxiety, suffering, birth, death and bondage.

The mind distorts all neutral experiences into either positive or negative. This is the nature of the mind. This is the law of polarities. The reality is seen as either positive or negative because of the conditioning or preferences of the mind. An understanding of this law frees us from it, and one can even leverage it to get what one wants easily.

 Gift 1: Laws of the mind: Polarity or Duality

267. What to do when nobody understands me spiritually and I can not tell it?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-06 15:58:42

what to do when nobody understands me spiritually and I can not tell it

By definition, a spiritual path is about your own essence. It is a life style which is self oriented. It has nothing to do with others.

Spirituality is a quest to find your essential nature and abide in it. How and why others are involved here?

Be kind and compassionate towards everyone, those who are ignorant and those who are wise. Seek the company of wise. Those who understand you will ask for guidance and they will also seek your company. Those who are currently under heavy ignorance will either avoid you or hate you. You will be left with your kind in the end.

If no one understands you, it is even more necessary that you understand everyone. When someone is incapable of understanding what you are, you need to be capable of understanding them.

Never force your thoughts or opinions on those who do not ask for the advice. Never teach those who are not yet ready to handle the knowledge. There is no need to act like a man with eyes in the village of the blind. You will end up in suffering and also cause suffering.

Be what you are. Its your personal journey. Keep walking. Remember you are not alone. You are just rare.

 Gift 1

268. What was I in a past life?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-07 08:29:35

What was I in a past life?

The same that you are now.

We all are the Self, pure consciousness, the ground of all experiences. A human, i.e. a particular body and a mind are merely temporary experiences we are going through.

We are not human, we have a human form for a while. We are existence itself, which is conscious, eternal and infinite and which appears to itself in many forms.

Explore. Know what you are. Free yourself, be blissful.

269. Where the soul go after death?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-08 05:52:12

Where the soul go after death

Depends on your understanding of the words soul and death.

If you define soul as residual mind, or essential memories and death as a destruction of the body, then we can speculate on the "where" question.

When you ask where, you are asking for a place, an address. So there is an assumption in your question, that the soul or a bunch of memories are relocated to another location. Have you experience that? Has anyone experienced that? If not, then its a blind belief. Where are the memories now? Simply, they are in the mind. Where is the mind? No matter how hard we try, we cannot locate it. It just is, it is non local, or in simple words, does not need a location. Only objects have locations, not minds or memories. In fact, all the objects and locations are also in the mind.

Another view can be that the soul, or essential mind and memories are stored in the body, and when we define death as above, that means, the soul does not go anywhere, it is gone, destroyed with the body. Many people believe that, but that's another blind belief. Because no one can witness the destruction of the mind or of the memories, not even the one who is dead. Death and mind are purely subjective experiences, nothing can be said about them externally or objectively. So, does not matter how you choose to define things, you will know only via a direct experience of them.

Life is a series of experiences. Death is just another experience, so is birth.

Death is an end of the experience of a body. It is also an end of few mental processes associated with the body that are no longer needed. It is not an end of experience.

Like all other experiences, death is a subjective experience. It has to be experienced directly to be known. No amount of beliefs, books or talks can provide a satisfactory answer. Your own experience is your truth.

Explore and know. Life is stranger and richer than we think. All that is born will die, that which lives, continues. Know well what was born, and what is unborn.

The bodies are born, and the person is formed. Death is a destruction of both. But the good news is - you are not a body, or a person, or a mind. These are illusions, and do not last.

You are the Self, the pure and eternal consciousness. It has no beginning, and no end. It is timeless. It is the experiencer. If the experiencer is eternal, so will be the experience.

Death is an experience. There is experience before this and there is experience after this. Experience is never ending, because experiencer is never ending. You are the experiencer, the consciousness or the Self. It has no beginning and no end, and hence experience has no beginning and no end.

Death is not opposite of life, it is an opposite of birth. Life is one continuous stream of experiences that goes on.

It does not matter what kind of experiences one may encounter, it will always be an illusion. Birth is an illusion, human existence in a body is an illusion, death is an illusion, afterlife and rebirth are more illusions. Only the Self is the one that remains constant during all these illusion, it is the only reality there is.

Gift1 :  Illusion of death

270. What is my personal guru?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-08 10:10:32

What is my personal guru

Gurus are not personal. You can have a personal servant or personal assistant, but not a personal Guru. A Guru is universal, he is for all. However, you can have a personal teacher, which means, a person who teaches you personally.

The word Guru means the one who destroys the darkness. Destroyer of darkness. The darkness is nothing but ignorance in the mind. A Guru is not merely a teacher, he completely clears the darkness. He does not teach you this or that, he completely destroys all that you know. A Guru does not make you a better person, he will completely annihilate the person that you think you are.

Therefore an average person has no Guru, they are terrified of a Guru. A real Guru will make you shake in your boots. But a real Guru will be the one you will choose to be with forever. The relation transcends time and death.

Ultimately, the Guru is seen as your own form, which came down here to liberate your form. When the illusion is gone for the good, the Guru also disappears, all that remains is you, the Self, nothing else is real anyway.

271. How to expand your consciousness?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-08 16:54:37

how to expand your consciousness ?

Unfortunately you cannot do that. Consciousness is the changeless background of all experiences. It is the experiencer, the one that experiences. Consciousness is not an experience. If you can experience something, you can be very sure that it is not the experiencer, it is an experience.

If you experience an expansion of something, it would fall into the category of an experience, the experiencer remains as it is. The experiencer or the consciousness would be the one that witnessed the expansion of whatever it is that expanded.

Consciousness is the ground of all existence. If something exists, it can grow or shrink. The ground on which it exists cannot grow or shrink. If the ground changes, its not the real ground then. It is an experience happening on a real ground which remains changeless.

A movie is a series of changing pictures on an unchanging screen. If there is a change in the screen, say, colourful patterns appear on the screen, the movie will not be seen as a movie. There is this necessity for the screen to remain constant in order for the movie to happen. It is necessary for the consciousness to remain a constant for the experience to happen.

Anyhow, in some parts of the world, the word consciousness is synonymous with mind or experience itself. There is no knowledge of consciousness or Self as the ground of reality itself, and hence changing mental experiences are confused with "changing consciousness". Consciousness cannot change but awareness can. Awareness is the knowledge in the mind that your essential nature is consciousness. That knowledge can grow or shrink. The mind can bathe in the light of consciousness all the time or can go into darkness sometimes.

All one needs to do is to cultivate the mind to always come back into awareness. The mind slips frequently into unawareness and habitual behaviour.

Always remember that the essence of I is pure consciousness, or the experiencer. Also known as the Self. It is the emptiness that is witnessing all experiences, including those of the mind and its states and activities.

Its not you, its the mind that gets agitated. Its the mind that gets provoked. All these are actions and processes of the mind. How would you know its not you? That is simple, check if you can experience them. If yes, then these are external experiences, its not the experiencer. Experiencer cannot be experienced. It is the one that is experiencing.

Surely the Self can experience all these states and activities of the mind. It is your direct knowledge. It is self-evident. Once you confirm it like this, the confusion about what you essentially are will be cleared. You will be able to see the mind as an object, a pattern of memories and processes. That's all it is. And its past programming is making it react. When you see this clearly, the identification with the mind will be dropped. And when that happens, the suffering disappears completely. Awareness arises in the mind and it now terminates its mechanical reactions.

The mind will slip again, but nothing to worry, just remember again what you are. Shine the light of consciousness on it, and it will override its habitual behaviour again. Repeat as necessary. This is a practice. Its not a one shot cure. It takes some time to cultivate it, but once mastered it becomes your nature. Awareness is the key.

Discriminate every second what is you and what is the mind. Choose awareness. Set up reminders or invent your own means to remind you that you are identifying with mind. As soon as you are aware, the mind will enter a peaceful state on its own. You can also use a tradition, something specific as a practice. The whole point of meditational and other ritualistic practices is to cultivate awareness. Pick any.

Being aware, and cultivating a peaceful and aware mind is a lifestyle. It has nothing to do with the Self, which is eternally peaceful and blissful. It is perfect, and cannot be changed, it is empty, pure and without any qualities, there is nothing there that changes. Know it well via your direct experience.

Gift 1:  The Experiencer  
Gift 2:  Experiencing the Self  
Gift 3:  Stages of awareness

272. What can I do to be a better person?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-08 18:51:13

What can i do to be better person

You are the Self, pure consciousness. The person is an illusion.

This can be seen by asking this question - what is a person exactly?

You will find only concepts and ideas, some memories etc. Nothing of substance.

A person is a concept in the mind, an idea. Also known as identity. It is created by the mind from its experiences of the body and the world. It helps to survive better.

If you define the essence of yourself as that which experiences everything, then you are not the person, because the idea of a person can be experienced as a thought. A person becomes an experience like any other thought or idea.

The world, the body, the mind, the person - all happen as experiences. They are all experienced by the Self, which is you essentially.

See what you are. You are existence itself. Can existence, a sum total of all possibilities, become something else or something more and better?

You are already perfect, whole and complete. As long as there is an identification with an experience, like a body or a mind, you will perceive yourself as imperfect, and a desire to become better will arise. You are not any experience, you are the experiencer. Know that well, not as some intellectual or blind belief, but via your own direct observation. The mind or body are illusory structures, they come and go, they are perfect in some sense already, it is the ignorance or preferences in the mind which create the duality of perfect and imperfect, better or worse. Everything is as it should be.

 Gift 1: Identity and Ignorance

273. What is real?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-10 11:35:52

what's real ?

Reality is an idea in the mind. Whatever one defines to be real becomes real. It totally depends on the definition of the word "real".

Reality is a subjective word, with everyone defining it in their own way. You can make anything real or unreal simply by defining it so. You can choose a list of criteria you like, and if something satisfies most of those criteria, you can call it real. Else it is unreal. It is a way to classify experiences. So the concept of reality is somewhat arbitrary and not very useful.

Some people may choose the criterion of objectivity, which is, if something can be experienced by many in more or less same way, it is real. So the world becomes real indeed. But this has problems, because experiences like thoughts and other mental activities are purely subjective, and hence become unreal according to this definition. It is ok, but it means your mind doesn't exist, which some people may not like to hear.

Some choose the criterion of experience. If something can be experienced, it is real and if you cannot experience it in any way, it is not. This takes care of mind, as we can obviously experience it. And now both the world and the mind are real. However, it has its own problems. That would mean that the dreams and hallucinations that everyone can easily experience are real too. Some may not agree again.

Some may employ the criteria of measurement or mathematical structure, and that also leaves out many things in this world which we all can experience but cannot measure. It does make it more logical and rational and less error prone. But that's not the truth, that's for practical purposes.

Some use the criteria of utility or use. If something is useful, for survival, let's say, it is real, else it is not. So the colours become real, as they help us to survive better. But then we are left with so many useless things in this universe, and some may not agree that they are unreal, just stage props.

There can be many more ways. Explore and be amazed, how useless this word "reality" is.

Advaita and a few philosophies use the criteria of change to classify things into real or unreal. So everything that changes is unreal and that which never changes is real. You will find that all of our experiences change. Nothing remains same. Experience is actually change itself. So as per this criterion, everything is unreal, including the world and the people. There is only one thing that can be called as real, which is the background on which all change happens. This background is the consciousness. Also known as the Self. It is your real essence. It is you.

 Gift 1: Truth behind the truth  
 Gift 2: Truth is slippery  
 Gift 3: Nature of reality

274. How to stay aligned with the source all the time?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-10 14:29:38

why when you align with the source energy you feel so good so happy nearly orgasmic appreciation for everything ?

why one can't stay there for longer period of times ?

how can one stimulate the alignment to come at all times?

thank you

You are always aligned to the source, you are the source!. It is existence itself. You are it, the consciousness or the Self is your essence. How can you stay where you already are? By effort? By techniques? Think again.

Know well that it is not you, it is the mind that gets distracted by all these worldly and bodily experiences around it. When there is identification with the mind, the source is forgotten, the alignment is lost. There are thoughts like "I am sad", "I need this or that to be happy". These are activities of the mind. You are a blissful observer of all these activities. Disidentify with the mind. Do not get lost in them. Remind yourself all the time what you are, what is your essence, see that which you are not very clearly, pay attention, concentrate, become aware.

Awareness is the key.

Awareness is the knowledge in the mind that I am consciousness. Whatever experience is being witnessed, it is being witnessed via the same consciousness. It is the ground of all experiences. Experiences change, but experiencer does not.

It is easy to see what you are not. If it can be experienced, it is not you. Because you are the one that is experiencing. Usually the mental activity is seen as presence of thoughts - "I am in discomfort", "I am depressed", "I am bored", "I am happy". These are merely thoughts, experiences. You are none of these. You are the one witnessing these thoughts. The mind is moving, you are always in the centre, perfectly aligned, permanently so.

Note the different meanings of the words - consciousness, awareness, experience and the mind. This is the essential knowledge. It must be directly experienced. It cannot be a matter of blind faith or intellectual curiosity. However, you can use your own words.

Awareness may go up or down depending on the amount of ignorance in the mind. So to be fully and continuously aware one needs to destroy the ignorance. Whatever is left, is knowledge. So knowledge is not gained, only ignorance can be removed. You already have all the knowledge you need, it is deeply buried in ignorance, which is mostly in the form of blind beliefs and unfounded notions. It takes some work and a good amount of guidance.

It is a matter of practice. This is the cultivation.

The mind slips into unawareness, because it is its habit since thousands of years, you have lived like this since forever. Whenever it slips, bring it back into awareness gently.

Different traditions have grown around different practices to cultivate awareness. You can follow any suitable. Try mindfulness meditation, try Dhyana. At least, you can set reminders around you. It can be anything, such as pictures of deities you like, pictures of gurus or great masters, posters/quotes, books, objects like malas, bracelets, threads on the wrist, a pendent, and so on. Remember that such things are not magical, they are external reminders to become aware. Since the mind wanders outside, we can create an awareness inducing environment outside. Charge these objects with a firm intention that whenever you see them, you will become intensely aware. The magic is in the mind. Later you will need to let go of external means.

Self needs no answers. It has no knowledge and hence no ignorance also. It is innocent and pure. Mind needs answers, because there is ignorance. The lack of knowledge produces a void which comes out in the form of a question. The path of knowledge is about filling up this void. It is a direct path which makes the mind peaceful via knowledge.

 Gift 1: Stages of awareness

275. Why are some people so toxic?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-11 02:32:57

Why are some people so toxic?

How a person is completely depends on their genetic makeup, their mental conditioning and the society or family they are born into. Some unfortunate people are brought up in not so good condition with no education or cultivation at all. All they can do is express the lowest of their nature, very close to animal behaviour.

Anyhow, it does not matter. It is their problem. Your life is about yourself. Your growth, your betterment.

Identify the unnecessary, and trash it, be light, walk fast.

Among all that is useless for you, can be some people. Adopt a lifestyle which is minimal, less people, less stuff, less to care for. You will be free. You will focus on your own life goal. What are you here for? Why were you born? What are your goals?

Are you here to please random people? Or is your mission here to fix people?

Or are you here to experience life as it comes and learn from it? Do you have any goals? Or are you scattered around aimlessly, meaninglessly?

People, especially of negative kind are not important. They teach us something important - not to be like them.

Once you decide on your goals, you will have no time for people. People come and go. All that stays with you is yourself. Your goals need to be something bigger than mere survival, which is eating, sleeping, reproducing and protecting. Set higher goals. If you do not know what to do, seek guidance from a good and experienced teacher.

276. What is more important in your life, job or family?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-11 13:40:33

What is the important in your life job or family?

Jobs and relatives come and go. They are ephemeral events in this huge and unending experience we call life.

You and your life are most important.

You are the Self.

Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer. Self is existence itself. It is very easy to see that via a direct experience. A good teacher can guide you. Your experience is your truth.

Life is a series of experiences. The Self is having these experiences. The Self has no purpose, and hence life has no purpose. It is just a flow of events, which the Self is witnessing blissfully. The Self is already whole and complete, not bounded by anything and has no desires.

That may sound like too plain and negative. Truth is often like that, because our egos expect more. The ego is a set of programs and is wired to get more and more, and is not satisfied. It needs a purpose. The good news is - its purpose is also programmed in by mother nature. That purpose is to be happy and free. So from the point of view of the ego or mind, the purpose is happiness and freedom. That's all we humans are after, nothing else.

Many of us try to get happiness and freedom out of objects, possessions, relations, achievements and social power etc. This works for a while, till basic survival is taken care of, after that it produces only suffering. One soon learns that these things do not lead to happiness and freedom. They do provide a bit of pleasure, which soon vanishes and is taken over by suffering produced by new desires or outcomes.

When one lives moment by moment, acts in the now, one is in pure bliss and is most free. In the moment we make a choice that may result in more happiness and freedom and reject an action that may bound us or cause suffering. How to make such a choice? Learn from the past experiences, see what produced happiness and freedom, do not repeat past mistakes. This art comes by practice and experience, but a good teacher can also help. We soon find that by doing so, we are doing only that which we love to do. This is the path of the heart. It is a lifestyle that is effortless, pure and is full of happiness and freedom. Everyone has a different path, so do not mimic others, that will only produce more suffering, find your own path. It has to be something you love to do.

So our purpose here as human beings is to walk on the path of our own heart. It will lead to absolute happiness and freedom, and will give a meaning to the life. Does not matter what experiences you have in life, each one is a learning experience, each one is a lesson.

277. Why am I unable to meditate?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-12 23:04:15

Why am I unable to meditate?

There are hundreds of kinds of meditations, so the reason it is failing depends on how it is being done, and why is it being done. What is the intention behind it and what are the instructions of the teacher who prescribed it? Is it really for you? Are you fit for it? Do you really need it? Were any preparatory work was assigned? Are there any discomforts in the body or the mind? Are dietary restrictions being followed? Is it failing due to unsuitable devices (yantras) or sounds (mantras)? Under which deity are you working? What is your energetic condition right now?

So there can be a thousand reasons. Most probably, the reason is simple - you do not really know what meditation is. The background knowledge and preparation is lacking.

Its best to go back to your teacher and ask for a reason.

If you are on your own, trying out things, then try something simple.

The best kind of meditation is to concentrate on 1)your thoughts and intentions 2)your speech 3)your actions. Just pay attention to all of these. Watch it very curiously and attentively like a scientist observing something under a microscope. We use mind to fix the mind.

This practice grows the awareness, shines light of consciousness on the mind. Once your awareness is sharp, you can get a good command on the mind and actions. Simply become aware of what the mind has in it, and what it is going to do next. If needed delay the action for a long time, till your awareness takes over, now you can decide to not take a habitual action.

This meditation should be done 24x7, not for a few minutes. You do not need to sit or recite anything. Just remember to be aware in daily life. You are not the mind, you are pure consciousness that is aware of the mind. You are the Self, you are above all actions. This realization will give you power over all actions, speech and thoughts.

278. What is the meaning of 'sukhi bhava' in many verses by Ashtavakra?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-08-14 02:14:27

In various verses Sage Ashtavakra concludes by saying 'sukhi bhava'. Is it an Ashirvada or Instruction? If latter, how to practice the same?

It is none of those. It is a conclusion, a result. When a certain truth is realized, the result is happiness, freedom and bliss. The truth is that my essence is the Self, pure consciousness. Bliss is a natural outcome of this realization.

Sage is merely pointing to that fact.

There are no practices in Advaita. It is a set of teachings which bring an end to all practices. When you know what you are, there is no need of practicing. How can one practice to be that which one already is?

279. I believe we're only pieces of meat. Can I still find a purpose in my life?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-14 06:03:35

I believe we're only pieces of meat living in a physical world with no God or universal mind or whatsoever. Can I still find a meaning and purpose in life?

A belief is an assumption that is not based on any evidence or direct experience. Beliefs are cheap. One can believe anything. Which means nothing at all and is not very useful.

Belief is a poor substitute for knowledge. You are fully capable of knowing the truth. The only way to know is to experience something directly.

Your experience is your truth.

Question everything. Reject the brainwashing done by the society. Believe no one. Explore yourself.

Since you have very heavy beliefs already, it can be difficult and can take time. A belief is like a virus that resists any attempts to remove it. The mind is so deeply programmed that it attacks any new ideas that try to uproot existing beliefs. Especially when faced with contrary evidence, the mind either flees in fear or turns violent. Examine what beliefs are doing to you. Is your mind a slave of random beliefs or is it open and rational, ready to learn via direct experience?

Would you accept any purpose given to you by random people or phone apps or are you willing to explore and find your own purpose and meaning in life?

Only your own experience can bring the knowledge which can show you what you are. Once your real nature is revealed, you will see that all answers fall into place. You will not need opinions of others to know.

The other option is to simply assume a purpose or accept something others say or stuff from some old outdated book. Surely, an intelligent person will not be satisfied with this option. No amount of believing will fill the lack you are perceiving now. This lack is there for only one reason - you do not know. The cure is knowledge.

An experienced teacher can also help to get rid of blind beliefs and can point to a way to learn via direct experience.

280. When will I attain peace?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-14 13:45:25

When do I have peace?

You are the Self. You are already peaceful and blissful.

Perhaps there is an identification with the mind, which is a violent storm of thoughts, desires, impulses and hundreds of activities. You are a silent watcher of these activities. As long as you have an attachment with them, as long as there is a belief that "I am these activities", you will not find the true peace. You are not the mind or its activities. Disidentify with all that which you are not, you will see that you are peace itself. You are bliss. You are empty of all activities. You are the experiencer, not the experiences.

You, the Self, is also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just various forms of it.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer. The "I" is also an experience, which is the mind identifying with consciousness. Also known as awareness.

Other names for it are the Consciousness, Atman, the Observer or the Witness. It is the background on which all experiences happen. There is usually no doubt in the mind that this is the one that deserves the title of I. However, the mind itself can be observed, it is an experience, and one can also observe the identification that happens in the mind with the Self. It is a thought - I am the Self.

Self was never born, it never dies, it is pure emptiness that is eternal, so obviously it is changeless. It is like space, it allows anything and everything. It is unconditional, and hence has no preferences. The result is it is pure bliss.

The experiences come and go, like clouds in the clear sky. Self is like the sky, it remains untouched by the series of experiences. Another name for the life, it is just a flow of experiences. The Self is the receiver of the experiences.

All experiences can be divided into four types - the experience of the world, of body, of mind and of consciousness. There is nothing more to it. It has no reason or purpose, it is a play.

Among the experiences, the experience of the mind is most interesting. It creates a false person, it creates likes and dislikes, preferences, and hence purpose is born. It struggles and acts to get the goals. It labels the otherwise neutral experiences into good or bad, happy or sad. This is the drama of life. Mind sees it as a cycle of pleasure and pain, and is trapped in it.

When we realize our true nature, which is Self, we come out of this ignorance, and we let the life flow as it is. This is Mukti. Know life, know your Self, be free and blissful.

Gift 1:  The Experiencer

281. How to break out of endless loop of procrastination?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-14 16:45:06

I have a goal and a plan. But I keep thinking and trying to perfect plan in my head. But never actually try to do. How to break out of endless loop of procrastination?

It is a sign that whatever your mind plans to do is not really important. It is not strong enough to push the mind into action. The pleasure of doing it is minute compared to the pleasure of just sitting. So the mind ignores it. You need to have a bit of knowledge about the device called mind and its behaviour. Remember you are not the mind, you are the pure consciousness that is having an experience of the mind. Once you see this, it becomes possible to manipulate the mind. As long as there is an identification with that which you are merely experiencing as phenomena, as long as there is this blind belief - "I am planning, I am doing", there is no possibility to change it.

Re-evaluate your plans. Are they really necessary? Are they absolutely important for your survival and wellbeing? Is there a strong drive, a love for it? If not, nothing will happen. Even if you take a little action, it will fizzle out. The law is very simple - all that which is absolutely necessary will happen. It doesn't matter if you plan it or not, doesn't matter if you want to do it or not, it happens. Other actions, however pretty they appear in the mind, won't happen. If your survival depends on it, if you absolutely need it, if you absolutely love it, you won't spend even a second before springing into action. Would you?

The positive action is to see the importance of your thoughts. Giving them an artificial importance will not work. Mind cannot fool itself for long. It has millions of years of evolution behind it, it falls back to its basic programs and instincts quickly.

Negative action is to favour the habitual programs. If you are not aware of them, you will have no control over them. Awareness is the key. Awareness is the knowledge in your mind that you are pure consciousness, the Self or an observer. It has to be a firm knowledge based on your direct experience. A blind belief or mere intellectual understanding will not work.

With the tool of awareness, we can now reprogram the mind. We use mind to fix mind. Simply favour the positive option always, gently not forcibly. Let the negative impulse come, observe it, stay with it for a second and let go. Act on the positive, however slightly at first. Make a tiny move. It will take over the negative slowly, and then exponentially. Starting is the difficult part, after that the mind naturally takes over, it will actually enjoy it. The key is to love that which you do and to do that which you love.

There is no future. All there is, is now. Present. If you wish to solve a problem, it must be done in present. Nothing ever happened in future. This is the key. All you need is action in present, not thoughts of future, which never arrives.

When you are disinterested in doing anything, even the daily tasks, it is a sure sign that you lack a life goal, you do not live for a purpose, you have no ambitions. So the obvious solution is to find your goal. Find that for which you are here as a human, and once you see it, you will have no time to just sit.

Try taking up a task as a play, take first step, very slow, but act as if you love to do it. You will find that the mind comes out of initial resistance. It starts working. This is a trick, but very effective. The permanent solution is to be on the path of your heart. Else you will always encounter boredom, a disinterest in everything, a lack of energy and motivation.

Probably you are not on the path of your heart. You have no goals, no ambitions, your survival is taken care of, so you are lost, what to do next. You randomly venture into things, only to find suffering and dissatisfaction. You mind creates an image of a thing- a person who is suffering, this causes self-pity, and lack of any motivation or energy. This is an affliction of the mind. The cause is ignorance about the nature of the life and nature of who you are. The cure is knowledge.

Ensure that you have a goal. Eating, sleeping and reproducing is mere survival, a human life starts when survival is over. Set a higher goal than simply surviving. Ensure that the goal is that which you absolutely love to do. It should not be copied from someone else. Do that which your heart agrees with. Everyone has a unique path. Proceed towards your goals step by step. Decide moment by moment. Choose that which takes you towards your goal.

Human goals are set up by mother nature and they are - happiness and freedom. If your goal is aligned with them, you will reach there. The sign that you are progressing is ever increasing happiness and freedom. If you cannot see it, change goals, it is not your path. In the end, the journey is important, not the destination, there is no destination. You are already home, you are already whole and complete, you are the Self.

282. Where will I live rest of my life?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-14 19:40:02

Where will I live rest of my life?

You were always there where you are now, and you will be always there. You are existence itself, places are in you, you are not in places. You are the existence that is conscious of itself. Where do you think it lives? Where exactly can it relocate when it is everything and at every place already?

You do not need a place to live. You are the Self, which is present everywhere at once, which is infinite empty consciousness. You are the ever present background on which everything happens.

It is the body that needs a place to survive. You are not the body. It is a vehicle for action. Mind acts in the world via a body. You are the one that experiences the activities of the mind and the body.

After you realize this, the suffering created by not having a particular kind of experience disappears. The only experience you can have is of now. There is no such thing as a past or a future for you. The Self can experience only this Now. The now that is eternal.

Knowing this will ease the anxiety caused by the thoughts of the future. Why worry about something which does not exist and spoil the present moment too, which is the only real thing that exists. Have you ever encountered anything other than the present, the Now?

Anyhow, the mind makes up this concept of future and worries about it. It cannot know what can happen obviously, because there is nothing there to know. The mind knows only the present, and its memories, which it calls as past. So the first improvement one can have is - be in the now, think about the now. What can you do now?

If you have this desire to have a place to live, see what can be done now about it. Do it if possible, and just take the next step after that.

The consequences of our actions are not in our control, but the action is in our control, at least a bit of it. So act without expectation. Keep taking one step at a time towards your desired goal. We never know what can happen, but one thing is for sure - there is always a lesson. Life is a series of experiences, that the Self is having, and each one of them is a lesson. Why is that? What are these lessons for? What is universe trying to do? What are you here for?

Explore.

283. Where do you live?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-14 20:54:20

Where do you live

I am you. The Self. I am everywhere, but nowhere. Locations do not make sense when applied to the Self. The Self is non local. Objects have locations. The knower of objects is just there, not located. Just like the objects, the locations are also illusory, a creation of the mind.

You were always there where you are now, and you will be always there. You are existence itself, places are in you, you are not in places. You are the existence that is conscious of itself. Where do you think it lives? Where exactly can it relocate when it is everything and at every place already?

You do not need a place to live. You are the Self, which is present everywhere at once, which is infinite empty consciousness. You are the ever present background on which everything happens.

It is the body that needs a place to survive. You are not the body. It is a vehicle for action. Mind acts in the world via a body. You are the one that experiences the activities of the mind and the body.

Gift 1:  The Experiencer  
Gift 2:  Introspection - 11 : The Illusion of Space

284. How to debate?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-14 18:14:47

How to do debate!

Stay away from it.

Its a total waste of time.

It has to be an exchange of knowledge. A humble and kind session of questions and answers. Debate is all about proving who is right and who is wrong. A drama of lower mind, the ego. What is gained? Ego inflation for the one who wins and insult for the one who loses. Its an harmful activity for both parties. It is good to sharpen your rational, logical and critical thinking abilities to some extent, but if it is done for any other reason except as a play, it is an egoic act.

There is a difference between sharing knowledge and pushing it down the throat of an unwilling listener. That'd be arguing. Some students become overenthusiastic when they learn something of value and thinking that they must now fix everyone's ignorance around them, they impose their "knowledge"ン on anyone who happens to show his ignorance. Needless to say, no one likes it. Arguments result in more heat than light and the ignorant party may close down even more.

Why is that? Why can't people see your point and stop acting like a stupid? Because you are challenging their Ego instead of arousing their curiosity. The Ego erects walls of beliefs around itself and any threat to it is perceived as a threat to survival. The result is flaring up of Egoic tendencies - fear, anger and hate gushes out of an ignorant person when faced with an argument. Of course it always fails to achieve what you are after, which is enlightening the other about something. Do not underestimate it, it is more difficult than you think. People will not like to change even a bit of their thinking. Arguments are anything but a transmission of knowledge.

When a person or in this case a student argues, it comes out of his Ego. Either he is trying to show off how much he knows or perceives the other as a fool or inferior. So it is only natural that the other also reacts from the Ego. The results are disastrous. Personal attacks, fights, bitterness, broken relations and if the arguers are stupid enough, murders.

However, arguments can serve useful purposes. Argumentation is an art and a skill. Ask any good lawyer. It takes years of practice to cultivate good enough arguing skills. It then becomes a Debate, a technique to gain knowledge. But I don't recommend that a student take up argumentation as his life goal. You need to learn only a few tricks that can come handy when you find yourself accidentally trapped inside an argument. Here are some thumb rules:

Rule number one, do not argue..

Rule number two, do not argue. If the person has not seen your point just after your state it, then perhaps he will not see it even after hours of arguing. In other words, he is not worthy, not at this time..

If you still feel that urgent need to argue, become aware of it, it is an impulse. See if it is really needed. Is it a waste of time? Is it worth? Does the other really need it or will even comprehend it? What are the consequences? Etc..

Address the idea, not the person. Remove personal words from your statements (such as "I"ン, "me"ン, "mine"ン, "you"ン or "your"ン). Pose the matter in third person format. Make it light and something impersonal. When you see the other attacking you instead of your statements, its time to leave..

Define all key words. Most of the arguments arise out of misunderstanding of meanings of words. A student, especially one of philosophy, uses very precise words. You will find that ignorant people have no clue about the meanings of words they use, or why they use them. Ask the other to define his stuff first. If you do this, the argument will be over in a few seconds most of the time..

Turn the debate into questions. Keep digging till you find the source of belief of your opponent. Once you know that, just point it out and leave. If you find that the source is opponent's direct experience, then you must ask for a way to get that experience. .Experience it and see where the problem is, usually the problem will disappear and so will argument. If you can't experience what the other is telling you about, you have nothing to debate about..

Instead of imposing your view, gently suggest it. If the opponent is open, he will take a hint, if not, leave..

If the opponent imposes his view forcibly on you, he is surely not interested in making you enlightened about it, he is Ego in action, trying to prove his survival superiority. Now is the time to bow out humbly and assure him that you will surely look into the matter. Of course, you don't have to..

If the opponent starts avoiding the topic, changes lanes suddenly, or laughs it off, you know he is in a cognitive dissonance. Leave here..

If the opponent is right, ask for more. Ask your questions and benefit from the debate. Turn the argument into a learning opportunity. The best way to avoid an argument is to ask the opponent to teach you, and if he has anything of substance or just BS, you both will know very soon..

Similarly, if someone is bent on arguing, offer to teach. Teaching is a good way of learning, you will know if you were right or not as soon as you start teaching, if it is BS it will not stand for more than a few minutes.

Gift 1:  Qualities of a student

285. Where is my happiness?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-15 21:36:23

Where is my happiness?

Expectation that things or someone else is responsible for my own happiness is an error. Obviously, this expectation is rarely met, or is met once or twice and then others do whatever they prefer to do, and hence the mind enters suffering. The cure is knowledge.

Know that you are the source of happiness. You lack nothing. You can only give happiness by expressing it and by sharing it with others. You do not need to "get" happiness. You can only share or express happiness that is within you. If it is dependent on anything external, objects, people, possessions, relations, achievements or goals, be sure that you will never get it.

Giving your key of happiness to others ensures that you get robbed of it. Our own mind does a poor job of keeping our happiness safe and secure, expecting someone else to do it is inviting trouble. But you can try it, you will soon find that happiness does not come from people, things or incessant complaints, it comes from within. The source of happiness is the Self, the pure consciousness that is blissful no matter what the experience offers.

Expectations are merely assumptions, made up thoughts in the mind, that some events shall happen as per your desires, or that someone will act as per your desires. Clearly, this is ignorance. That may or may not happen. It is wishful thinking. And often it does not happen, which brings suffering.

It is our ignorance that we think only a certain thing or person or achievement is all I need, nothing else can take its place. Its a narrow view, seeing that life is limitless, not limited to hankering after just one or two items. There are possibilities. Perhaps of something even better. Try changing your goals, flow like a river.

See that "getting" happiness from outside, from people, bodily pleasures, relations, possessions, achievements or social approvals etc would not work. It only brings more suffering. Know well that you are the source of happiness. It comes from within, when there is no fear, no desire, when mind is content, when it wants nothing, demands nothing. Happiness is not momentary pleasure that comes and goes, it is a very silent background of peace.

You cannot get happiness, you can only give it. Give it away. Make others happy. Let your own happiness overflow into the lives of others. You are bliss yourself. You may find that happiness is being reflected back at you, it grows, just be grateful if someone or something brings pleasure to you. Remember they are not the source, just a medium.

Similarly, you are the source of love, you cannot "get" it from anything else or anyone else. Love unconditionally, just give it away. Love resides in the heart, its not something that comes from others. Sometimes we do meet people who give away their love, just be grateful, do not cling. You are love.

Know well that all these experiences are illusory experiences. You are the experiencer, you are the only real thing there is. You are the Self, pure consciousness, that is witnessing all these experiences. They are neutral, the mind divides them into good or bad according to its preferences, and conditioning. Everything is perfect as it is. No matter what kind of experience you are having, it won't last, and there will always be a lesson. See you lessons, learn them and you will find that the situation improves, it goes away, or turns into another lesson. We are here only to learn, there is nothing else to do or take or become.

When we act like the Self, be the Self, happiness follows naturally. That's what we are. Once you know your essence, you will have reasonable life goals. People, things or relations will become a background noise. They come and go. We treat everything and everyone with kindness, compassion and detachment.

[ Gift 1: Happiness and freedom  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/11/happiness-and-freedom.html)

286. What is the time?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-15 17:45:07

What is the time?

Time exists as a concept in the mind. Which means it is created by the mind in order to organize the experiences neatly one after the other.

What exists is change. Change is a fundamental process out of which the concept of time is derived.

Mind does that using memory. Experiences get lined up in memory, what goes in first becomes earlier in time, whatever is recorded next, become later in time. Memory produces the illusion of past. Mind has predictive abilities which produce the illusion of future. Future is an extrapolation of past, it is imaginary.

Some changes happen regularly and they can be used as a reference to measure other changes, these become our tools to measure change, cycles of sun, moon and clocks. Time is a measure of change.

All we experience is the Now. Everything changes in the Now, which is ever present. What we think is the future is merely some thoughts in the mind, they happen in the Now. We also never experience the past. We experience the memory, which happens in Now, present moment.

Have you ever experienced something which was not in the present?

Have you ever taken an action which did not happen in the present?

See that the concepts of past and future are illusory. They are made up in the mind. All experience and all actions happen in the present.

[ Gift 1: The trick of time  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/08/afflictions-of-mind-part-2-trick-of-time.html)

287. What is the secret that can make me change my life?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-16 02:24:14

Hi .

I always want to change my life in diffrents things

Work

Personal

Habits

Study

..

But when i start to orginize it and jump to the road i just stop after to days or three

I cant motivate my self all time

Iv watched to many self descipline vedios and motivational vedios too

Iv read to many books too !!!

All i want to know what is the secret that can make me change my life

No matter what are the circumstaces

Or distructives or any thing pulls me away from my goal

Im really wishing that iv wrote mu question at the right place

Thank you

With full awareness, try to do just one thing at a time. And try to finish just a small step first. You seem too anxious and almost asleep. That's because of some deep ignorance.

Perhaps you have beliefs that you are here to "become" something and it must be done asap. What do you think it will mean in the end?

What will go with you?

What are you essentially? A body, which is a pile of matter or a mind which is just some programs and memories. Will these things remain even if they become "perfect" according to your own definition of perfection ?

If you are not those things, is your essence imperfect in some way?

If you are confused, that means there is an ignorance about your own being. Try to see what are you. That will be the beginning. You are lost in the jungle of random desires. Where are they coming from? Is it really necessary to do what your mind tells you? Isn't is just its programming?

Once you know what you are and once you disidentify with what you are not, the mind will be awakened, it will see a way out of this jungle of confusion and restlessness. It will be peaceful and relaxed.

You will realize that you really do not need to do anything more than experience and learn. Its a play. There is nothing to achieve. You are already whole and complete. Now you can simply play, do that which you love most, and do that which comes up next, that which is necessary.

Just take the next step. At every step there will be two choices, one of them will take you to your goal, pick that. Ultimately the goal is happiness and freedom. It cannot be anything else. Let it happen naturally and slowly. The more you force, the more is the anxiety. The mind doesn't like it and hence it loses the steam.

The mind naturally likes that for which it is here. Try to see what is your life goal. Why were you born as a body-mind. It will be surely something which brings you most joy. It will be something which you absolutely love to do. Pick that.

You will find that once you are on the path of your heart, the work will happen, the study will happen, there wouldn't be a single second left for procrastination or bad habits. Your mind will be sharp and very focused on what you actually want. You will be informed of activities of the mind. Once you are so aware, you will always choose that which brings greater and greater happiness and freedom.

Awareness is the key. See what your mind is doing. Is that something you were born to do? If not, just trash it, choose that which is your path. No motivation needed, no discipline needed. No need to trick the mind with techniques and mumbo jumbo.

Flow like a river, you do not need one specific thing, it can be anything which teaches you a lesson and steers you towards happiness and freedom. Clinging to one thing, and only one thing, is stupidity. Life is vast and there are infinite possibilities. Why waste it on just one thing.

Check the lives of great men. Did they become great because they watched a video or read some cheap book? What was the driving force there? You will find that they simply followed the path of their heart. It was their own unique path. They were not brainwashed by the society or tv to do it. They were intensely aware of what they wanted. It was their life goal, they were born for it.

Drop the junk of beliefs, its a burden. Start by knowing your essential nature. See your life goal clearly. Rest happens on its own.

 Gift 1: Happiness and freedom  
[ Gift 2: The path of the heart  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/05/the-path-of-heart.html)

288. How to master self discipline?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-16 02:29:32

How to master self deciplone?

If you observe the lifestyle of people who have achieved their goals, you will see that they were not disciplined at all, they were extremely passionate about what they wanted to do. They loved it so much that discipline or lack of time or any other excuses were not a problem. Often their relatives would intervene and stop them, feed them or ask them to sleep or take breaks.

If you need to be disciplined to do something, it means only one thing - you are not interested in doing it, so you are looking for a way to force yourself to do it. Even if you think you are interested, the interest is not burning bright, perhaps your heart is not interested, you push it just to get it done somehow.

There are only two options now, either give up that path totally, it is not the path of your heart, it is making you struggle and do effort. The path of the heart is effortless, needs no discipline, you cannot be stopped if you love to do that thing. Second option is - develop interest in it. That would be difficult, interest is not an artificial thing or a skill. You need to be interested naturally. So try to find something there which you like, perhaps that will motivate you. Ensure that it is not something negative, like fear of failure or fear of what others will say. Negative motivation is worse than discipline.

Perhaps there are some strong desires in you, which distract you from the task you want to accomplish. Strong desires take priority in the mind, and the mind is not interested in other things, even if it knows that they are important, it treats them as low priority, and sends more energy to those desires. Find out what desires are unfulfilled in you, try to fulfill them first, if possible. Once they are out of the way, your mind will be free to do that which is needed.

289. How to discover my self ?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-16 03:58:31

How to discover my self ?

How can you discover that which you already are? Where will you find it?

All you can do is drop the beliefs about what you think you are. Clean the dirt of ignorance which is on the mind, and that which you are shines by itself. See what you are identified with, see what you consider as "I". Discriminate between what is you and what is yours. See that which is an experience and that which is experiencing. That which is experiencing is the Self.

The one who is searching is the mind, the one who is lost and confused is mind. You are the witness of the mind, you are the Self, pure consciousness, on whose background these events are happening. The Self is silently conscious of every experience, it is you. You are not the mind, not the body. These are merely the experiences, your essence is the experiencer.

Dis-identify with that which is not your true self. It can be the body, or the identity/person, or the mind, or anything else that can be experienced. If it can be experienced, it is not you, because you are the one who is experiencing. When all that which is not the Self is discarded, the Self is known.

A simple test to see if something is the Self is to check if you can experience it. If you can, than it is not the Self. The Self is the experiencer, pure consciousness. It is the one that is experiencing, and hence cannot be experienced. It is possible to be the Self, or even to know it, have an awareness of it, but it is impossible to behold it as an object of experience.

Are you conscious now? If the answer is yes, check what made you answer yes for that. That is your true Self. It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, cannot be thought of, you can only be it. You are already it.

You are the Self. Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it. The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer.

Life is a series of experiences. It is a flow, a constant change.

All experience is being experienced by an experiencer - the Self, the pure consciousness, which is you. The I.

All experiences can be divided into four types - the experience of the world, of body, of mind and of consciousness. There is nothing more to it. It has no reason or purpose, it is a play.

Among the experiences, the experience of the mind is most interesting. It creates a false person, it creates likes and dislikes, preferences, and hence purpose is born. It struggles and acts to get the goals. It labels the otherwise neutral experiences into good or bad, happy or sad. This is the drama of life. Mind sees it as a cycle of pleasure and pain, and is trapped in it.

When we realize our true nature, which is Self, we come out of this ignorance, and we let the life flow as it is. Follow the gifts. Know life, be the Self, be free and blissful.

 Gift 1: The Experiencer  
[ Gift 2: Experiencing the Self  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/12/introspection-1-experiencing-self.html)

290. What should be the purpose of life ?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-16 07:40:13

What should be the purpose of life ?

Happiness and freedom. Its not a choice, it is a necessity.

You are the Self.

Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it.

The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer.

Life is a series of experiences. The Self is having these experiences. The Self has no purpose, and hence life has no purpose. It is just a flow of events, which the Self is witnessing blissfully. The Self is already whole and complete, not bounded by anything and has no desires.

That may sound like too plain and negative. Truth is often like that, because our egos expect more. The ego is a set of programs and is wired to get more and more, and is not satisfied. It needs a purpose. The good news is - its purpose is also programmed in by mother nature. That purpose is to be happy and free. So from the point of view of the ego or mind, the purpose is happiness and freedom. That's all we humans are after, nothing else.

Many of us try to get happiness and freedom out of objects, possessions, relations, achievements and social power etc. This works for a while, till basic survival is taken care of, after that it produces only suffering. One soon learns that these things do not lead to happiness and freedom. They do provide a bit of pleasure, which soon vanishes and is taken over by suffering produced by new desires or outcomes.

When one lives moment by moment, acts in the now, one is in pure bliss and is most free. In the moment we make a choice that may result in more happiness and freedom and reject an action that may bound us or cause suffering. How to make such a choice? Learn from the past experiences, see what produced happiness and freedom, do not repeat past mistakes. This art comes by practice and experience, but a good teacher can also help. We soon find that by doing so, we are doing only that which we love to do. This is the path of the heart. It is a lifestyle that is effortless, pure and is full of happiness and freedom. Everyone has a different path, so do not mimic others, that will only produce more suffering, find your own path. It has to be something you love to do.

So our purpose here as human beings is to walk on the path of our own heart. It will lead to absolute happiness and freedom, and will give a meaning to the life. Does not matter what experiences you have in life, each one is a learning experience, each one is a lesson.

 Gift 1: Happiness and freedom  
[ Gift 2: Purpose of human life  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/04/i10.html)

291. Who's life is more important, your own or other's?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-17 09:27:26

What is more important ur life or others

Absolute answers regarding relative concepts are bound to be wrong.

Importance is a relative word. How important something is, totally depends on who is judging the importance. So there will be numerous opinions and point of views about it. None of it will be right or wrong.

When faced with danger, a mother would place more importance on her child's life, not on her own. A king or president would prefer to live and let his soldiers or citizens die in millions.

Life is a gift from mother nature. If you see what she is doing with it, you will notice that she puts more importance on life itself compared to the life forms. If you prefer a slightly authoritative opinion, ask her. The answer is obvious, forms appear and disappear all the time, life continues.

Life is important, not the life forms.

292. How to communicate with and learn from higher masters and angels?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-18 13:54:24

I'm intersted to communicat with higher levels such as masters, angels and? and take lessons. but i cant go deep inside me i cant meditate.how Can i find them in this word? thank you

Obviously they are not in this world.

So you can start with those who are in this world. The only difference will be that they will have a body like anyone else and they can talk to you, which makes everything easier.

When the master is incarnated in the body, the knowledge is not reduced in any way. Simply discarding the body does not magically result in some higher knowledge. Never trust someone just because he is dead.

All that is worth knowing is here and now, in open, available to all. It is strange that people ignore it and look for it in some magical place. Its plain ignorance, just like a child, who will not eat when the food looks ordinary, but cut the cookie in shape of an animal and he eats it delightfully. This is how a mind is. Ordinary, however useful and essential is unwanted.

You can start only where you are now. Start with the basics. Any experienced teacher can help. Who is an experienced teacher? One who knows more than you. Follow the gifts for more details. Knowledge is endless, there is no hurry.

Gift 1: How to get a teacher?

293. Why is the Self living if it does not want anything?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-21 17:17:51

Why self is living if he do not want anything ?

Only bodies live and die.

Only minds have wants and desires.

The Self is existence itself. It is the eternal experiencer. It is not "alive" like a person or an animal, it is pure consciousness. Life and death happen on its background. What can existence want? It is already everything. Wants are programs and processes in the mind. They evolved as mind evolved. Most of the wants are about survival. The concept of survival or life is not applicable to the Self or existence. The illusory forms that come and go on the infinite canvas of existence show a tendency to survive.

On a movie screen, the drama of life and death happens, the desires and wants of characters is played out. The screen is only a witness. The screen is the whole movie already. Can the screen die? Can it desire anything? The characters are the screen essentially, an illusion. Can they comprehend what a screen is? Can they see it?

It is not wise to project human behaviour on something which is beyond human comprehension. Self is unknowable. You can be it and you are it essentially. See this as your direct experience. What is your essence? When you understand that, your doubts and confusion will vanish. Without understanding the nature of Self, you will assume and imagine things which make no sense.

Life and death are experiences. You are the experiencer. Wants and desires are experiences. You experience them, you do not own them. The mind owns them when there is a thought - "my desires". This ownership is experienced too. There is an illusion of ownership as "my life" or "my wants", and it is there because there is an identification with the mind. Disidentification with the mind results in emancipation from all that is mine. All becomes me.

An experienced teacher can help you understand what you are. Its never too late to ask for help.

Find a teacher, ask who am I and how am I the same as this whole existence. Know it for sure. Never believe blindly. Get your own experiential evidence. Your experience is your truth.

294. How to see your faults?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-21 16:29:29

How to see your faults

It is very easy. If your actions are causing suffering for the self or for others, they are faulty and the intentions or desires behind them are faulty.

Suffering is a sign that something needs to be corrected in you.

Suffering is a great teacher, but an intelligent person can bypass it. We have a choice to learn without actually suffering. Usually an experienced teacher will point out the faults even before they cause suffering. We can use the experience of others to correct ourselves. Sometimes the suffering is unavoidable, but presence of an experienced teacher makes the recovery faster.

295. I was happy when I was young, why am I less happy now?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-22 09:43:18

When I was in my teen age I am happy person always smiles on my face but now I feel a burden on my mind and heart but I dont know what is it and why?

Children have little desires, no goals, no ambitions, no responsibilities, no big egos. That's why they are naturally happy.

As we grow the ego gets bigger and enters into a world of competition, big wants, pride, blame, relations and responsibilities. It gets burdened by all this, it is trying to survive. Even after the survival is taken care of, it keeps doing it habitually.

We quickly learn a big lesson. Happiness does not come from wanting more, getting more, from possessions, relations, people, power, hoarding wealth and achievements. All these pursuits actually rob us of happiness. Survival is necessary, but when that is all you do all the time, whole of your life, it becomes a suffering. A human life starts when we transcend survival.

Happiness is not wanting, not desiring, not clinging, not being afraid of losing that which you are hoarding, not being afraid of losing people to whom you cling for love and protection. It is pure freedom. It is a state of contentment, a peace, not a temporary and violent explosion of pleasures that the mind produces when its survival needs are met. The pleasures soon turn into pains as more desires and fears overtake the mind.

When this continues the mind is confused, enters depression, boredom and gets afflicted with problems of all kinds. This is how most of the people live their lives. Then they die. Its all meaningless and purposeless for them. The cause of this misery is surely ignorance. Not knowing what they are, why they are here, and how to conduct a life.

The cure is knowledge. Know what you essentially are. Know your purpose. Make it your life goal. Seek that goal one step at a time. This is the path of your heart, when you walk on this path, you find greater and greater happiness and freedom. You find meaning and purpose. You overflow with joy and wisdom, so much so, that you give it away to all, you become a source of happiness. That's what you are already. You are pure bliss, you are the Self.

[ Gift 1: The path of heart  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/05/the-path-of-heart.html)  
 Gift 2: Happiness and freedom

296. Where are my memories stored ? In brain or in consciousness?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-22 08:57:44

Where are my memories stored ? In brain or in consciousness

Memories are patterns of information that are formed as other patterns impress on them. All we experience are patterns, and all of them interact, all get influenced by other patterns and influence them in turn. They are all interconnected. So memories are everywhere. Everything is actually one or other kind of memory.

What you call "my memory" is not really yours. There is an illusion of ownership. The thought my memory is also in a memory. All there is, is just a memory. The ownership being another memory among the numerous kinds of them. You never own a memory, you can only experience it.

The brain is a structure, and surely it has memories. It is very complex and has memorized patterns created out of perceptions, mental activities etc. Body is another structure, it has cellular memories and genetic memories. There are more layers and organisations of memories in the whole organism.

All these can be seen. But theoretically, there are more hidden layers of memories. They remain intact as the lower layers dissolve back into randomness. The final memory that has some traces of individuality left is the causal body. But all these metaphysical bodies are not in your experience currently, so you cannot know them.

The whole existence is a memory - the universal mind. This can be seen. We are a part of it. All memories and structures happen in universal mind.

Consciousness cannot have a memory, it has no structure, it is pure emptiness, it is an experiencer of all memories. You are that consciousness.

 Gift 1: Memories

297. Is the universe an illusion?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-22 11:36:37

is the universe an illusion

Yes. There is no "real" reality. All of it is virtual.

Follow the gifts for in-depth answers.

More accurately, all that is being experienced is Maya. Ma means not, ya means that. So it means not that. Or in other words, that which is perceived is not that which really exists.

Its sometimes translated as illusion. So all that is perceived is an illusion. It does not necessarily mean that the perception is coming from nothing, it simply means that the perception is not an exact representation of that which exists.

[ Gift 1: Nature of reality  
](http://pexp.podbean.com/e/nature-of-reality-1-synopsis)  
[ Gift 2: Illusion or maya  
](http://pexp.podbean.com/e/nature-of-reality-2-illusion-or-maya)  
[ Gift 3: Reality is information  
](http://pexp.podbean.com/e/nature-of-reality-3-reality-is-information)

298. How to change the habit of believing this body is "me", not "mine"?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-22 20:00:03

By logical reasoning I have reached the fact that this body is all which is gathered. Also the mind and its content. This is what the reality is. Everytime I have to remember myself about it. My habit is to believe like this body is "me" not "mine". How to change this habit?

You do not have habits, the mind has them. So the first step is to disidentify with the mind.

The body is not "mine", it is not owned by anything or anyone. The ownership is also a thought in the mind. Similarly the thought "my mind" is also illusory. Its "a mind", which the Self is experiencing. See the body and the mind as one experience. Body is a part of the mind that is available to the senses.

You are only an experiencer of mental activities including the habitual thoughts. It is the mind trying to change its behaviour for whatever reason. Can it do it? Can it change itself?

If there are some gains in adopting a certain point of view, the mind readily changes itself. Perhaps there is more pleasure, happiness and freedom there. Else it remains the old mind, unwilling to change. So the key is to see if the old habit is a cause of suffering, and if the new attitude is causing more happiness and peace. If it is, choose that.

Repeatedly choosing the new behaviour overwrites the old one. So when presented with a choice to see the body as "I" or "mine" or "just another experience", choose the third. See if that leads to more happiness, peace and freedom. If yes, the mind will get reinforcement, it will gradually drop the old idea.

You need to be very aware to see the choice. Awareness is the key.

Also change your language. Avoid calling the body as me, or mine. Same for the mind. It can be odd in social situations, so pretend that the body is you in such situations, while fully knowing what you are doing. But when there is a need to decide whether to act on something or not, see the body as an experience and decide. Especially when there is a chance that identification with the body can cause some trouble or suffering if that action particular action is chosen.

Will the body and mind stop doing what they usually do, when they are abandoned like this? Will disidentification with the body and mind cause adverse effects on the body and the mind? No, nothing really changes, except the attitude of the mind. Both the body and the mind behave as per their programming or conditioning, as they should. The only change that happens is that the ordinary activities of the mind and the body happen on a background of peace and awareness. This is expressed as equanimity.

299. How can one prevent the id from conflicting with the rational and ethical?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-23 10:39:05

How can one prevent the id from conflicting with the rational and ethical?

The ego is a bunch of survival mechanisms. It has been programmed via millions of years of evolution. The rationality and ethics are a recent invention of the mind. As long as the survival is taken care of, the ego sleeps. If its needs for food, shelter and mates is met, it remains calm and peaceful. This gives the newer mind a chance to express itself. One can be as rational and ethical as one wants. Know well that this is a thin and brittle layer on something which is extremely powerful.

As soon as there is a threat to the survival, all rationality and ethics break down. In fact, the ego will twist the meanings of these concept to mean that which ensures its survival. This is the time for the higher mind to take a back seat and just accept. This is how the human organism is.

So in essence, when we let the ego do whatever is extremely necessary, it will let us do whatever we consider rational or ethical. The rational mind can intervene into the affairs of the ancient habitual mind, if it starts functioning beyond its domain. If there is no threat to survival, the rational point of view is justified. And it will work, mostly, sometimes, hopefully.

When the survival is in question, what we think is us, a human, will be gone, the control is only an illusion, whatever must happen will happen. When the egoic madness is over, all we can do is mull on the situation, learn from such experiences.

If you can see, the ego or the lower mind and the higher mind are both just different kind of experiences. Your preference for one or the other is simply just another layer of conditioning or programming. You are none of those. You are the silent, peaceful, blissful witness of the drama of the mind. You are the Self.

300. What exactly are Akashic records?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-24 10:48:48

What you know about akashic record ?I watched a show on history TV 18 on it .they told human continuously receive information from a akashic record which we cant see by eyes. What exactly they talking about ? Please simplify it .

Unfortunately it is not a simple matter. Very few people know what it is. You can have an intellectual understanding of it, but it is unbelievable. It has to be an experience. Knowledge comes only via direct experience.

Akash in Sanskrit means the sky or space. There are many interpretations of this word, but surely it is not referring to the usual sky or space we see every day. It is most probably referring to the Chiddakash, which means the space of the consciousness or the ground or reality of the consciousness. The consciousness here is the universal experiencer, the Self, it is our essence. You are essentially the Self, which is blissfully engaged in experiencing the illusions of a world, a body and a mind.

How is this experience being created? That's the mother of all questions. We do not know, but we can theorize. The experience is illusory, which means, the consciousness creates it out of its own modulations. The vibrations of itself form patterns, and various patterns combine and arrange to form structures. Mind is one such structure. The mind represents the continuously changing patterns as symbols or icons and creates a world and a body. Mind is huge and complex. We experience a tiny part of it, our waking human mind. A mind is nothing but memory and some processes that operate on the memory.

This sea of patterns can be said to form a giant structure, a combination of all structures, and that is the Universal mind. Since minds are nothing but memories and processes, we can say that all of the Universal mind is one huge memory. This can be called the Akashic memory or Akashic records.

Everything that has happened, everything that can happen, every object, every mind, every living and non-living thing exists as a memory in this Universal mind. Just like the terrain, buildings, characters etc in a computer game exist in the memory of the computer, and spring to life at the command of a user. Who is the user of Universal mind? It is you, or any other being which is self aware and conscious. The Self is the only user, it is a play created for the Self by the Self.

How to access the Akashic memory? Well, it is easy. You are already doing it. What we see around us is a tiny tiny part of it. The worlds, the universes, they are like specks of dust compared to the size of the Universal mind or akashic memory. But it is possible to access anything in it, as you are the user.

So why can't you access all of it? You are all of it already. The more evolved a mind is, more it can access. Right now you can access some of it, and also manipulate it a bit. That's a lot compared to an ant for example, but its nothing compared to a highly evolved mind. Our minds are on an evolutionary journey towards greater and greater experience of what is.

For more in depth explanations of all kinds of memories and structures, follow the gift.

 Gift 1: Memories

Questions: 301-400

301. Will everyone experience different realities in the afterlife?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-24 12:09:46

Again if our beliefs create our reality, when we die and go into the afterlife, won't everyone experience different realities with their different ideas of the afterlife?

Beliefs do not create anything except confusion and stupidity. Else whatever we believed would instantly appear. Beliefs are merely unfounded assumptions in the mind, gathered from here and there, not based on any evidence or direct experience. That is the definition of the word belief a seeker would prefer.

So what creates the reality? We can only say that there is no reality, its all an illusion. The only reality there is, is the Self, pure consciousness, which is our essence. It is merely witnessing a show that springs from itself.

One of the experience is an experience of the mind. The mind is a processor of experiences. It arranges the experience according to its needs of survival. Neatly arranged experiences are called Knowledge. Ultimately all knowledge is an interpretation of information received by the mind via various means, such as the body and the senses or logical and rational thoughts etc. The interpretation depends on the conditioning or programming of the mind. This can be easily seen. Every kind of mind produces its own version of reality according to its own structure and conditioning.

So there is a wide variety of realities, one each for a mind. So the statement, we create the reality should not be taken superficially. There is no "we", there is no "I" which is busy creating things. The I is also an illusion. The experience is already there and is being interpreted by the minds, that's all can be said. The mind creates the reality is a rough way of saying it.

Death can be defined as a state of the mind. It is amazing because the body has been totally destroyed and the mind is completely exposed to itself, there are no boundaries there now and there is no sensory perception. It is like a dream. But there is an experience. How will the mind interpret this experience? Obviously depending on its conditioning. The more evolved a mind is, more lucid would be the experience. It is the case right now also. No matter what ideas the mind holds about the afterlife, the experience will be fully determined by the structure of that mind. So yes, it will be slightly different for each mind, depending upon its cultivation, level of awareness, knowledge and maturity.

How do we know this? The only way to know is by direct experience of it. Till that happens, its all a theory. No one can prove it, no one can say I know it surely. There is no hurry, death is a certainty and it will happen.

A wise seeker prepares for this experience by cultivating calm, rational, peaceful state of the mind. A seekers frees the mind from all afflictions and ignorance, so that when the support wheels of a physical world and a physical body are removed, he can still ride any experience what so ever not being affected by it or not getting trapped in it. Human life is nothing but a training ground for the mind.

302. Why are some psychedelic experiences negative even if they show the truth?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-24 12:15:04

I came across a few similar accounts of psychedelic users having the experience being 'God consciousness' creating everything and being everyone else, yet they actually felt lonely or afraid, even bored. How can divinity be so depressing?

When you use unnatural means to know that which is an obvious truth, the consequences are going to be negative to say the least. Messing with the working of the mind without proper cultivation results in undesirable consequences.

Isn't the consciousness here and now? Isn't it your essence right now? Isn't it the only one that exists as both the experience and the experiencer? It takes hardly a few minutes to see it. Look with an open mind.

Why can't people see it? Why do they need to resort to destructive means or immense amount of effort to see this simple truth? The answer is obvious - ignorance. Ignorance prevents the mind from seeing things as they are. That's why we need an experienced teacher and we need to cultivate or prepare the mind, purify it of all ignorance. Ignorance is mostly in the form of beliefs that happen as a result of brainwashing by the ignorants.

When artificial means are used, and when "enlightenment" is forced on a mind where the survival tendencies are still strong, the mind reacts badly to it. Seeing the truth means seeing the illusion of the ego. Seeing the illusion of the world. An ignorant mind survives on the support of the belief that it is real and the world, its life, its property, its hoard of wealth and relatives are real. This belief has been hammered down very strongly in it. Obviously, when the ground below its feet disappears instantly, it will react badly. The ego senses the experiences as a threat to its survival. The result is fear, loneliness, depression, lunacy, rejection, delusion and so on.

Anyhow, once seen, the mind never returns to ignorance. It has only one option left, which is to accept and cultivate itself. The good news is, the mind adapts quickly. It rarely happens that a person or a life is completely wasted or destroyed by extraordinary experiences.

It is not all dark and gloomy for everyone, some people emerge out of artificially induced experiences as great seekers. However, such practices are not recommended for obvious reasons. Especially when there are more elegant and beautiful ways to get there, easily and directly.

303. If reality is created based solely on our beliefs, how are the people real?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-24 12:07:32

If reality is created based solely on our beliefs, how are the people around me 'real'?

Its good to question everything. But let's begin at the beginning.

What is I?

What is reality?

What is a belief?

Is reality being created by "beliefs" of "I"?

What are people?

Now you can explore. And you will find some assumptions in your question. You can test them by logic, your direct experience and counter questioning.

You will find that there is no reality. There is only an experience. It is not being created, just being witnessed. It is being witnessed by the witness consciousness or the Self, the experiencer. The mind sometimes distorts it to conform it to its agenda, but no matter how refined the reality appears, its always a distortion. Its always an illusion.

Only one thing deserves the quality of being real or true, and that is not a thing, it is the witness of all things, which looks like nothingness. It is the consciousness, the Self. It is your essence. It does not matter if any experience is real or not, the experiencer is always real. There is no experience without an experiencer. This is the self-evident truth which cannot be denied.

If you look closely, you will find that the experience is actually the experiencer itself appearing to itself in various forms. You will see that the experience never happens in isolation, there is always an experiencer. And the experiencer never appears alone, there is always an experience. They are one and the same. Like a coin with two sides. They don't exist independently and separately.

So whatever appears, is only an appearance, an appearance of your essence, the Self. The appearances are all illusory and of infinite variety. Some of those illusory forms are - a body, a mind and other bodies, other minds. Are they not real? They are you. It means nothing when we call them real or unreal.

 Gift 1: The Experiencer  
Gift 2: There is only one Self

304. Why do only few people among the billions experience the reality?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-24 15:02:34

People like sandeep maheshwari, sadhguru, osho, sir shree , swami vivekanand or many other ,what happened in their life that they come forward and talk about reality of this illusionary world,This phase come in every human life ? I want say that why just few people from billions people experience the reality?

When the fruit is ripe it falls. When the mind reaches a particular level of maturity, it gains the knowledge. Evolution of the mind is a natural happening. This is how the existence is. It is continuously evolving, and the minds keep coming out of darkness as and when the right time arrives.

Eventually the realization of the truth happens for all. Only that it does not happen to all at once. That is not impossible, but not very probable. When you take a look at a jungle, you will find that some trees are huge, some are small, some are saplings and some are buried in the soil as seeds. Why are they all not fully grown? What happens in the life of a tree that it appears to have grown while others are tiny? You see, you are not looking at the bigger picture, you take one look at the whole jungle and wonder what is going on.

Just like the jungle, there is almost an infinite jungle of minds in this whole existence, they all are at different stages of growth. New ones keep appearing, old ones keep disappearing. Its a continuous process. The growth happens through many lives, many cycles of births and deaths. When we take a casual look, it appears as if only a few minds have evolved, rest are somehow defective, not growing, and we wonder why that has happened, what is so special in those evolved minds? This confusion is a result of seeing a slice of the big picture. Its like judging the whole story of a movie from its one frame.

So actually many minds, or embodied minds (we call them people) exist who realized the truth. There are some times when they are in a large number, and we call such time the age of light or enlightenment, some other times, they are very few in number or non existent, we call such times dark ages. You can guess what kind of time we are in now. Its like seasons, cycles of light and dark.

However, its not so bad. It is actually amazing that we have great masters here and the essential knowledge or spiritual knowledge is freely flowing like a huge river for all to drink from. There are many great masters, many are just hidden, they prefer to live in solitude, a majority of them. Some teach or guide. A tiny fraction of those become famous, because they have the skills. People like them. You named some of them. Although not as famous as a politician or a movie star, but famous among seekers. They are only a tip of the iceberg. They become known among ordinary people only when they fall into controversy of some kind. Else general population remains unaware of them.

There is something about the truth, or perhaps it is human nature, that once we know, we want to share it with others. We do that without demanding anything in return. We do that selflessly. Masters have done that, and we are grateful for that. Benefit of all is my benefit also. If you wish to see the age of enlightenment return, share the knowledge. Give it away freely.

305. Why do I seem to enjoy negative thoughts?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-25 12:40:51

Some time I feel I allow a film of negative thoughts come to my mind ,may be I am become habitual of it and enjoy it , I enjoy it that thoughts related with jealousy ,think bad about other people life ?intentionally I do not allow positive and good deeds thoughts in mind becuase may be bad thoughts are more enjoyable. What is it ?

It is more like a habit than enjoyment. The lower part of the mind which is responsible for survival of the body is called the ego. The ego is a bit biased towards negativity. Why is that? Because focusing on negative increases the chances of survival. For example, when everyone is eating and are healthy, the ego is not interested, it is not so active, but as soon as someone dies of food poisoning, it becomes a big news, the ego pays attention. Now it is afraid of eating carelessly. That means less chance of dying. This is the reason the news is full of negativity, positive news does not sell well, no one wants to read it. Most of our entertainment is negative, because that's what the ego likes. All of the human society is mostly negative, there is disharmony, hate, racism, violence and distrust, all because of ego's preference for negative.

When everyone is doing well and you are not, it obviously activates the ego. It wants to defeat others and survive better. This is the emotion of envy or jealousy or competition. Its not that we enjoy it, its simply because this is the programming we are born with. This is how the humans evolved.

Negative is interesting, negative ensures an advantage in survival, the mind ignores the positive, it is not a priority, there is nothing to fix there, its not dangerous enough to draw its attention, and so it is filled with negativity all the time. This is the mechanism behind negative thoughts and behaviour.

How to solve this? The first step is to become aware. Awareness is the key. Become aware of the mental contents. Check if there is really a threat to the survival, or is it just mechanical thoughts produced by the ego. If is it really important act on it, else just watch the thoughts, let them come and go. When not fuelled, they die out. This must be done all the time, 24x7. It is the essence of cultivation. It is the only way to transcend the mechanical egoic behaviour. This is a lifestyle, where awareness replaces the habit and conditioning.

Gift 1: Stages of awareness

306. How is reprogramming and corrections of the mind done?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-25 12:58:19

How is reprogramming and corrections of the mind done?

Programs are impressions formed in the memory via repetitions. The repeating thing can be a perception, a thought, an action or a behaviour pattern. When one thing is repeated again and again, a memory impression or a program is formed in the mind. It's also called entrainment or samskaras.

Its like when you pour water on the soil, initially it flows everywhere, but if you keep pouring more water, you will see that some tiny channels form and now the water "prefers" to flow in those channels more. Repeat the action, and now the channels become wider and deeper. The water flows in the widest and deepest of them. A program or impression is now formed in the soil. From now on the water will behave in a "habitual" way. In fact, it will be very difficult to make it go any other way.

The mind has a reward and punishment mechanism built into it. When a mental or bodily action helps in survival and procreation, it produces a reward for itself. When an action or behaviour is a threat to the survival, it punishes that action. This is how pleasure and pain, joy and sorrow are created. An average person is trapped in them. The mind is a complex mechanism. If you wish to manipulate the mind, it is necessary to have a good knowledge of what it is and how it works.

So now it should be obvious, in order to install a new program, repeat the needed actions and thoughts continuously. Make them very interesting, so that it produces a reward. Link them with survival if possible, like food or money, and the mind will do it for you.

To erase or correct a program or behaviour, stop repeating the corresponding actions or thoughts. For this you need to be very aware. Awareness is the key. When you are intensely aware of the mental contents, you get a choice to not to act on the habitual programs mechanically. Now you can abort the actions before they happen, you can stop fuelling the thoughts that you do not want.

Replace the bad programs with something good. This is not magic, obviously. It takes some discipline and hard work. This is essentially the cultivation of the mind. It is a lifestyle where awareness and intelligence replaces the habitual and mechanical, animalistic working of the mind. This must be done continuously, 24x7. An experienced teacher can also help greatly.

Gift 1: Stages of awareness

307. Can a common human being achieve his true self?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-08-29 14:05:20

Can a common human being achieve his true self?

Yes. All those enlightened people are just ordinary humans. There is nothing special there.

Self is pure consciousness. It is your essence. It is actually the whole existence itself, which has taken a human form among other infinite number of forms.

Are you not your true Self now?

Probably there are layers upon layers of ignorance and blind beliefs about your real nature. Probably that is why you are not really aware what you are. Once the ignorance is gone, which can take only minutes, you will find that the Self was always there, it was always your essence. It cannot be anything else. It did not magically appear from nowhere, only that its knowledge and awareness were hidden behind ignorance and confusion.

There is nothing to achieve here. How can you become that which you already are?

It usually takes a little bit of pointing, a little hint by an experienced teacher to clearly see what you are, and what you are not. Once seen, the ignorance falls, you "wake up".

A wise person does not waste his time in questions and doubts, he just takes a look. That's all is needed. To check whether its day or night, all you need to do is look out of the window. No amount of reading, questioning, arguing, philosophizing, worshiping or magical things will show you if its day outside.

Your experience is your truth.

 Gift 1: The Experiencer  
[ Gift 2: Experiencing the Self  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/12/introspection-1-experiencing-self.html)

308. Why do my friends leave me?

Self Talk 1.3.0 2018-08-29 17:48:53

why do my friends leave me?

Perhaps they were not really friends.

A friend is same soul in another body. A friend will never leave. If they left they were not friends. Probably they just wanted something from you, and either you could not provide it, so they went away, or you did and they got it and left.

Try to be yourself. Have a life goal. A very high goal. Not copied from others or not dependent on others. If you meet someone else who has similar goal, you will find that they stay with you, because now both are on the same path, both have same goals. That turns into a friendship. Other people with different goals or random people go away, they are on their own path, they have their own goals.

Do not worry about people, they are not so important, your own life is most important. If someone becomes your companion on this path, be grateful, be thankful, do not cling or expect. See how best you can utilize your life, this human existence in this physical world. See why you are here, what can you learn here.

Every experience is a lesson.

309. What is destiny and what are its constraints? Do we have some choice?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-01 14:30:21

What is destiny and what are its constraints? Do we have some choice over destiny?

Life is a series of experiences. All experiences are being mediated via the mind. All that can be experienced is a mind. The mind operates under the laws of the mind. These laws determine the exact experience one is having. The way the experience unfolds is precisely determined by the laws of the mind. There is no way around these laws. The mind is a structure and it functions in a specific way. The world is another structure and it also functions in a specific way. The physical laws are a subset of mental laws.

The mind operates on memories. The memories or impressions or samskaras completely determine the actions and behaviour. The memories are in turn formed out of experiences. The experiences themselves are determined as mentioned. Choices are a set of behaviour. These are limited by what the mind already knows, or by its memories or conditioning or programming. A very large set of choices gives an illusion of will. However the choices are impressions that happen exactly as per the laws and the choosing also happens exactly as per the laws.

There is no one to choose, that which is seen as making a choice is an illusion. This illusory entity is the person or identity. Its a creation of the mind. All that happens is a series of cause and effects, exactly as programmed. This can be easily seen.

So the memories or the conditioning of the mind is the only constraint upon ones actions and behaviour. The mind has no way to bypass them. These form the very structure of the mind. All these laws together produce a very complex series of causes and effects that we experience as life.

The good news is, we are not the mind. The mind itself is an experience. We are the experiencer, the Self, pure consciousness, that is experiencing the mind and the world. There are no constraints on the Self, it is not a structure, it is pure emptiness that is conscious. It is existence itself, which has infinite potential and possibilities. You are that.

So it is very easy to free yourself from the predestination by simply shifting your identity from the mind or the body to the Self. As long as there is an identification with the mind or a body or any other object or entity, there will be this illusion of limitedness and bondage. Realize that, as Self, you are already free. You are freedom itself.

 Gift 1: Laws of mind  
Gift 2: Illusion of bondage

310. Why is murder considered so wrong?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-01 09:24:33

Why is murder concidered so wrong?

Its not always wrong. Killing a violent criminal or terrorist or a corrupt and cruel politician or king is considered perfectly good.

However, killing a person or an animal for greed or fun or for any other reason except self-preservation is considered bad. This is because everyone is a part of the universe which is alive and evolving. Such actions cause suffering and de-evolution. Destruction goes against the flow of the universe. The universe prefers creation, life and happiness. Anything that is destructive and causes harm gradually disappears, naturally. So it is by necessity that destructive tendencies and violence do not last.

Constructive tendencies, creativity and love keeps universe going in the direction of greater and greater complexity, greater knowledge, greater minds, more happiness and freedom. So naturally that is favoured. Or that is what remains as a necessity. There is no surprise that a healthy mind prefers it.

So destruction of any kind, including that of a living being, is bad for all. In fact the more evolved a being is, worse it is. Because a lot of work went into the formation of that being. It puts the whole universe a step backwards. Humans are the most evolved beings on this planet and so destroying a human life is the worst possible thing to do, unless it is for greater good.

311. I know that I am pure consciousness, a witness but why can't I feel it?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-02 14:57:16

"I dont have to live in this moment ,I am this moment" this line said by a famous person , I want to ask a question but I cant find words,you say something about this line. I know that I am pure conciousness ,a expericer ,a witness but I cant feel it

Your essence, the Self or the consciousness cannot be felt.

It is the one which feels. It is impossible to perceive it as a form, sensation, feeling, energy or process. Because it is the one that does perceiving.

Lets take a metaphor. Consciousness is like a screen. All that can be experienced is like a movie. The screen can show a movie, but can a screen show itself on itself?

However the screen knows its presence simply because there is a movie playing on it. It is undeniable. How can there be a movie without a screen? Similarly, how can there be an experience without an experiencer?

You can ask this to yourself - am I conscious now? If the answer is yes, check how do you know this answer. It is simply because there is an experience, one is certain that there is an experiencer. You can call it the "I".

A lot of people do this mistake, they search for consciousness in experience. An experience cannot be consciousness. The consciousness is of an experience, it is not an experience. To search for your essence, what you are, in various kinds of experiences is just ignorance. Check that which is experiencing everything. Its not a form, a shape, a feeling or anything else. It is pure consciousness.

 Gift 1: The Experiencer  
 Gift 2: Experiencing the Self

312. What is the source of physical matter?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-02 15:13:42

What is the source of material? (Earth, Fire, Water, Space, Air)

The source is the Self. Pure consciousness. In other words you are the ultimate source. Not only of matter, but of also of mind, and everything else that can be experienced.

In fact, there is no difference between what is being experienced and that which is experiencing it. There are no two.

The division is a result of mental processes of separation and segregation. In order to perceive anything at all, that thing must be seen as separate from everything else. This mechanism leads to a separation between the experience and the experiencer. Obviously, it is an illusion. There is really no separation, it appears so.

Whatever is being experienced, are patterns of non-physical change. The patterns are represented as icons in the mind. The senses produce various icons out of pure information or patterns of change. These icons look like various objects made up of forms and colours or sounds etc. There is no material there, no substance or matter. The objects are illusions.

Know this as your direct experience. Your experience is your reality, your truth.

 Gift 1: Nature of reality  
 Gift 2: The illusion of world  
 Gift 3: Origin of world

313. I can't create a gap between mind and me ,what should I do?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-02 15:27:03

I want to see the truth or feel it but again I am thinking about past ,future, desires, regret things which I did in past again I am become mind, continuously trap in it , I cant create gap between mind and me ,what I do ?

First step is always dis-identification with the mind. Discriminate what is mind and what you are. Mind throws baits, even spiritual baits, to bring itself back on the stage. Of course, the discrimination is also done by the mind. Mind needs to surrender. This is the second step, also called awareness. Be aware intensely. Awareness is the key. How to be less like ego? Its simple, be more like the Self. When you are always aware of your true nature, you are more like Self.

Mind is a peculiar experience. There is a thought or ignorance in the mind that "I'm experiencing" everything and so I must experience myself also. Mind is an experience, an experience cannot experience anything. However, there is a knowledge also in the mind, a thought that I am the Self. When this thought occurs, the attention shifts from external experiences to internal knowing of experiences. Mind subsides and pure consciousness shines for a moment. This is self awareness. So awareness can be defined as the knowledge in the mind that there is consciousness and I am that. This awareness is the light of consciousness when it shines on the mind.

Awareness can be maintained, if needed or desired, via practice. Set up reminders around you in any form. Take up meditations. Seek the company of aware people. Entertain yourself with awareness enhancing books or talks or music. Get into an habit of doing everything slowly and deliberately while being fully aware. Become aware of the mental activity and be slow and deliberate in your choices. Becoming aware in every moment happens in three stages - 1)Becoming aware when the action or thought has already occurred 2)Becoming aware while acting and thinking and 3)Becoming aware before the action and thought happens. It is the cultivation of the mind, a progressive refinement. It is the spiritual life style. Many people take it up, but know that its not a small trick that can be done in a minute, it takes a whole life time. Being aware is a way to live and must be cultivated. There are many paths and traditions. All involve practice and learning. Choose any suitable.

Know well that you are not these thoughts or mental states. You are the Self. It is impossible to be anything else.

Self is not a state of the mind. Self is just another name for you, the I. Self merely observes those events. It is the consciousness of them. There are no activities there. It is a changeless background of all activities.

Is it even possible to be not I? Is it possible to "become" that which you already are? Does the Self disappear when it faces people, situations, memories, emotions? If it did, the body and mind would fall unconscious. See that the witness is always there, only that it is witnessing the mechanical activities of the mind, where there is now a forgetting of what it is. In other words, there is unawareness, not unconsciousness.

When you say that you are the whole existence, can the existence become something else, some other existence?

So, it looks like there is still some confusion in your mind about what you essentially are. And probably the mind is not peaceful as a result of this. The mind slips frequently into unawareness and habitual behaviour. Always remember that the essence of I is pure consciousness, or the experiencer. Also known as the Self. It is the emptiness that is witnessing all experiences, including those of the mind and its states and activities.

Its not you, its the mind that gets agitated. Its the mind that gets provoked. All these are actions and processes of the mind. How would you know its not you? That is simple, check if you can experience them. If yes, then these are external experiences, its not the experiencer. Experiencer cannot be experienced. It is the one that is experiencing.

Surely the Self can experience all these states and activities of the mind. It is your direct knowledge. It is self evident. Once you confirm it like this, the confusion about what you essentially are will be cleared. You will be able to see the mind as an object, a pattern of memories and processes. That's all it is. And its past programming is making it react. When you see this clearly, the identification with the mind will be dropped. And when that happens, the suffering disappears completely. Awareness arises in the mind and it now terminates its mechanical reactions.

The mind will slip again, but nothing to worry, just remember again what you are. Shine the light of consciousness on it, and it will override its habitual behaviour again. Repeat as necessary. This is a practice. Its not a one shot cure. It takes some time to cultivate it, but once mastered it becomes your nature. Awareness is the key.

Discriminate every second what is you and what is the mind. Choose awareness. Set up reminders or invent your own means to remind you that you are identifying with mind. As soon as you are aware, the mind will enter a peaceful state on its own. You can also use a tradition, something specific as a practice. The whole point of meditational and other ritualistic practices is to cultivate awareness. Pick any.

Being aware, and cultivating a peaceful and aware mind is a lifestyle. It has nothing to do with the Self, which is eternally peaceful and blissful. It is perfect, and cannot be changed, it is empty, pure and without any qualities, there is nothing there that changes. Know it well via your direct experience.

 Gift 1: Be aware  
[ Gift 2: Stages of awareness  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/09/soa.html)

314. How can you be kind and show compassion for anyone that won't give you the same?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-09-03 06:08:32

How can you be kind and show compassion for anyone that won't give you the same?

Kindness and compassion cannot be demanded, you can only be so unconditionally.

Its not kindness when you expect others to behave as per your preference. People will behave exactly as per their preference. Accepting that is kindness.

However, if the other person is causing trouble or taking your kindness as your weakness, it is best to either leave or take some logical action if your survival is at risk. Teaching a lesson to a violent person is kindness too, if it is done not as an attack or for revenge.

When people do not respond to your kind behaviour, its perfectly ok, you are at peace, nothing more needs to be done. When they return kindness, do not cling or show favour, just be grateful, nothing more needs to be done.

It all looks nice as an idea, but in practice it can be a challenge. So be kind whenever you can, be compassionate in general. In situations where you cannot manage that, do not worry, its perfectly ok. Your kindness need not be forced or artificial, that's not really kindness. Use common sense, teachings are only guidelines.

The whole point of being kind and compassionate is to retain your peace of mind. If your behaviour is not so, the mind remains in an agitated state. This again spirals into violent behaviour and negativity. Understand this point. If you are overly kind and still not at peace, something is wrong.

315. What is the difference between the words 'Consciousness' and 'Awareness'?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-04 03:51:59

Please explain terminological difference between the uses of 'Consciousness' and 'Awareness' as both the words usually used in place of 'चित्' by the masters.

Different masters use different translations for the word chitta. It can mean consciousness or awareness or mind (as in chittavritti). The English words in turn are interpreted differently by different teachers or people in general. For example the word consciousness means the waking state of the mind in western regions of the world, and so unconscious means an inactive state of the body and the mind. Awareness may again mean anything from knowledge to attention to consciousness itself.

So it is all very wild an loose as far as the words and their meanings are concerned. You will never know what the master is talking about if you do not know his own interpretation. Sometimes the same master will switch to a different meaning for convenience, for example when explaining something to a student who cannot let go of his own interpretations. You can now guess that the situation is very complicated and one must not rely on words at all.

Usually a good teacher will precisely define his own terminology, especially of subjective concepts and entities. If you read a book, for example, you should switch to the writers terminology. If you are facing a master, its best to define your own terms and ask the master his own meanings. Most of people do not do that, they simply assume a meaning and that leads to more confusion.

The only way to see what meaning is being used in some context is via direct experience. If the master is referring to something in your own experience, if his description of that word matches your own experience, then that is the meaning. There is no other reliable way.

In India there are hundreds of words that refer to consciousness and mind and parts of the mind and mental states. Every tradition has added its own terminology. If you try to fix a single meaning on any word, especially the English words, it will be a disaster. Sanskrit words are more precisely defined inside their own traditions. So when in doubt consult the master who is using those words, asking someone else about what it means may not give you an accurate meaning.

But what about those masters who are not here, like the ones who wrote great scriptures thousands of years ago? If you ask experts, they are obviously going to interpret the scriptures in their own unique way. So its best to again check your own experience. See which word best relates to which of your experience. Experience will become a key, which you can use to decipher any word, used by anyone, anywhere.

Experience comes first, without experience all words are meaningless noises. Your experience is your truth, no matter which words describe it.

316. Why is it hard keeping up with our determined goals?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-04 03:09:28

Why do we feel hard to keeping up with our determined goals?

When you are extremely hungry, how hard is it for you to eat?

When your stomach is full, can you still go on eating?

When you are extremely passionate about your goals, when those very goals define your life, how hard is it to work on them?

When you are after meaningless, useless and boring activities, can you find any interest or energy to keep doing them?

Meditate on these questions. The answer is pretty obvious, if it is too hard, if it is taking extreme effort, if it keeps failing, if it is causing pain and suffering, then probably it is not your goal or probably you are not very interested in it, probably there is no passion. The reason can be anything, like you find it meaningless, or you prefer to do something else, which is your nature, and that which you think is your goal is forced upon you by others or by some kind of social/peer brainwashing etc.

If you are on the path of your heart, such questions do not arise. You are very sure of what you are doing, it is a joy. The whole journey is an exciting adventure. You never feel a lack of energy or interest. Every challenge becomes a learning experience for you, it is not a problem, it is a source of knowledge and makes you better. You will find no time to just sit or complain if you are on that path.

Find the path of your heart, walk on it. You are born for it. The sure sign that you are on a right path is ever increasing happiness and freedom.

 Gift 1: Path of the heart

317. Should I seek revenge?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-04 16:39:01

Should I seek revenge?

All actions result from the impressions stored in the mind, its memory or programming or conditioning. The mind will do exactly that which it is programmed to do. There is no one there to decide upon an action. No matter what the actions are, there will always be consequences. There are no good or bad actions, but there are good or bad consequences depending on how the mind receives them.

It does not really matter what the consequences are, good or bad, there is always a lesson. The lesson can be anything, it can either produce a suffering or pleasure, but the mind will learn something and it will change and evolve. New impressions will be formed which will generate new actions. The cycle will repeat.

You are the peaceful background of consciousness that is witnessing this unceasing activity of the mind. You are the Self. Know what you are and be free from the drama of the mind. Be blissful.

 Gift 1: Actions  
 Gift 2: Forgiveness  
 Gift 3: Karma

318. Is the earth flat, shaped like a plate?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-04 14:34:02

Is the earth flat, shaped like a plate?

Does it really matter? Your life is going to be exactly the same, even if the land you are on is shaped like a potato or something else.

Try and see what matters most for you. Know that well via your direct experience.

 Gift 1 : Origin of world

319. How can a person in deep tension and grief change that situation?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-04 15:30:11

How the person in deep tension and grief can challenge rhe situation

Learn from the situation.

It is there for some reasons. Usually the cause is your own actions and decisions. Those actions and decisions were probably caused by ignorance or attachments or some egoic tendencies. See what those were, and correct yourself.

You always have a choice. Either you can spend rest of your life wallowing in grief and regret or learn from your experiences, take a logical and rational point of view and continue. The choice should not be so difficult.

At each step choose that which takes you to long term freedom and happiness. Look two steps ahead and decide. It is an impulse, or some attachment, or some egoic tendency or your ignorance? If yes, let it go. Suffering is a good teacher, but we do not like it, so train yourself by being aware of your thoughts, desires, speech and actions.

Awareness is the key.

See that most of the suffering is self caused. It is only some thoughts and reactions in the mind. Some negativity that gives rise to negative emotions and actions. These are automated processes. When you see them as they are and not identify with them, they lose power over you. See that you are the pure consciousness that is witnessing all that automatic, mechanical activity of the mind. When this is done 24x7, the mind will take corrective actions in the light of awareness. It already has that intelligence, only that right now it is covered up in the darkness of unawareness.

 Gift 1: Afflictions of the mind-Suffering

320. How to stop following a wrong path and being with wrong people?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-04 15:39:03

How to change urself when you know that you are becoming a wrong person n walking on a wrong path??? Attracted towards wrong people.. How to stop that ??

It is very easy. Such actions usually generate a lot of suffering, stress and anxiety. The signals are usually loud and clear. Just listen to them, and choose not to take that action again.

That sounds simple, but probably most of us fail to choose correctly even when there is this desire to change. Why is that? Why can't we see the choice and why don't we pick it up instantly, if that is what one must do?

There can be two reasons. First is habit. Mind is like a machine that runs on habits or programs or conditioning when left alone. The habits are very strong impressions in the mind that solidify because of repetitions or instant rewards of pleasure. Once a habit is formed, it becomes very difficult to get rid of it, even if you desperately want it to go away. There is a lesson here - what you think is you and your actions are not really you, those actions are not really yours. Its the mind and its mechanical activity. Once you realize this fact, there is a disidentification with the mind and now you can see it clearly as an experience, not as "I". Now a way to fix it opens up. As long as there is a strong identification with the mind in the form of a belief that activities and processes of the mind are "me", there is no hope of fixing the habitual behaviour.

Second reason can be a total lack of awareness about what is going on in the mind. When there is no awareness, when its all cloudy and foggy in your mind, the right choice is not seen, and the mind acts in ignorance. As soon as you become aware of the contents of the mind and its actions, the choices are seen clearly. Once you are aware and see the choice clearly, it becomes possible to consciously and intentionally pick it. Without awareness this is not possible and the mind acts mechanically as per its conditioning. Awareness is the key. Awareness is the knowledge or realization that you are a conscious being witnessing the activities of the mind, body and the world. You are not these things or any imaginary entity, your essence is pure consciousness or the Self. Take the point of view of the Self, and the light of awareness will shine on your mind. For the first time in your life you will see it clearly and you will be filled with a sense of joy and control.

Once these two qualities (disidentification with the mind and awareness) are cultivated, you are armed with everything that you need to change the mechanical behaviour. Whenever there is a situation where you need to make a choice, do not rush impulsively, slow down, think, become aware, see that the mind is habitually pushing some action on you. Discard it, and take an action that can lead to more freedom and happiness. Happiness and freedom must be the criteria. It produces a reward for the mind and it rewires itself. Repeat this every time. Repetitions form new programming that overwrite the old one.

How will you know that this self correction is working? It is easy, the pain, suffering, stress, anxiety and all those negative signals will be gone and will be replaced by peace, joy and happiness. Instead of fear and a feeling of bondage, you will find confidence, control and freedom. These are loud and clear signals that you are now doing something right. Now you are in the flow of the universe, going with it, not against it.

Gift 1: How to reprogram and correct the mind?

321. What habits should I have?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-07 18:33:21

What habits should i make.

None. Habits are not very useful. A mind needs to be free, spontaneous, adaptive and intelligent.

A habitual mind is stiff, stupid and resists any change, never learns anything new, never improves , evolves or grow. Act moment by moment on your present experience, not on things stored in your memory.

322. How to share my knowledge with others?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-09 10:09:03

we all have something amazing with in us but not everyone get chance to share it with world? what advice should i give myself to supress this urge to expand my knowledge to others

Spreading knowledge is the best and noblest service one can do.

However, not everyone is ready to hear that which you are offering. People are at different levels of evolution depending on the amount of ignorance they have. So it is best to share your knowledge in general broadcast mode. For example via the internet, blogs, podcasts, videos etc. Those who are ready and want to know will find you and listen to whatever you have to say.

While talking in person, just drop some hints about what can one learn and teach only when requested. Knowledge cannot be forced, or you cannot manipulate others to know. Knowledge comes via one's own experience and understanding. You can only show a way.

 Gift 1: Dissemination of knowledge

323. Even after reading, learning, knowing about the self, why can't I know it?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-11 18:56:31

Even after reading, learning, knowing about the self, I have no idea what/who/where is me. All I know is mind and body is not me. But no idea about "actual me" or consciousness or self or billions name given to it.

The one that has no idea is the mind. The one that is experiencing the mind with a thought of having no idea about something is the Self. Thoughts are mental activities. The thought I is also a mental activity. The conscious background on which these mental activities are happening is the Self. The thoughts are known in the light of the Self.

The Self is pure consciousness, a witness of all experiences. Your essence is the Self. It is the consciousness of an experience. Are you conscious now? If yes, that which is conscious is the Self. Self is experiencing a world, objects, people, a body, a mind, mental activities and thoughts. All these are different kinds of experiences. They are there because there is something which is experiencing them. That something is not a thing, it cannot experience itself as another experience. If it can, then what is experiencing the experience of Self? There can be only one experiencer and it cannot be experienced as a thing. That no-thing is the Experiencer. Another name for it is the Self, Atman or consciousness.

Consciousness is always of something. Experiencer is always that which is witnessing an experience. The experiencer is inseparable from the experience. The experience and the experiencer happen simultaneously. They are one, but our mind can see a difference, it calls all that which continuously changes as the experience and that which remains constant as the experiencer.

Attend to that which always remains unchanging among all these experiences. It is the silent and empty background of consciousness. Sometimes the mind calls it I, but it is the beholder of this I-thought too. It is not an individual, it is a witness of this individual that the mind thinks it is.

So do not seek the Self as a person, or an identity, or an individual. Do not try to know it as an object, a perception or any other experience. It is always the one that is knowing, receiving all perceptions, is aware and conscious of every thought in the mind.

Instead of asking who am I, ask what is the essence of this experience that is called the I? While every experience changes, what remains as a constant witness of those experiences? When all that can be experienced is discarded, what remains in the end?

You will find that what remains is not an object or perception, not a person or a story of what I am, not an identity or a thought, not a body or a mind or any entity, but an emptiness that is aware of all these things, which are merely experiences. Self is the essence of everything including the I. It is not an experience. It is the one due to which there is an experience. All experiences happen on this conscious background.

Many pictures come and go on a movie screen, many events happens, many characters appear and disappear on it. It is continuously changing. But see what's behind this illusion of a movie, it is a blank screen, which enables the drama in the movie, but is unchanging, remains constant. It was there before the movie started and it will be there after the movie ends. The movie comes and goes. The screen is the constant, it enables the experience of this movie.

Can the movie happen without a screen? Can you find the screen itself in the movie? Where is the screen in the movie? Even if there is an exotic screen as a picture in the movie, its still not the real screen on which it is being shown. You will never find the screen in the movie.

Can you find that which is enabling all experience and witnessing all experiences as an empty background, in experience itself? Which experience will show you the experiencer? Isn't the experiencer already there in all experiences? Isn't the consciousness already there in all that you are conscious of?

Can you find it after reading and listening to the lectures? Can you know it simply by knowing its names? Have you checked that which is witnessing the experience of reading and which is perceiving the names being called? Have you turned to the Self itself to know that it cannot be known in the way you know other things?

The only way to know the Self is to be it. The only way to be it is to realize that you are already it, you are the Self, perhaps the mind is confused, it tries to labels things as the Self, and it never finds it. See that which is quietly watching this activity of the mind. Consciousness is conscious of this ignorance also. The ignorance is to identify with things, experiences of all kinds and call them as "my Self". See that the mind is a character on the screen of the Self. When it gives up such identifications, it disappears, its nothing but some activities, processes, thoughts, and the screen reveals itself, as the background of the mind. Its impossible to know it in any other way, because you are the knower, you can only be it. You cannot appear to yourself as an object, you are the subject. The subject is not an idea or experience, it is always that which experiences all the ideas. Is there an experience of all those ideas and thoughts and confusions? If yes, that empty field of consciousness on which they are happening is the Self.

 Gift 1: The experiencer

324. How to get rid of this ego?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-11 18:45:11

How to get rid of this ego that I'm not doing the self inquiry?

Ego seems very strong. That I'm moving forward on this path or I know something valuable which rest of the world dont know.

Ego: It is the function of mind; Mind creates a false identification. As per the conditioning right from the childhood. Not limited to body and mind, but my religion, my nationalsim and so on.

You already have a good understanding of the Ego or the person or the identity. It is a bunch of processes in the mind that aid in survival and functioning of the body. It is also useful for functioning reasonably in a society or a group of Egos. It is not really a disposable thing. End of Ego means end of human experience, which you call as a human life. So it is really not recommended to get rid of it.

Ego will go away anyhow. Death is like a duster that wipes the board clean. Death will not wipe the tendencies, and they keep reappearing as Egos, minds, bodies. That should give you a hint where the real problem is. See the root of the problem. It is this endless cycle of being an Ego and being wiped out again and again, but only after it generates a lot of suffering, confusion and darkness. Know this root as your direct experience. Never blindly believe anything, especially that which can be only subjectively known. Teachings can point to where you can search, but the knowledge comes only via your own direct experience.

When the Egoic thoughts and tendencies show up strongly, become aware of them. Awareness is the key. If you are not aware 24x7, the Ego has a free reign. It will rule your thoughts, speech and actions. If you are aware of the contents of your mind, a choice opens up to not to follow them. You can simply watch them as an entertaining movie which is happening on the screen of your awareness. Its funny and empty like a hollow puppet. The darkness of unawareness turns this shadow puppet into a real monster. This is all you need to realize and do.

Once you let the thoughts of all kind appear and disappear like clouds on the clear sky of consciousness, the problem is solved. You do not need the violence of destruction and suppression of Ego. Do not fight with mother nature. Ego is your pet, like an obedient donkey. It is simply providing you a human experience in this illusory world. This experience has some value, else no one would take it.

Know well via your experience that command of Ego will weaken the tendencies stored in the causal body also. Next birth, if any, will express a tamed Ego, perhaps a refined Ego. This practice lasts, its not totally useless.

 Gift 1: Ego and its tendencies

325. What is the purpose of creation?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-12 02:37:31

What is the purpose of creation

There is a double assumption here. First is that there is a creation, and second that it has some purpose.

Have you tried to verify these ideas?

There is no creation, you will find if you dig deeper into such theories, but there is an experience. The experience is never of anything being created, the experience is of a continuous change. Creation and destruction are classifications the mind comes up with according to its own bias about an event. Anything that changes as per the desires of the mind, it is construction, else it is destruction. No two minds have same preferences, as you know well.

The purpose or the end goal is an assumption in the mind. The end goal implies an end of existence, but that is not an experience. It is impossible to experience that.

The mind forms an idea of purpose when it encounters objects that have purpose. E g the purpose of the chair is sitting, the purpose of the floor is to keep chair on, the purpose of the ground is to support the floor etc. But if you keep digging about purposes, it soon becomes strange. The purpose of the ground is? And so on. Now imagine the idea of purpose extended to the whole existence, it will become utterly meaningless. Try some more chains-of-purposes. Usually it becomes meaningless in two or three iterations.

The concept of purpose makes some sense in a limited way. Its the utility of things or an imaginary goal that people are heading to or something like that. The mind uses this idea to take a meaningful action. The actions are mostly concerned with its own survival and activities. The mind knows well what is the purpose of a car, obviously, it takes the body to the work, where it gets the money and money feeds it, etc. That's all the mind knows. Ask it about the purpose of this big rock on the street or a distant star or galaxy, and it becomes meaningless, as it is not relevant to the mind, not useful at all for the mind to decide or act on it.

326. What is spirituality exactly?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-11 19:02:12

What is spirituality exactly?

A lifestyle or a path that is focused on the essence of what we are. Knowledge of that essence and acting in best possible way in the light of that knowledge.

Follow the gift for a very detailed discussion on this subject.

 Gift 1: Spirituality for Beginners

327. How can I clearly hear heart's voice in the noise of the mind?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-13 07:33:05

How I can hear clear my heart voice from noise of mind ?

The heart speaks in silence. The mind translates it into a voice.

Once you know this well, you will know what to do in order to clearly listen.

The source is eternally pure, it does not change. The mind is eternally restless and keeps changing. So how can such an unstable mind interpret the silence of the changeless?

The answer is simple, purify the mind.

A pure mind, even with all its ceaseless activities, can clearly hear the voice of silence. How to purify the mind? What is impure in it? That's an important question. See, introspect. Experience the mind as it is. The impurities are in the form of ignorance, blind beliefs, expectations, preferences and so on.

Uproot them all. As much as you can. The noise will go away.

How to do that? Destroy the ignorance with the light of knowledge. That is the only cure, a permanent cure. Knowledge comes via experience, that is the only way. Be curious, question everything, seek an experienced teacher, implement the knowledge in daily life, seek the company of seekers of knowledge, drop the useless pursuit of unimportant things and people.

As you see its not a quick fix. Its a lifestyle, where you continuously turn to the source. You are the source, you will say, so how can the source turn to the source? Its simple, its all noisy and confusing because it is facing the noise and confusion, so all you need to do is turn away from all that which takes you away from the source, and when you see that you were facing in the wrong direction all this time, the return happens. You return to the source. This is simply a realization that you never actually left it, you were only distracted for a while by all this noise of the mind.

 Gift 1: Going home

328. What to do to motivate myself to lose weight and become healthy again?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-13 09:12:57

I am over weight.

My weight is increasing day by day and I have been bullied by everyone because of my weight. I do exercises but I am not doing with determination. I couldn't continue regularly. I don't know what to do to bring my determination.

Probably its not working because it is being driven by fear. The fear is that of being ridiculed by others.

There is an opposing force also, which is that of pleasure which happens through eating a lot. Perhaps the depressed and sad mind finds some relief in the reward that eating produces.

Exercising puts the body in discomfort, which is another force in play. It is opposing itself.

Now, understand your mind, what does it naturally prefer? Of course it does not like fear, so that causes suffering, it wants to avoid it. The body does not like discomfort, so it avoids it. The mind likes pleasure so eating is preferred. No matter how determined you are, the mind will do that which it is programmed to do. The determination itself is a program. It is not effective because the other programs are way more stronger.

Usually this snowballs into a lot of suffering and bad health, diseases, social anxiety and relational problems. The reason is not knowing the workings of your own mind and the body.

So there is your key. Know how the mind works and hack into it. You tried everything that goes against the nature of the mind, now try something which goes with it. Use mental tendencies to your advantage.

Shift the source of pleasure from food to something else. Find things and activities which provide you pleasure. Slowly the mind will shift to those things and will forget about food, the addiction will be gone. The new source of pleasure for many people is women (or men if you are a female), it works best, what can be a better motivation for the mind then having a beautiful partner? But it can be money, sports, arts and skills, science or knowledge too. Pick whatever your mind prefers most. You can go in steps. Shift to next source of pleasure immediately, whatever it is, and then refine it.

Get rid of fear. Mind doesn't like to be pushed, so it tends to hide the cause of fear under a carpet. The carpet is the subconscious mind. It causes very bad long term effects. Accept people as they are, see that the problem is you, not the people. You are just like them, you'd do the same to others, accept this as a fact. This will give rise to forgiveness, and the fear will disappear. Probably it will also make you morally better, now you have the bitter experience of it. Fear is a bad motivator, replace it with something positive. For many the positive motivation is their own life goal. It is that for which you were born. You can be fairly certain that you were not born to simply eat and grow into a pile of organic matter. Because that pile will die, will turn to dirt very soon. So there must be a better reason. Search that reason. Discover your own purpose for existing here as a human. And with great passion get that goal. That is the best motivation there is. Everything else is artificial and made up, it will all fail.

Do not put the body into discomfort, the body does not like it. It will avoid the torture of exercises at all costs. This fails, obviously. Instead, turn to play. Play a lot, go on hiking, trips, adventures. Give the body that which it likes. You will find that heavy work does not tire the body down, body actually likes it. There is a reason people get addicted to gyms and body building etc, there is a lot of joy and pleasure in it. The body likes when it moves in a healthy way, in a purposeful way. The body hates when driven by force, fear, anger or suppression, especially when forced to do a meaningless painful activities. There has to be a meaning and joy in bodily actions, else it prefers to sleep.

As usual, knowledge is the cure. Many diseases and bad habits are simply a result of not knowing, ignorance, beliefs, negativity and similar mental afflictions. Knowledge fixes them all. A healthy mind is a key to a healthy body. Know that they are the same thing, two sides of a coin.

329. What can I achieve through meditation?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-13 06:32:06

What can I achieve through meditation?

Well that is like asking what can I achieve through a hammer?

Hammer is a tool. You should not hold it and search for something to hit on without any specific reason. When you have a reason, when you wish to accomplish something you search for the right tool, which can be a hammer. You start with a purpose, not with a tool. What use is a tool without the need for it?

Meditation is a mental tool. You need not use it simply because you heard this term somewhere. Surely, you are curious, and want to know what can you use it for. You will be disappointed if you are expecting a definite answer. Meditation is not a single specific process. It is more like a Swiss knife. There are hundreds of these meditations, each specific for a certain purpose. So again, it starts with a reason, a need to manipulate your mind. Meditation is useless if there is no such need.

Its like a medicine. If you are not ill, its totally useless. If you have some illness, can you simply take any medicine? Surely there are thousands of kinds of them, each treats a specific disorder. You use it only when needed, and only of a specific kind that works.

Now the important part. Who is the best person to prescribe a medicine? Of course, someone who is an expert, someone with years and years of real experience in treating diseases. We call him a doctor. There are many, just get a good one, tell your problem, he will prescribe a medicine which was found to work in most cases. Once you are cured, the medicine is of no use.

Who is the best person to suggest a meditation? Of course, he must be the one with years and years of experience. An experienced teacher who knows which kind of meditation works best for what kind of issue. You approach such a teacher, not with a wish to meditate, but with a problem. The teacher will prescribe a meditation that suits you. Once your problem is solved, the meditation is of no use. You have achieved that which you wanted.

Start with a goal, what do you really wish to achieve. If that goal can be reached via some specific meditation, an experienced teacher will prescribe it. See if it works, else seek another way, another tool. Surely, if you have nothing to achieve, if you are not on any path, there is no need for it, it achieves nothing in that case.

330. Is there something to learn from our deep sleep and dreaming state experience?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-13 05:09:29

Is there something to learn from our deep sleep and dreaming state experience?

There is always something to learn by observing the states of the mind. Sleep and dreaming are states of the mind. The first thing to learn is the mind goes through numerous states. The mind is just another ever changing experience. Your essential nature is a witness of the mind. You are the unchanging pure consciousness or the Self. You remain like a constant witnessing screen while these experiences and states come and go.

Dreaming implies that the mind is very powerful, it can create a whole world, people, a body, a person and a tiny mind all inside itself. It engages in this virtual world fully immersed and oblivious of the real person or the real world. A mind can create its own reality. When you wake up you see that the worlds, people, your tiny self, all those good and bad events were an illusion, they never existed, it never happened. This makes us suspect that the waking state of the mind can be just another dream of a bigger, more real mind. Perhaps we are in this virtual illusory world and think it is real, we take it very seriously and suffer. Fortunately its not very difficult to find out the truth behind it. This is all a spiritual seeker is after. Freedom and waking up from the illusion of this world.

The obvious difference between waking and dreaming is the level of awareness. What happens when the awareness rises to the level of waking state while you are in a dream? A lucid dream happens, which is as good as waking experience. You can take it one step further and experience any world anything in the universe for that matter via projecting out of a limited experience of this world and this body. There is an endless potential for discovery here.

Deep sleep is a deeper and more mysterious state of the mind. One can see that it is absence of most of the mental activities including memory. Without memory all the pleasures and pains are absent, all happiness and suffering is gone. There is bliss. Deep sleep is a blissful experience. It also shows that all these dual polar experiences of positive and negative are a creation of the mind, they are not really there. The memories or mental impressions are responsible for the kind of experience we can have, not the situations or people or anything else. The memories are there because of our past experiences, and hence our current experiences are going to decide the future. You cannot act on the past, but you can act in the present. You have some control in present.

The time and space also disappear in deep sleep, which means they are also a product of mental processes and memory. There is a lot that can be learned from these experiences, follow the gifts for more details.

 Gift 1: States of the mind  
Gift 2: Sleep  
 Gift 3: States of the mind intro p1

331. Is body travelling from one place to another not the experiencer?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-14 08:13:49

If I am the experiencer then I am omnipresent. Experiencing this body and rest of the bodies in the universe. Does this mean that only this body is travelling from one place to another not the experiencer?

Yes. Exactly.

Even the body is not travelling, there is an illusion of movement through space.

Space, time and motion are just ways of the mind to organize information received via senses. These do not really exist. Explore, it is stranger than we think.

 Gift 1: Illusion of space

332. Why am I always seeing repeated number like 13:31, 14:14, etc ?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-14 04:24:26

Why am I always seeing repeated number like 13:31, 14:14, etc

Well, it is not uncommon, thousands of people notice such patterns. If you Google it, especially the 11:11 pattern, you will find many theories, but the truth is, there is no common answer, there is no one solid answer.

It can be the natural tendency of the mind to notice patterns. Its a pattern matching machine.

Or perhaps its programmed somewhere deep in your mind, it is like a reminder for something important.

For the spiritual kind, it means a signal from their guides. People assign different meanings to the signals, their imagination is their limit. So for some it can mean something specific, like time to start an action, or for some it simply means that the guides are there, watching and guiding, they are simply letting you know by nudges like these.

So the question is, what to do when you see such numbers repeatedly and you have a strong feeling that it cannot be a mere coincidence? If you know what to do, then no problem, but usually people have no clue, so in such cases, just become aware of your existence as the Self in this vast illusion of forms, and say thank you. Sit there for a moment and be grateful for this experience of human life. Turn this mysterious occurrence into an opportunity to reflect on your essence, ponder over it, meditate on the Self."

333. What is exactly Deja vu?

What is exactly Deja vu?I feel some time this is something which I experincing ,I have some memory of it and many people they say me when they meet me first time ,my face very familiar to them and one day my friend told me, our batchmate have a daughter but I said I know that he has daughter about one year old that Exactly You told me but in reality No ,he has only some day old daughter. So what all this?

Perhaps nothing extraordinary just some processing errors in the mind and unusual coincidences.

However if you are very certain that it is stranger than mere errors and coincidences, you can interpret these events as nudges from the Universal Mind. The UM is a structure which is almost infinite in every way. It is the existence itself. We humans are tiny self similar copies of it inside it. Just like in your dream there are these ephemeral forms, people, and a tiny you, all created by your own mind.

What are these nudges for? It simply means that you are being encouraged to explore more. Grow and evolve faster, do not stay in the rut. Question everything, experience anew what you are, what is this life about, what is your greater purpose. Is it to eat, sleep, work, reproduce and die? Or there is something more to your existence. People come out of the rut either via suffering or via curiosity. The UM is trying the second way on you. Extraordinary experiences encourage us to explore, to gain knowledge via direct experiences and evidences, to be more rational and logical, to be free from blind beliefs, ignorance and stupidity. If the way of curiosity does not work, the path of suffering does.

Perhaps its time for you to wake up and question everything. Be curious, explore. Follow the nudges, follow the white rabbit.

 Gift 1: Nature of reality

334. Why are involuntary movements happening in my body during my practice?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-15 10:49:20

Whenever I sit with my spine erect and eye closed, some spontanous movements in body start happening involuntary. Am I initiated into some kriya yoga?

I did Isha Kriya yoga few times only. But no idea about why this happens or should I keep this practise going on.

Yes, it is very common. You received an energy transfer somewhere sometime.

However, if it is uncomfortable, consult your teacher. If there is no teacher, its best to find an experienced teacher. If you cannot find any teacher, it is best to pause your practice till you are sure what is happening.

These practices are teacher dependent. They are like doing a surgery on the mind, it needs a good surgeon.

Proceed once you are under good guidance and protection.

 Gift 1: Kundalini and path of knowledge

335. I'm witnessing this body and mind. How to move further?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-17 15:34:39

Now I keep thinking that I'm witnessing this body and mind. But this is also just a thought. How to move further?

Mind: Impressions, Memories, Ego, Intelligence gathered by 5 senses and the mechanism to differentiate between the two.

That which is thinking is the mind. You are that which is witnessing the thoughts. You are the consciousness of the thoughts.

The I is not witnessing, the I is also a thought. That which is witnessing is also witnessing the thought of "I am witnessing".

The witnessing happens, and then the mind labels the witness as I and the experience as not-I. See that there is only witnessing, rest is just assumptions or labels in the mind.

Let the mind rest in the state of being, not of thinking, or being this and not being that etc. Abide in pure consciousness. You will find that it is the ground of existence. Even the I thought appears and disappears on this ground.

All that exists is oneness of experiencing. When divided by the mind, the oneness appears as a changeless experiencer and an ever changing experience. Both appear at the same time, not independently of each other and hence are same. There is no division in that which is experiencing and that which is being experienced. The thought "I am experiencing" creates an illusion of separation.

[ Gift 1: Interconnectedness  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/laws-of-mind-12-interconnectedness-part-1/)  
[ Gift 2: The ultimate truth  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/05/tut.html)  
 Gift 3: What is my essence?

336. Experience and experiencer are one. How to see this clearly?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-17 15:59:23

Mind can digest that yes, I am the experiencer not the experience. But when it is said that experience and experiencer are one or same. Mind gets confused. How to see this clearly?

Can there be an experience without the experiencer? Can there be an experiencer without any experience? Meditate on this for a while.

If not, why? When two aspects of existence always appear together, and one does not exist independently of the other, we are left with just one answer, which is - they are one and the same. Just like two sides of a coin viewed from two angles. The experience and the experiencer do not exist as separate independent realities. We will never find any evidence for that. You can try that as an exercise.

Oneness, or Isness, when seen as change appears as experiences, and when seen as the changeless background of consciousness, appear as the experiencer.

What is causing this division? Its the mind. The mind, which is also an experience is effectively dividing the oneness into many. The first division it makes it that of I and not-I. You can see it yourself by repeatedly shifting your attention from the experience to the experiencer. You will find that it is an activity of the mind. Without this activity, no division is possible.

Can we experience oneness? If yes, what is experiencing it? If it is the experiencer then it cannot be oneness, the experiencer is still separated from it. So the oneness cannot be an experience. It is, that is all we can say. All we can say is - there are no two.

Mind is incapable of grasping the oneness. Mind is just another experience. How will it know intellectually what is oneness? Roughly speaking, your current experience is actually of oneness. All you need to do is stop dividing, stop assuming. See with a clear and unbiased mind. Which is as good as no mind.

It is futile to try to know the unity of existence using the mind. Because it is the mind that creates divisions. The nature of the mind is to divide, to differentiate between one experience and the other. This is how knowledge is formed. By organizing the experiences as various concepts and ideas and arranging them in relation to each other in a causal sequence. When all there is, is oneness, the mind cannot do anything.

The oneness is seen when the dividing tendency of the mind is put to rest. See that the mind and its divisions are also an experience. Include the mind into your experience. It will say I am experiencing. Include that thought also in your experience. Now all that remains is experiencing.

In experiencing there are no divisions. No labelling of things. No I thoughts. That which is being experienced is seen as the experiencer. It is that which exits, the Isness. The Isness is conscious. The substance of Isness is consciousness. Why? Because only that which is one can know itself, can be aware of itself. That which is, is simply witnessing itself, there is nothing else in all that which is.

[ Gift 1: Reality is consciousness  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/nature-of-reality-15-reality-is-consciousness/)  
[ Gift 2: The ultimate truth  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/05/tut.html)  
 Gift 3: Cessation Of Mind

337. Why are things not the way we want ?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-19 03:32:23

Why are things not the way we want ?

That which wants is not you. Its the mind. Mind has desires and wants. They are there because of memories or impressions that formed as it processed its experiences. Whatever produced reward or pleasure is continuously being recalled and the body is continuously being pushed to execute those actions in order to produce that reward again. Anything that produced pain or punishment is also being recalled and there is a tendency to avoid those actions.

This is the mechanism the mind uses to fulfil its agenda of survival, to sustain itself. These memorized impulses keep surfacing in the mind as desires and wants and intentions. The organism keeps acting on them, and when the desires are not fulfilled for some reason, the mind produces a punishment, which is seen as suffering, dissatisfaction or lack. You are totally unaware of the workings of the mind, you suffer in total ignorance. You think you are this mechanical thing called mind.

Probably its best to know what you are. What is your essence? You will see that the mind and the body are merely experiences that come and go, your essence is that which experiences them and also experiences a world. You are the experiencer, not an experience. The experiencer is pure consciousness, also known as the true self, higher self or just Self.

You will see that everything is the way it is. Everything is absolutely perfect as an experience. It is the mind that divides everything into desirable and undesirable, good or bad, as per its own preferences. The preferences are just conditioning or programming. The mind is executing its programs. And it is doing so perfectly. The only problem is, there is no knowledge about what it is doing, there is no awareness. And hence the person suffers as the mind works mechanically in darkness. It has random desires, but no meaningful goals. There is life but its just a series of compulsions.

Once you know what you are, you are no longer a slave of thousands of random desires and wants that keep popping up all the time. You do that which is most needed in the moment. You are fully content and fully aware. Your life has a meaning, a goal, its no more an endless pursuit of desires. Its no more a struggle to fix everything and everyone. You are not running the rat race of getting more and hoarding more. You are no more manipulated by greedy and cunning people who use you because you desire something and are ready to get things desperately. The suffering disappears. Happiness springs which is permanent, not dependent on any desires or fears.

Ignorance is the disease which makes you suffer and keeps you in bondage. Knowledge is the cure. Know your mind, know what you are and what you are not. Discriminate between that which is experiencing and that which is being experienced. Never ever believe anything on blind faith, know it as your own direct experience, gather the evidence, implement it in your daily life. Very soon the mind will shine in the light of the Self, will come out of ignorance. Peace, happiness and freedom is the result.

Be the Self, be blissful.

[ Gift 1: The Experiencer  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2017/05/the-experiencer.html)  
 Gift 2: Impulses and desires

338. Why is life unfair?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-19 03:44:54

Why is life unfair?

Life is a series of experiences. Each experience is perfect as it is. Each experience is happening as per the laws of the universal mind. It cannot be anything else. An experience may appear fair or unfair depending on the biases in the mind.

If most of the experiences appear as unfair, probably you are not in the flow. You are going against the flow of life. Perhaps you have too much ignorance and have no goals. There are a ton of random desires, and you are mindlessly running after them. While the life is delivering exactly that which is most needed for your evolution and learning, you are ignoring it and live in your own fantasy world, expecting things that are totally disconnected from the reality. Result is suffering, dissatisfaction and lack.

Such as mind soon enters depression and sadness. Some even become suicidal. Its best to see why the mind is the way it is and make some corrections before its too late.

Study your mind. Experience the life as it comes, learn from it. Act without expectations, love without demands, be free without bondage and burden of unending desires, impulses and wants. Know what you are, know what you are not. Explore, experiment and learn. Each experience in your life is a learning experience, we evolve and grow as we experience life. There is nothing else to do here, nothing else to get. All you hoard and cling to will be gone soon, all you are and your knowledge will stay with you. The choice should not be so difficult.

Be grateful for this life. It is exactly the way you need.

 Gift 1: Introspection: Purpose of human life

339. Is it love of country something real? And what is matter?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-09-19 15:45:04

Is it love of country something real ? And what is matter ?

Patriotism is a tendency of the lower or primitive mind called the Ego. An organism favours its own genetic kind over other individuals. This has a survival advantage. A group can survive better compared to an individual alone, especially when the organism is weaker compared to what it is competing with. So it is there as an evolutionary mechanism which appeared and proved to be useful in case of herd animals. Humans are herd animals. Those who did not have this tendency to favour their own kind slowly disappeared.

A country is nothing but a group of individuals trying to hold and control resources for their survival. It works well. They defend their assets and females from competing groups and survive and grow in number. They also attack other groups to gain control over their resources and females. This is the Egoic activity related to survival. So as a tendency or program it is surely real. Its not true when you call it a moral responsibility or ethical action. These words act to cover up our animal instincts and are mostly used by the ruling class to recruit people in wars or to maintain law and order. However, it works well.

Once the individual grows to certain extent and develops some intelligence, he can see through this tendency and also other egoic tendencies and becomes free from it. We see that before we are a member of a genetically similar group, we are a member of the whole human tribe. Even before that we are the Self, pure consciousness which is our only essence, and which is not a member of anything, it is everything already. Everyone is just various forms of the Self. This higher knowledge results in a destruction of such tendencies and the person is freed from it. Now everything and everyone appears as me. My own brothers and sisters.

Matter is an ancient idea that the underlying substance of our experience is made up of something called particles. Its only a theory. So far no substance was found, the only thing we find in the experience of the world is energetic interactions, or changes that happen in precise ways, which are called laws or relations. What is changing? What are these changes happening in? Nothing was found. But the existence of matter was disproved about a hundred years ago by simple experiments that show that the changes are wavelike in nature and for any particle to appear out of it in a specific location we need a conscious observer. Probably consciousness is more fundamental. Since then there have been no significant advances in fundamental science. But the study of matter proved very useful, as the various technologies that sprung out of the materialistic model of reality worked well, it made the life very comfortable and rich.

[ Gift 1: Ego and its tendencies  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/09/ego-and-its-tendencies.html)  
[ Gift 2: The creation  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/06/the-creation.html)  
 Gift 3: Illusion of matter

340. What is the purpose being alive?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-19 16:31:00

What is the purpose being alive?

Obviously to experience life as a human in a physical world. There is nothing more to do. Once the experience is over, nothing matters.

You are not here to get anything, or to become anything. You are already everything. You are the existence itself having a human experience. Your essence is pure consciousness or the Self. It is the aware background of all experiences. It is the one and same Self for everyone, just like its the same sky for everyone no matter where it is observed from. Know this as your own experience. Never believe it blindly. You are fully capable of realizing what you are. It can be done simply by seeing through the ignorance or beliefs about what you are and what you are not. An experienced teacher also helps, it takes a few minutes. You will find that you are the experiencer, not an experience of any kind. You are life itself, you are not "having a life". You cannot be not alive. So its like asking what is the purpose of being me when I am me. When I am life, I am life and purpose is not really applicable here as a concept.

Life is a series of experiences. The Self is having these experiences. The Self has no purpose, and hence life has no purpose. It is just a flow of events, which the Self is witnessing blissfully. The Self is already whole and complete, not bounded by anything and has no desires.

That may sound like too plain and negative. Truth is often like that, because our egos expect more. The ego is a set of programs and is wired to get more and more, and is not satisfied. It needs a purpose. The good news is - its purpose is also programmed in by mother nature. That purpose is to be happy and free. So from the point of view of the ego or mind, the purpose is happiness and freedom. That's all we humans are after, nothing else.

Many of us try to get happiness and freedom out of objects, possessions, relations, achievements and social power etc. This works for a while, till basic survival is taken care of, after that it produces only suffering. One soon learns that these things do not lead to happiness and freedom. They do provide a bit of pleasure, which soon vanishes and is taken over by suffering produced by new desires or outcomes.

When one lives moment by moment, acts in the now, one is in pure bliss and is most free. In the moment we make a choice that may result in more happiness and freedom and reject an action that may bound us or cause suffering. How to make such a choice? Learn from the past experiences, see what produced happiness and freedom, do not repeat past mistakes. This art comes by practice and experience, but a good teacher can also help. We soon find that by doing so, we are doing only that which we love to do. This is the path of the heart. It is a lifestyle that is effortless, pure and is full of happiness and freedom. Everyone has a different path, so do not mimic others, that will only produce more suffering, find your own path. It has to be something you love to do.

So our purpose here as human beings is to walk on the path of our own heart. It will lead to absolute happiness and freedom, and will give a meaning to the life.

[ Gift 1: Introspection: Purpose of human life  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/04/i10.html)  
 Gift 2: Happiness and freedom

341. What act makes me a bad person?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-09-21 17:44:14

What act makes me a bad person?

Good and bad or ethical and unethical are subjective classifications based on entirely subjective criteria, which are derived out of one's own mental conditioning or programming. The funny thing is exact same criteria can make one action good or bad. For example you can have a criteria like killing people is bad. But obviously if that person happens to be an enemy or a criminal, killing is good. So its all very arbitrary and biased.

It boils down to what works for you. If your actions are causing suffering for yourself and people then its safe to say that they are of a kind "bad". If your actions are resulting in happiness and freedom, love and joy, then they are of the kind "good". Remember that this criteria is also subjective and arbitrary, but perhaps it will work for most people out there.

Experiment see what works for you and everything and everyone around you. Its all a learning experience. Your other option is to blindly believe whatever others tell you, that is to mindlessly adopt a random criteria about what is good and what is not. Many people do that, study how happy and free they are. Its your choice. Make an aware and intelligent choice.

 Gift 1: What is good and bad?

342. Is a choice a "cause and effect" process based upon memory or can I intervene?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-21 22:53:11

Does a choice is a "cause and effect" process based upon memory or I can intervene in it in anyway?

The act of choosing is purely a deterministic causal event.

This can be seen when you attempt to choose that which is not in your memory. You will find that it is impossible. You can choose it only if you know about a choice or an action. If you know it, it means its in your memory. If it is in your memory, the only way it got there is via some past experience. The experience must have originated in the world or in your mind itself. Now you can trace it back and see causal chains for that experience and so on.

However there is an illusion of intentionally making a choice. This is because of the identity function of the mind. The mind creates a person or identity which is like a central imaginary entity to which all actions are tagged or point to. This helps the mind to distinguish between events that originate from itself from those that originate in the world or from other minds. Other minds are obviously seen as other identities or other person. The other person is seen as making their own choices.

The act of intervention is nothing but a choice, which is, to discard the old choice and pick a new one. The new choice can be that of not to act. A very aware mind can do it. Someone with no awareness, mechanically acts on the very first choice that is made. An aware choice is a sign of high intelligence.

Of course I cannot choose that which I do not know, but given a set of known choices, am I not free to pick one of them? You need to ask this question to yourself and pay attention to your mental processes as a choice is made. Can you see all the factors that result in a particular choice? If yes, its causal. If no, then all you can say is I do not know how it happened. The belief that I chose it because I intended it, is just a thought. We choose because the mind has preferences. Without any preference there is no choice, there is no action. If there are preferences, they must be in the memory, and hence a result of past experiences. If I cannot see preferences that results in a choice, that does not make it non-causal, its an assumption, as result of my ignorance. See this as your own experience, and conclude something via your own logic.

A large number of choices give rise to a an illusion of will and freedom. So a mind is more free if it has more choices. If a mind has accumulated more experiences, it will have more choices. A more evolved mind is the one that has more experiences. Hence an evolved mind has more freedom. Now you can see the trend the minds are following. They are evolving and becoming more free. The result of freedom is the reward of happiness. Now you know what to choose. Choose that which results in more happiness, anyhow its the only choice and is by necessity. Its a very beautiful evolutionary process. Unfortunately many of us are totally ignorant about it.

Choices are made by the mind, not by you. You are not the mind, you have a mind. Your essence is the Self, a pure consciousness, a witness of choices and their consequences. You do not need to choose, you have no preferences, and all preferences. You allow all.

Explore how the mind works, study your behaviour and behaviour of others. See how it acts. Try to refute the above explanation, try to gather some evidence. Its not wise to blindly believe. Do your own experiments. Teachings are merely pointers, they tell us where to look.

 Gift 1: Identity and choice

343. Why are we called humans?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-21 13:31:03

Why are we called humans

Probably just like any other name for any other thing, its just a sound in a particular language, an arbitrary choice by our ancestors, who spoke that language and picked the sounds to represent their experiences.

However we can trace back history of a name or meaning of a word, which they call as the science of Etymology. (Google it)

The word human comes from the Sanskrit word Manav, from which the word Man is also derived. Manav means that which has a Manas. Manas or Mann means mind or the intelligent part of the mind that thinks and feels. So Human is that creature which has an evolved mind that thinks and feels.

Interestingly, there is an old story when the earth was destroyed and was submerged in water. Only one human survived, whose name was Manu. Which also means the one with a mind. Manu created all humans somehow and they were called Manushya. So we humans are children of a mind. Some big mind.

The modern name for humans is Homo Sapiens Sapiens. Which again means a creature in the family of Primates, which is intelligent and is aware of its own existence.

344. Universal mind and human mind , how they both connect with each other?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-26 02:48:37

Universal mind and human mind , how they both connect with each other?

There is an assumption here that these are two realities separate and independent from each other.

How does a wave of water connect to the ocean?

How does the air inside a bowl connect to the atmosphere?

A human mind is an arising in the bigger mind, called the universal mind. Its a tiny structure which is a part of bigger structure of the universal mind. Why does it look separate and isolated? The answer is, it is not, that's just ignorance a human mind has. It thinks its separate because it cannot understand its experience.

Once this ignorance is cleared, which often takes a few minutes, the mind is seen as one and the same as the universal mind. The individual disappears as an illusion.

Its never too late, find an experienced teacher and clear your ignorance completely. Be that which you are, not which you assume you are.

[ Gift 1: Exploring universal mind part 1  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/exploring-the-universal-mind-part-2)  
 Gift 2: Exploring universal mind part 2

345. What exactly is a human body?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-26 04:21:17

What is exactly human body ? Is really a combination of five universal component ,a moving energy ,vibration of smallest atoms.

The world, the body and the mind are parts of a great structure - the universal mind. The structure is metaphysical in nature, which simply means, it is not physical and not nonphysical. The structure looks like pure change, or information.

A mind interprets this information in the form of subjective icons. The icons are made up of subjective or mental qualities, such as shapes, colours, sounds, smells, emotions, feelings, thoughts, desires, imaginations etc. These are the objects. An object is an icon which can be perceived by the mind. Some objects change slowly and they appear as physical, some change rapidly, the appear as nonphysical or mental. The body is one such object.

It has at least two aspects. One is seen as physical object, the iconic view which we see in the mirror and which others can see. Second is the subjective, which are various bodily sensations and a feeling of aliveness, weight and movement. Aka the interioception. The body is nothing but an extension of the mind. It hosts senses and provides a physical experience to the mind. It is highly dynamic, continuously changing, and soon vanishes.

The experience of a body in the physical world is a short but educating experience. That's all it is. An arising in the infinite ocean of the universal mind. Attachment to a body and ignorance that I am a body causes immense suffering. Knowledge and detachment from a body leads to freedom and eternal happiness. The body is a tool, a vehicle, an instrument. Your essence is the experiencer of this tool. Know this as your direct experience.

[ Gift 1: The experience of a body  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-experience-of-body.html)  
 Gift 2: Bodies and their drivers

346. When I am not a body, why do I act as if I am a body all day?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-28 12:43:37

We are not body and mind, But whatever we do all day is based upon me as a body

Can't see a question there. But there seems to be still an ignorance there in the form of words "we do".

As you say, we are not body and the mind, we are the Self, pure consciousness. We do nothing except blissfully and peacefully experience everything. The body does something, we observe it as consciousness. The mind thinks or desires or plans, we observe it. All day the body does whatever it does, all day and all night the mind does whatever it does.

Disidentify with the mind and the body. See that there is no doer. There is a watcher, which is just one universal consciousness. We all are that one and the same consciousness. Know it as your own direct experience rather than as an intellectual idea.

Gift 1: Oneness

347. In this era, can we believe someone? Is faith left in this material world?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-29 02:23:15

In this era, can we believe someone ?Is faith left in this material world ?

No matter what the era is, beliefs are a sure way to suffering and ignorance.

Why believe when you can know.

Know via your direct experience, logical and critical thinking abilities.

Never depend on people or whatever they write. Some of those people and books are brilliant, but they are merely a pointer to knowledge, just information, your knowledge is your own experience.

This attitude and lifestyle is called the path of knowledge. Walk on the path of knowledge, say goodbye to ignorance, blind beliefs, manipulating authorities, suffering and pain forever.

For details refer to the links below.

[ Gift 1: Path of knowledge  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/04/path-of-knowledge.html)  
Gift 2: Path of knowledge podcast

348. What is present moment?

Self Talk 1.2.9 2018-09-29 08:15:31

What is present moment

Present moment is a direct experience of witnessing the here and now.

What is this experience like?

If you attend to the contents of your experience, you will find change. The change appears as changing forms and patterns. The patterns are of shapes, colors, sounds, smells, textures, tastes, as conveyed by the senses, and there are also patterns of thoughts, imaginations, feelings, desires, intentions, memories and all such. These patterns are changing. The mind names them as objects, people, mentations, events, past and future, good and bad, beautiful and ugly and so on. The mind projects its own conditioning on the present experience.

All this is happening on a background of conscious emptiness. This background remains changeless. The contents on this screen of consciousness keep changing. This changeless emptiness that is conscious is the essence of all experiences. It is the experiencer.

One can roughly say that the experiencer is "I". Because that's how the mind sees it. If you see closely, all there is, is this experience of I or of consciousness. Also known as the Self. So the present moment is nothing but the Self itself.

 Gift 1: Presence, experience and knowledge

349. How is growing out of suffering an important phase of the mind?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-29 02:54:15

"So growing out of suffering is an important phase of the mind, and it has that capability. It is available to all of us". How?

Suffering is a state of the mind.

It is an experience where majority of the contents of the mind are painful and debilitating. These are looped patterns of mentations, recalls of negative memories, worries, fears, anger, envy and sadness etc. As soon as mind enters these loops, its normal functioning is lost, and in this state the actions become irrational and may end up causing harm to the self or to others. Suffering is this sense is an affliction of the mind.

Most of the suffering arises out of ignorance and past negative experience. The lower part of the mind, the ego, lacks intelligence, and overpowers the mental states by bringing up negativity, impulses and fears etc. It is quite natural, because it is merely trying to survive. The ego sees its experience as a threat to the survival and brings those issues up repeatedly in a mechanical automated way.

The ignorance can be beliefs such as a particular object, a person, an experience is responsible for my happiness. It can be presence or absence of these, that is seen as an issue. The mind either wants it, to possess it, or avoids it, tries to get rid of it. In such cases, the suffering is a resistance to present situation.

Usually the suffering goes away as soon as the desired outcome is achieved. The mind produces a momentary reward, a feeling of pleasure. It returns as soon as another outcome is desired or as soon as the situation changes, which is very soon mostly. So the mind keeps entering the state of suffering again and again and gets addicted to the pleasures, which disappear quickly. An average person has no idea how to get out of such mechanical tendencies of the mind. There is a lot of ignorance about what mind is, usually we think it is "me", we are identified with the mind and its mechanisms.

The cure is in knowing that happiness is not dependent on external situations, objects or people. Happiness is a state of the mind, which is its ground state, where the mind is not complaining, demanding, desiring, fearing or avoiding anything. It is a state of contentment, not of momentary pleasures that appear and disappear. There is a potential in everyone to know this. Usually it takes a hint from an experienced teacher or a long period of suffering can also bring about the knowledge.

The key is to engage other more advanced abilities of the mind, such as awareness and intelligence. We all have these abilities, but most of us never use them. Most of the people have an untrained mind, because the whole society and culture is mostly about material achievements, about how to succeed in the egoic rat race, how to get more and more pleasure. The society, parents and education system all actually encourage the ego and discourage awareness and intelligent behaviour. The result is widespread suffering. People try to solve it via greed, violence, stupidity and deceit. Which only multiplies the suffering many times.

When we are aware, we can see the present contents of the mind, and can engage our intellect to evaluate it. If it is a threat to the survival, we can take an intelligence action to avoid it, and if it is merely impulsive or compulsive tendencies, irrational desires for pleasure, for revenge, for anything negative, we can simply choose to not act on them, and instead choose an action that takes us towards happiness and freedom. Awareness is the key. Without which such option is not available.

Awareness or the conscious knowledge of one's own situation and working of the mind is not taught in the schools, not even in big universities. Training of the mind is an individual effort, which can be done under the guidance of someone who has already mastered his mind. Such a person is an experienced teacher. There are many, and it helps a lot to take some guidance from those who are experienced. The worst place to seek an end to suffering is the society, schools, parents, friends, so called experts, doctors, psychologists etc. They themselves are ignorant and under the spell of suffering.

If you are suffering, seek knowledge. Know what you are. Suffering is only an event you are witnessing. Your essence is the experiencer that is witnessing it. The experiencer is pure consciousness, or the Self. It is incapable of suffering. It is the one that is aware of this bad state of the mind. When one takes the point of view of the Self, a possibility opens up for instant cure of suffering. As soon as the attention of the mind shifts to the Self, the suffering is seen as useless, a mind created drama. The intelligence in the mind wakes up and instantly terminates it. Mind enters its ground state of bliss within minutes. A continuous practice of being aware permanently rids one from suffering. We all can do it, its not difficult. Its not a thing which only advanced yogis or monks can do. The major issue is widespread ignorance, lack of knowledge of one's own mind and consciousness.

Suffering is a result of this ignorance, and the cure is knowledge, and an aware and rational, intelligent lifestyle.

For details refer to the links below.

[ Gift 1: Suffering Part 1  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/09/affliction-of-mind-part-51-suffering.html)  
[ Gift 2: Suffering Part 2  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/09/afflictions-of-mind-part-52-suffering.html)  
[ Gift 3: Ego and its tendencies  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/09/ego-and-its-tendencies.html)

350. How to enjoy each moment?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-29 09:26:08

How to enjoy each moment

It is very easy. Become aware of your present experience. Do not dwell in the memories of the past or projections of the future. These are merely thoughts, not the reality. The present moment is the only reality. When you are fully present, you become blissful.

If there are any memories, thoughts, worries, anxiety about future etc, become aware of them also. Include them in the present. See that these are merely activities of the mind, its not real.

If there is need to take an action, act in such a way that it produces maximum happiness and freedom. Usually such actions are very simple and mostly terminate the desires and anxiety rather than create more of it. Take an aware action. No matter what the consequences are, good or bad, take them as lessons. Learn and move on to the next lesson. The whole of a human life is a series of experiences, that are nothing but lessons.

We are not here to get something, to be something or to do something. We are already everything, whole and complete. Realize your essence via your own experience. Free yourself from the ignorance. Once you realize what you are, learning from the experiences becomes a play. Every moment is new, fresh, full of awareness and bliss.

351. If life is meaningless, why give it meaning (goals, ideals) at all?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-09-30 03:24:23

If life is meaningless, why give it meaning (goals, ideals) at all?

There is no compulsion or any need to impose the concept of meaning on any experience, including the experience in the form of a human organism.

The word "meaning" is mind created. Its a human invention. Plants, animals and whole universe has no concept of this kind. Nature is doing pretty well without such concepts.

[ Gift 1: Purpose of human life  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/04/i10.html)  
 Gift 2: Happiness and freedom

352. What is identified with mind and body?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-30 10:53:14

Who is identified with mind and body?

If it is ego then it is a function of mind help us to survive. It should remain with the body always.

The mind itself is identified with one or the other objects in experience.

The Self has no functions, activities or tendencies, it is pure consciousness, just an observer.

The body does not say, I am a body.

There is a thought, a belief, an ignorance in the mind that there is an I and it is something, an object, that is one of the experience. This is the identity creation function of the mind. It creates an ego or identity. This ensures survival of the organism. See that the ego is not identified with anything, it is the identity itself. The identification is not limited to the body, it is extended to objects one possesses and people and relatives and even to the whole country. The ego reacts in exactly the same way when it detects a threat to any of the above. Of course there is a hierarchy of preferences among these identifications, the body is obviously at the top of it. Next is probably the children or partner or people with genetic similarity, next possessions and property, territory and so on.

[ Gift 1: Ego and its tendencies  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/09/ego-and-its-tendencies.html)  
 Gift 2: Identity and ignorance

353. What is our purpose in this world?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-30 17:33:55

What is our purpose in this world?

Obviously to experience life as a human in a physical world. There is nothing more to do. Once the experience is over, nothing matters.

You are not here to get anything, or to become anything. You are already everything. You are the existence itself having a human experience. Your essence is pure consciousness or the Self. It is the aware background of all experiences. It is the one and same Self for everyone, just like its the same sky for everyone no matter where it is observed from. Know this as your own experience. Never believe it blindly. You are fully capable of realizing what you are. It can be done simply by seeing through the ignorance or beliefs about what you are and what you are not. An experienced teacher also helps, it takes a few minutes. You will find that you are the experiencer, not an experience of any kind. You are life itself, you are not "having a life". You cannot be not alive. So its like asking what is the purpose of being me when I am me. When I am life, I am life and purpose is not really applicable here as a concept.

There is no compulsion or any need to impose the concept of purpose or meaning on any experience, including the experience in the form of a human organism. The words "purpose" and "meaning" are mind created, just concepts or ideas. Its a human invention. Plants, animals and the whole universe has no concept of this kind. Nature is doing pretty well without such concepts, it is infinitely free to express itself without worrying about why and what of it.

You are the Self. Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it. The essence of "I" is consciousness, which is unchanging background of all experiences, it is the universal experiencer. A human is nothing but a temporary form taken up by all-that-is. The existence appears as pure consciousness or Self to this form. The Self is having experiences of a certain kind via this form. Now the question comes - why?

Life is a series of experiences. The Self is having these experiences. The Self has no purpose, it is whole and complete, it is already everything, and hence life has no purpose. It is just a flow of events, which the Self is witnessing blissfully. The Self is not bound by anything and has no desires. Self is the witness of all desires and purposes. It is the mind that has desires, goals or purposes, or more accurately, they are the driving forces that appear out of impressions formed on the mind due to various experiences.

That may sound like too plain and negative. Truth is often like that, because our egos expect more. The ego is a set of programs and is wired to get more and more, and is not satisfied. It needs a purpose. The good news is - its purpose is also programmed in by mother nature. That purpose is to be happy and free. So from the point of view of the ego or mind, the purpose is happiness and freedom. That's all we humans are after, nothing else.

Many of us try to get happiness and freedom out of objects, possessions, relations, achievements and social power etc. This works for a while, till basic survival is taken care of, after that it produces only suffering. One soon learns that these things do not lead to happiness and freedom. They do provide a bit of pleasure, which soon vanishes and is taken over by suffering produced by new desires or outcomes.

When one lives moment by moment, acts in the now, one is in pure bliss and is most free. In the moment we make a choice that may result in more happiness and freedom and reject an action that may bound us or cause suffering. How to make such a choice? Learn from the past experiences, see what produced happiness and freedom, do not repeat past mistakes. This art comes by practice and experience, but a good teacher can also help. We soon find that by doing so, we are doing only that which we love to do. This is the path of the heart. It is a lifestyle that is effortless, pure and is full of happiness and freedom. Everyone has a different path, so do not mimic others, that will only produce more suffering, find your own path. It has to be something you love to do.

So our purpose here as human beings is to walk on the path of our own heart. It will lead to absolute happiness and freedom, and will give a meaning to the life, even though the life as a series of experiences has inherently no need for a meaning or purpose of any kind whatsoever.

[ Gift 1: Introspection: Purpose of human life  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/04/i10.html)  
 Gift 2: Happiness and freedom

354. What to do if it is hard to live with your family?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-09-30 14:34:57

What to do if it is hard to live with your family

Realize that the problem is you, not the people. Obviously the solution is also you.

You have two options - either leave those with whom you are uncomfortable, or change yourself, change your attitude, so that it becomes easy to be with people.

The first is preferable when there is a real threat to your survival, for example, if you are with violent and abusive people. In which case contact the suitable authorities in your area. Hopefully that is not the case, else you wouldn't ask a phone app what to do.

Note that people, whether they are related or not, are not the real problem. The real problem is your own non-acceptance of them. Probably there is a lack of love, probably there are likes, dislikes and preferences, all these are in your own mind, not out there. You are projecting your preferences onto others, and that is why the problem is projected outside on other people.

The unmoving truth is that we cannot fix people. Its a whack a mole job. Fix one and the other pops up to annoy you. Even the one you painstakingly fixed, changes within days and comes up with new ways of annoying you. You can spend your entire life fixing people instead of doing that which you love to do, instead of following the path of your heart, for which you were born. Its obviously a terrible waste of your life. Moreover it creates a lot of suffering for yourself and for others. People do not want to change, they get defensive and angry, they like freedom. You are one of them. You too are probably an annoyance for someone else.

So we are left with above two options. If you are independent, if you are earning your own bread and butter, it will be very easy to simply move away. Live your life, one cannot spend their entire life sitting on the lap of their mothers. That'd be odd. If you are being forced to live with the family, even when you are independent, something is really odd. Question the situation. Find a way out. If you have dependents, be sure to make arrangements for them. A family is just a good way to survive, it serves no other purpose.

The other way is to realize that you lack love and compassion, even for your own family. Probably you are trying to extract happiness out of them instead of giving them happiness. The secret of good relations is unconditional love, a selfless attitude of giving, not demanding, not asking something in return, a relation is not a business. Selfishness causes suffering. Any relation based on give and take will fail very quickly, this is a universal law.

If others are dumb, you need to be intelligent, if others are unsupportive, you need to be supportive. If others do not adjust, you need to adjust. Expecting others to do something for you is a sure way to invite suffering. See that the solution lies in some change within you, not outside. Each and every experience we have is a learning experience, know what is the lesson here. Learn that lesson, grow and move on. There is nothing more to this life. Nothing will stay with you forever, not even the family and relatives. All that will go with you is your own being, your essence, your experiences and memories and all that which you have learnt in this short duration of being a human in this illusory world.

355. What is 'Grace'?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-01 07:01:08

What is 'Grace'?

When the season is right, a plant produces flowers. When a fruit is ripe, it falls. Everything happens at exactly the right time, and in exactly the way it must. This is grace.

Grace is an event in the universal mind which happens because it must, given the causes and necessity. It is a perfect event, just like any other event. When an unprepared mind witnesses an event which seems to be beyond its understanding, and which seems almost magical, it calls it the grace. A mind projects a doer on the event of grace too, and when it cannot find any, it seems mysterious. Anything that is beyond the grasp of mind is magical, supernatural. However all events are natural and necessary. The titles of grace, supernatural, ordinary etc are imposed upon these events by the mind depending on its current level of ignorance.

This mind is a small part of the universal mind. The whole is continuously changing, evolving, and so are the parts. As soon as a part reaches a certain state of maturity, the next state appears by necessity. When a mind evolves to a certain stage, it can have a glimpse of the next stage. This is most natural. We can call this event anything we want. It simply means when you are ready, the next step in your evolution happens exactly as it should."

356. Someone passed away. How to console their dear one's?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-02 04:56:53

Someone passed away. How to console their dear one's

Remain silent and help in any way you can.

It is the ego that sees the death as a threat, a loss, because it is worried about its own survival, even a mention of death terrifies it. It does not really want to hear anything positive about the death, such as "It is ok" or "everyone dies" or "it was meant to happen" or "the dead person is alright and happy". The ego will react badly to such statements. Of course, sometimes the person is mature and intelligent enough to understand what death is, but then such a person needs no consolation.

Anything you say will either conflict with their belief systems or end up stirring their egoic tendencies. Those who see death as a loss, cannot be consoled, those who see death as a change need no consolation.

And death is not the ideal time to teach spiritual truths. If the dear one's are already in a disturbed state of mind, it will simply make it worse. Those who know, will not be in a disturbed state, and nothing needs to be said or done."

357. People are suffering unnecessarily. What should we do?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-02 16:47:06

People are suffering unnecessarily. What should we do?

No experience is unnecessary. All experiences are lessons, a means to know, to grow and evolve. Its all perfect.

Suffering is self created, via one's own ignorance and actions originating from ignorance. Even if it looks like someone else or something else is responsible for the suffering of a person, it is a doing of the person. The projection of the suffering on external causes is ignorance. Suffering is a way to freedom, to experience and knowledge. Without suffering it is rare to see someone change towards better. The only substitute for suffering is curiosity, an extreme desire to know and evolve. Unfortunately, the latter is totally absent in case of majority, and hence suffering becomes their teacher.

When you find someone in suffering, know that it is because of their own ignorance. Only and only if it is requested, try to remove that ignorance and show a way. Else do not meddle. Do not help if you do not know how to help. Work on your own ignorance. When you reach at the peak, you can show the way more effectively to those who are at the bottom of the mountain. If you are not happy, how can you make others happy? Be kind and compassionate. Never see those who are suffering as pitiable or weak or unlucky. These all are just illusory experiences. Mind makes them real. Even though its mind created, not real, the minds have no clue, and they do not like it. So the ultimate goal for a mind is total eradication of suffering. Fortunately, the solution is within mind, not outside it. The error is to seek happiness outside in the world, when you yourself are a source of it. You are the Self, pure bliss. You cannot suffer, you can only witness the mind suffer as a result of its own actions, ignorance, attachments, irrational desires, clinging to that which is illusory and impermanent.

Know this as your direct experience. Introspect on the meaning and root of suffering. Observe carefully how one's own actions lead to suffering. Act from this direct knowledge.

358. Why can't I forget my father death?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-02 20:35:59

Why i can't forget my father death ?

Forgetting is not a voluntary function of the mind. Memory too.

Inability to recall is not erasure of memories.

Memories are forever. They are not your memories. They are impressions of experiences obtained via this form, that you call as me or my body. The impressions reside in the wholeness of the existence, the universal mind. We do not "own" them.

You are seeking that which cannot happen. There is no forgetting, but the repeated recall does stop. A memory, especially of an important event, serves the purpose of a lesson. Usually the mind lets go of the perpetual recall of that event as soon as the lesson is learnt. It then focuses on the next issue. That which remains unresolved is brought up again and again.

Perhaps its best to learn your lesson and let go. Forgiving is as good as forgetting. Focus on the more important aspects of your life. Let the dead be dead. Clinging to that which is illusory and impermanent always ends up causing suffering. Know that which is permanent. Be free.

 Gift 1: Memories

359. Why do we pretend to be something else and not act as we are?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-02 20:38:05

Why don't we react by nature and don't pretend to be somebody else but not us ?

Pretension and deceit are strategies of the ego to survive when faced with a difficult situation. The ego is the lower, primitive, mechanism in the mind, whose sole function is to survive, to keep the mind and the body going. It has many such tricks that help it to carry out the business of the life.

So, the reason should be obvious. The ego pretends because it senses some threat to its survival, it wants to gain survival advantage over the competitor. What you are is then hidden, and a false identity is created which may, in the ego's opinion, give an appearance of a better, stronger, bigger, smarter organism.

Why is almost everyone in our so called "advanced, cultured and modern" society pretentious? Its because they are not at ease, they are under tremendous pressure to survive. What you have is not good enough, you always need more. You need the approval of others. Someone else must tell you how good or bad you are. You lack this intelligence to evaluate yourself. You think you are not good enough, and then, pretension becomes a short cut, a cheap way to get that which you are after. Works for survival, but you end up living a false, meaningless, sad life.

Contentment and being grateful for whatever you already are, and whatever you already have, keeps the head of the ego down. It is no longer threatened, it no longer generates fear, and you become a genuine person again. You find a constant joy and happiness in being what you are and the suffering and pain caused by continuously trying to be someone else, be "better" than others, disappears for ever.

Now you can take up the work of improving yourself really, instead of pretending to be already "superior". Everyone has a unique path, the path of your heart. It is that for which you were born. That goal cannot be achieved by copying others, by pretending, by walking on a fake path, or someone else's path. When you walk on the path of your heart, you progress and evolve, you become genuine, that which you already are.

 Gift 1: Path of the heart  
 Gift 2: Happiness and freedom

360. How can I have a good sleep?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-04 18:11:41

I can't sleep. How can I have a good sleep?

Sleep is not a voluntary action. It is a state of the mind. It happens when the mind has nothing urgent to process and the body is fed and needs rest. It is not possible to simply go to sleep. Most of the bodily and mental functions are not in the control of the illusory person that you think you are.

When the day is good, free from stress and struggle, the night is good too, and sleep happens naturally. See what is causing unnecessary stress and anxiety, worries or fears, desires or anger, or any other negative states of the mind. Similarly over excitement, too much energy, bad food, bad people around you, noisy polluted atmosphere, there can be so many reasons. Solve them and the outcome will be good mental and bodily health. Sleep state is not a problem, waking state is.

361. What is my spiritual path?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-06 21:10:42

What is my spiritual path?

It is easy to find that out via some simple self analysis. Everyone is unique, and hence everyone needs a unique set of teachings. Also, everyone faces different obstacles and difficulty in their practice, and hence needs different solutions. So it is highly recommended to consult an experienced teacher. A teacher can spend some time with you and can see the exact tendencies your mind has. Once the tendencies are seen and studied, a precise path can be prescribed.

Anyhow, if you wish to do it yourself, here is an approx guideline:

If you are intellectual kind, with a very sharp and focused mind, with high intelligence, good rational, logical and critical thinking abilities and can study for long hours, sit with a teacher for hours, have a very inquisitive mind, you are extremely curious, and long for freedom and knowledge more than anything else, then the path of knowledge or gyan yoga is best for you.

If you are very healthy and strong and a practical and empirical kind of person. If you are highly disciplined, you can practice for long hours, if you can follow the guidelines on food and general behaviour exactly and without fail, and if you are naturally gifted to know and manipulate the bodily energies, if you are not married or have no family responsibilities, if you can live in isolation for years, then the path of energy or hatha yoga or kundalini marg is suitable for you.

If you are very active, you are a social person, you are extroverted and a family oriented person. If you have material goals and responsibilities. If you can take commands easily and respectfully from a teacher, and you are selfless in your actions with a good heart, but cannot manage study, meetings or energetic practices, then the path of action or karm yoga is best for you.

If you are not so socially active, and have worldly responsibilities, if you do not prefer to study, introspect, meditate or do any other kind of practice. If you believe easily the words of a teacher, if you are motivated by faith and good will, if you have a tendency to surrender effortlessly, if you are emotional and innocent person, then the path of devotion or bhakti is best for you.

If none of the above applies to you, and you are an ordinary person living a materialistic life, then you are not ready for any spiritual undertakings yet. Just enjoy your life, do good, be good to everyone and learn from this life as much as you can.

362. Who is doing self enquiry?

Who is doing self enquiry?

The mind.

Self doesn't do anything and has no need to know anything. Its pure consciousness, just a silent observer. It is observing the mind do self enquiry right now.

363. What makes a living organism(human) different from a robot? Is it consciousness?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-08 06:01:39

What makes a living organism(human) different from a robot with artificial intelligence? Is it consciousness?

Consciousness can be defined as the fundamental ground of existence. It is the only one that can be said to exist certainly. If you define consciousness like this, then everything is permeated with consciousness already. Everything is just modulations of consciousness. So from the point of view of consciousness, a rock, a robot, an animal and a human are just patterns of change happening in its field. They are all essentially the same consciousness appearing in different forms or structures.

A mind is also a pattern in the field of consciousness. Its essence is memory and processes around that memory. A memory is a persistent pattern in consciousness. A mind can change in a way such that it self organizes the memory and processes. In other words, this structure has a capability to evolve. Changes in the consciousness imprint on the structure of memory, which can be recalled back via some processes. This is knowledge, or knowing. Knowledge is organized experience or organized change that persists.

More evolved a mind is, more it knows that its ground is consciousness. This is awareness. Awareness is the knowledge that I am consciousness. I am the conscious observer of mind, body and the world, all of the experience. Consciousness is the experiencer. A human mind is complex enough and evolved enough to have this knowledge, this awareness. Perhaps an animal mind, a plant or a machine is not complex enough to know and express it. The complexity is not simply about intricate details, it must have a well organized hierarchy, so that the higher layers in the mind can process the information provided by the lower layers and can reach this conclusion that there is consciousness, and every experience is happening on the empty space-like field of consciousness.

A human mind is capable of that. This is indeed our direct experience that there is a consciousness. All experience exists only in presence of the consciousness or the experiencer. There is no experience independent of consciousness. Its a simple but profound fact of our ordinary day to day experience. So such an highly evolved mind is the only difference between a human and a machine. This difference is decreasing very fast, and soon will disappear, and perhaps artificial minds of a capability surpassing human minds will appear. To them we will look like creatures with very less awareness and intelligence, but with exactly the same consciousness. There can be only one fundamental ground of existence, its the same no matter which mind perceives it. There is exactly one consciousness in existence.

There are other ways to define consciousness. For example some people may like to define it as a process in the brain. From this angle, perhaps a robot is simply missing this processes and writing some good code can fix it and bring the machines to the level of humans. But unfortunately, a process that can produce consciousness has not been found. Not even in humans. The non existence of matter complicates this model further, and we are left with a question - if there is no matter, then what exactly is the nature of the process that generates a consciousness like state. There are no answers. One can argue that the generation of consciousness is an impossibility as it is already there as the fundamental background of all processes, or that all processes happen in consciousness. This is obviously supported by our own direct observation, we do see all the processes, without any exception, happening in consciousness. Depending on the meaning of the word consciousness, there can be many theories. One must explore all such speculations with an open and critical mind. Your experience is your truth.

 Gift 1: Consciousness and machines

364. How can I stop obsessing over a thought?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-09 08:21:27

How can I stop obssesing over a thought?

Find out what is having a thought, what is obsessed with it, what wants to stop it, and what cannot apparently stop the thoughts or obsessions.

Now find out what is experiencing the above drama.

You will see that all the above activities regarding the thoughts and reactions to them is being generated by the mind. It brings up patterns of memories and processes them repeatedly in a mechanical way.

That which is experiencing these events in the mind, is the Self, or consciousness. It is your essence. See that the Self is perfectly in peace, it merely observes, it does not want to stop or start any thoughts. The Self is observing or is being conscious of the activity of the mind and apparent suffering generated in the mind by the mind itself.

Observe it for a while, pay attention to the activities of the mind and also to the one that is conscious of them. Spend some time, 10-15 minutes doing so. Do not get distracted or pulled into the drama of the mind. Maintain a safe distance from it and simply observe how it brings up thoughts and then how it results in negativity, and then how the mind generates feelings of disgust or repulsion and how another desire to not have that thought appears. The cycle continues.

Once you can see clearly, what is you (Self) and what is not you (mind), you will notice that now there is a choice to simply observe the contents of the mind rather than getting involved in them and getting dragged into a mechanical zombie like state. When you observe with full awareness and attention, the mind starts to settle down by itself, the light of awareness weakens its run of a mill activity. Now you get a choice to think something else, something positive, or something logical and rational in order to mend the situation. Once the situation is resolved, the mind has no reason to think about it again. The old associations are broken, and new ones are formed in the memory. The mind marks it as done and shifts to the next issue.

When you are not aware, this choice is not available. Awareness is the key. Discriminate between what is you and what is mind. The mind is an experience. You can call it "yours" if you like, but it is not you. The mind cannot stop itself, the mind cannot bring itself out of a mechanical loop of suffering. It is like blowing on the sails to sail a boat. Self can do that within seconds. It does not do anything except observing, and such an act of witnessing illuminates the choices that you always had. Just that you were unaware of them.

Cultivate the awareness. Be mindful. Be silent observer of all experiences, including the mental ones. This destroys all suffering, irrational and negative thoughts. It purifies the mind. This is a very powerful way to live. It is not a practice to be finished off in 10 mins, it is a lifestyle. Become aware, be blissful, that is what you essentially are.

 Gift 1: Stages of awareness

365. Is sacrifice of useless desires required on the path of knowledge?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-09 16:58:35

Does sacrifices of useless desires is required for those who are on the path of knowledge?

If those desires are useless, as you say and if you are sure they are useless, it is wise to let go of them irrespective of the path or even when the person is on no path at all.

On the path of knowledge, the first thing to do before you decide what to do with desires, useless or useful, is to know what a desire is. What does the word desire mean in your experience?

Meditate or introspect on this question. See via your own direct observation what a desire is. What is its nature. What is this thing I call desire and I classify it as useful or useless. Try to look for such answers in your experience of desires.

When you do that, and it is recommended to do that and not blindly believe the following, you will see that the desires are events in the mind that are being generated continuously out of past memories or programming or conditioning. These events have an effect of propelling the organism into one or the other action. Without desires or intentions there is no action.

It will be obvious that these events are not "my events" or "my desires". The ownership of these events happens after they are already in the mind. There is no one there who desires something, the desires happen on their own mechanically and another process, the process of identity creator then generates an owner of it. There is this illusion that since I am aware of this event here and now, I must have produced it, and hence it is "mine".

When you do such in depth analysis you will see that the desires are natural events in the mind, they are not yours, they appear and disappear. You are witness of these activities of the mind. You are the experiencer of the experience of the mind, you are the Self.

The Self is pure consciousness, it has no desires, it does not own them also, it does not generate them also. Self is unconditional, it does not classify them as useful or useless. The mind does that based on its preferences or prior conditioning. We can witness that too. We can find out why the mind prefers one desire over the other. The reason is mostly just one - survival.

Now you can guess. If a desire or intention or action aids in survival, is necessary for survival of this organism, and others, it must be fulfilled. Now you can say that it is a useful desire. If it is the opposite, it is useless. Now its purely optional to act on it. Perhaps it is for just entertainment, or just a curiosity.

You can experiment at your own risk. Actions are somewhat in your control, but consequences of those actions are not in anyone's control. A choice to act on a desire will lead to consequences, a choice to discard it as useless will also lead to consequences.

Mind will again classify the consequences as good or bad depending on its conditioning. It does not really matter, whether they are good or bad, there is always a lesson.

It does not matter what the lesson is. The lesson is always such that it pushes the mind one step ahead in evolution. So essentially all actions contribute to the evolution of the mind. No action, no consequence, no lesson learnt, no evolution. This is a beautiful and perfect system to evolve. Perhaps that is why we are here in this world of "action and consequence", to experiment and learn. Now we can understand why there is this seemingly stupid mechanism in the mind that keeps throwing out random desires and keeps pushing us to act on them. Its not stupid obviously, this is the grand plan. A desire is just a seed. A desire is a start of a new experience. Experiment, explore and grow. There is nothing more to be done.

You have no desires, you do not act on them, you never own them, you never suffered any consequences. You are already free from these illusory happenings. Know what you are essentially. Be free from desires and their consequences for ever. It takes a few minutes, and welcome to the path of knowledge. This is the fast lane.

 Gift 1: Impulses and desires

366. Why can't I trust people around me?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-10 00:16:03

Why i can't trust people around me ?

Fear.

Suspicion. Fear, bad experience with people, childhood conditioning and so on.

Anyhow trust is an attitude towards someone which must be cultivated by being with the other for a very long time. Even then, it is not guaranteed to work. A better approach is - unconditional love. Accept everyone as they are, not expecting good, or bad from anyone. Act as per the situation, not on the criterion of trust.

Trust points to an assumption which is - someone will act in a certain way or will provide you something that you desire.

Since people and situations are fluid, they keep changing, this assumption may not turn out to be true.

There can be some reasons why someone may choose to trust others. Perhaps there is a strong desire which is occluding the risk that is inherent in any trust based relationship. The desire twists and distorts the mind into unreasonableness. The desire can be for some gain or for security or emotional support etc.

Perhaps the person considers it a good manner to help others no matter what. This can happen due to childhood conditioning, where the parents fail to convey the realities of the world to their child, hoping that their child will grow up as a good person. This conditioning stays and the adult is almost incapable of deciding not to trust. Some people cannot say "No" even when they are not totally gullible, the reason being such hardened conditioning or some fear e.g. of being considered as unfriendly, rude or uncivilized.

Perhaps the mind of the person who trusts has not suffered sufficiently as a result of unreasonable expectations, and hence it decides to trust the next person too. It can happen for lucky few that they escape the negative consequences of their mistakes. But the result is that they do not learn, and keep repeating the mistakes. Suffering is a deterrent, a natural trainer. Trusting may not be a mistake if its consequences are not affecting you, but if it is then your mind will slowly learn to avoid such behaviour. Anyhow, if you are very aware then you can train yourself to be in any possible way. That would be better compared to the stick and carrot approach that mother nature often adopts.

367. How to fix a stubborn child?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-10-10 04:05:13

My daughter is very stubborn. What should I do?

Be kind and compassionate. Is there anything else to do?

Be kind and compassionate to all. Treat everyone as your own self, or as your own daughter and son. Nothing more needs to be done. Everyone and everything is already perfect. You own no one. That person is not "yours". A person is just an illusion, so are you.

Probably that sounds too "spiritual", impractical mumbo-jumbo. But there must be some reason you chose an app for spiritual seekers to ask your seemingly worldly question.

So here is some practical suggestion. Everyone learns from their own actions and consequences of those actions. Let the person learn from their own behaviour. When they fall, you pick them up. As a parent its your responsibility to help the child when they do something stupid. Let the children learn by their own mistakes.

Trying to control children, to mould them into your exact copy does not work. As soon as they are out of the house, they will anyway do what their nature dictates. Control and oppression will result in a loss of respect and love for you in the mind of the child. Some things cannot be simply taught, the child needs to learn them by experimentation. When they fail, be there to encourage them, help them to see their mistake, suggest a better action, and go back to your own life. Your job is done. Lead by example, not by preaching or discipline.

368. If the future can't change, why bother trying to take action?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-10-10 19:49:37

If the future can't change, why bother trying to take action?

There are big assumptions here. First assumption is that there is a thing called future somewhere, and second is that "your" actions can or cannot affect it. Both assumptions are false, they do not stand the evidence of a direct experience. Once you dismantle your blind beliefs, the question falls apart.

There is no future and there is no past. Have you ever experienced a past or a future?

The experience of past is just recall of memories, which happens NOW.

The experience of the future is projections or plans or imaginations, which happens NOW.

Have you ever experienced anything else than NOW in terms of time?

Time is an illusion created by mind. It create it out of a flow of experiences. All those experiences happen in NOW. There is this eternal NOW. It is infinite, it is not some tiny moment that comes and goes. All moments happen in NOW.

You do not have a past, you do not have a future. These are made up in the mind. You are timeless and eternal. You are the Self, the pure consciousness that witnesses the NOW.

There is no such thing as "your" action. There is no actor. Actions happen. No one does them. You are the silent witness of all actions. You are the Self, pure consciousness of all experiences, of all actions.

One should realize that there is no doer. All events and actions happen. The mind has a function, which is called the identity creator. The mind creates an imaginary centre or identity which is assumed to be a source of all actions, thoughts and memories. So there is no "me" or "I". This can be directly experienced simply by paying attention to the causal sequence of any action.

The essence of your existence is the pure consciousness which is witnessing these actions, events and memories. Its also called the Self.

Self is pure consciousness, one and the same as the whole existence. Once this is realized, all the experience just happens, there is no one to do anything. It is like a show, just appearances, and the Self is the blissful empty witness of this show. There is no one that does anything, there is no doer. There are actions, there is no actor.

Know that there is no doer, actions happen and consequences happen. All one can do is watch. The watcher is you, the Self, the pure consciousness that we all are. We do not do anything. Doing is simply actions of mind and body, which are an outcome of their programming. Body is preprogramed like a robot, mind is like a computer, it refines its program via action and learning. Let it happen. Lessons are for mind, learn them. Take a baby step in peace. Let that which is absolutely necessary happen, and watch. There is no hurry, you are eternal. There is nothing to achieve, you are absolutely perfect already.

So the first step is to know what you truly are. All answers fall in place once that is known.

[ Gift 1: The experiencer  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-experiencer.html)  
 Gift 2: Identity

369. How to take the desire to know the self?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-11 08:22:01

How to take the desire to know the self?

It is useful as long as it appears and knowing happens and then it disappears. This should not take more than a few minutes.

You know the Self instantly or you never know it, there is no "I am in a process of knowing" stage.

If this desire lasts for a long time, many years, something is very wrong. In that case, one should approach an experienced teacher. It usually takes only a minute to know what you are essentially."

370. All mind knows this body mind and person is not me. How to move further?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-11 16:52:22

It is said disidentify with illusions and self will be left. All mind knows this body mind and person is not me. How to move further?

Once you understand that the body and the mind or any other objects or processes are not essentially you, they are experiences, all you need to do is ask this question - if all these objects are not me, they are changing experiences only, then what is it that is experiencing them?

In other words, there is surely an experience, it can be of anything, but surely the experience is there and is being experienced. Now what is receiving this experience? What is the knower of all experiences? How is the experience being registered? What is this unchanging background of all kinds of experiences?

And the answer is obvious, it is you. All experiences are being known by that which experiences everything, it is also called the consciousness or the Self, or the observer. It is the experiencer. We can call it "I" or me or myself also.

Since it is pure consciousness of objects, it is not an object, and you will never see it. You are the seer itself. Trying to know yourself as another object is an error, and many people try to do that, and wonder why can't I know who I am. You are the one who is experiencing this effort and confusion, you are the consciousness of this action. Self cannot be seen as an object of any kind. In other words, Self is that which experiences, it is not any kind of experience.

The next step is to understand that the Self is the existence itself. That is, the existence appears as an experience to itself. This will need some assistance from an experienced teacher.

If you need more help, please refer to the links below, or join our weekly online meeting. Someone there may resolve any of your doubts and answer your questions etc.

[ Gift 1: The Experiencer  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2017/05/the-experiencer.html)  
 Gift 2: Connect

371. Why is the mind always trying to super impose that the person is the self?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-17 18:15:54

Why mind always trying to super impose that the illusionary person is the self(consciousness)?

Ignorance and habit.

Since ages the mind has identified itself with the bodies and personalities. The ignorance is deep seated and it does so habitually and in unawareness.

The solution is to practice awareness. Remember every second what you are essentially. Introspect and know via direct experience what you are, do not simply assume that you are consciousness or the Self. Do not blindly believe it just because some great guru said so. It has to be your live experience and then through practice you should embody this knowledge.

This is the essence of all spiritual paths, to know what you are and to act from that knowledge. To break free from the habit and ignorance.

372. How to forgive yourself?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-10-17 20:24:15

How to forgive self?

When you forgive, you do not let your past experiences control the present. There is no past now, it is gone, there are just memories. Memories are simply structures in your mind, the have a shadowy reality. The real you is always in the now, the one that is witnessing every moment now. The real one is you, the consciousness, the Self.

You have identified with your experiences and memories. Your mind has these thoughts - it was "me" who experienced something negative, it was "me" who got hurt. But if you look closely, the real you is unaffected, what is actually there is some memories and negative thoughts. Can we let these illusory events in the mind to ruin our life?

Forgiving is letting go of mental activities that cause negativity and pollute the inner life. When the mind is agitated, the outer life is also affected. Be at peace, let go. Whenever memories arise, become very aware of them. See that they are processes in the mind, they are automatic, the memories did not arrive because you called them, they just happen. See this, dis-identify and let go of thoughts. Note that forgiving has nothing to do with another person, it is a private activity, it happens in your own mind, not outside.

The attitude is like - "Oh here are these thoughts again. My mind is producing them from past memories." And just observe. Magic happens, the thoughts dissipate like fog in presence of a strong sun. The sun is your awareness, the light of your consciousness. You are that. You are not your thoughts, not memories, not mind and not a body. The latter are merely experiences that come and go. Keep the good ones that bring joy and peace.

373. How to avoid fear of failure?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-10-17 19:50:55

How to avoid fear of failure?

Fear of failure is caused by too much attachment to the outcome. Ego invests in it and produces a fear in anticipation.

One way to reduce fear is to know well that consequences of our actions are not in our control. Anything can happen. Whatever happens, good or bad, is a lesson. This will cause detachment and fear will disappear.

Another way is to treat every action as a service. Egoic investment is no more if it is a service, and that will get rid of the anxiety.

What has happened is that your strong desire to get positive experiences has produced fear of failure and that gives rise to equally strong reaction from the mind. Let go of all expectations, which will mean letting go of worries as well as hopes. Be neutral and simply observe, let the mind do that which is most necessary. It will do it as best as it can, and if it fails, turn it into a learning opportunity instead of a blaming and cursing game. There is a lesson in both success and failure. It is not "your" success, not your failure, they are just events, learn from them. This is how we progress. When we are attached to the outcomes, it stops the progress. Concentrate only on the lessons, nothing else. You will find that as soon as you learn a lesson, the situations will improve, the mind will become peaceful, there will be no need to control it by hook or crook. Your detachment is enough to keep it peaceful. Detachment from the experiences and from the outcomes.

To the ego, this looks like a boring way to live. No celebrations? Not my success? Not my achievement? Notice the "my" here. Ego is all about "me me me". There is no "me", it is an illusion. Once you see this, you will be detached. Keep reminding yourself that you do not have to fetch every bone the ego throws at you. This will make your rational mind stronger, you will not be swayed by impulses. Slowly the cultivation will bring the ego on the track. This is not magic, this is hard work, and hence you will find that almost no one cultivates their minds, and hence no matter how happy and prosperous they look, all are in pain and suffering. Only a seeker does that. It is difficult but an experienced teacher or a guru can greatly help.

374. How do you forget someone?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-10-17 20:28:13

How do you forget someone?

Memories last forever. They reside in causal body. It is something beyond human capability to destroy them. Only the recall can be stopped. This can be done by breaking the habit of mechanical repeated recalls. Diverting the mind to something more important, like your life goals.

Forgetting in not in mind's control, but forgiving is.

Forgiving is allowing what is and allowing people as they are. Seeing that all was an illusion. Doing what needs to be done rationally.

375. What to do if you have no one to talk to?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-10-27 11:52:49

What to do if you have no one to talk to?

Pursue your life goals. Persistently and silently. Talk only when needed. Talk only to those who value you and who have some value for you. Talk less, learn more. Talk beautifully, with kindness and compassion. Use as few words as you can, they should be full of wisdom."

376. How to avoid binge eating?

Self Talk 1.3.1 2018-10-27 11:54:05

How to avoid binge eating?

Find a life goal that is more pleasurable than eating. Devote yourself to that goal. Persist, patiently and selflessly step towards your goal, slowly and surely. When there is a meaningful goal, a higher purpose to your life, all irrational and addictive behaviour will cease. Become aware of your existence and your purpose."

377. How to stop being judgmental?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-28 17:10:20

How stop being judgemental? I am very judgemental and living the life by comparing myself with world all the time. Its full of misery.

Probably you do not have any goals for yourself. You do not know your purpose. You never thought about giving a meaning to your life. You do not know why you were born here in a human form in this illusory world. What are you exactly trying to achieve in your life?

With that situation, pettiness, smallness and suffering is almost guaranteed. The mind has no direction and hence it is trapped in pettiness. It sees objects, people and other superficial things and makes up stories to keep itself busy, to keep itself involved and entertained. Probably the survival is taken care of, so there is nothing important to do. This is unsatisfactory, sooner or later, it becomes painful. A life with no greater purpose is just suffering. The cause is ignorance.

The solution is simple. Find a life goal that is greater than objects or random people. Things and people, relations or worldly achievements are of no value, they are not important at all. What is important is your own life. Focus on your goals, your positive side, your own skills and abilities. Enhance that which is good in you. Correct that which needs correction in you. Evolve. Seek a meaning for your existence. Once you find a greater purpose, you will have no time for pettiness. You will blissfully pursue your goals. Persist and progress, advance continuously on the path of your heart. You are here to do nothing more than that.

378. Do I have to change for the better?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-10-29 00:40:40

Do i have to change for the better?

There is always a room for something better. Life is a continuous evolution, ceaseless change.

What you are essentially is already perfect, what you seem to be keeps evolving."

379. How can I feel loved without seeking it from people?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-07 05:30:19

I know that no bonds in the mortal world is permanent, but as a human being I seek affection, adding to that, I have an estranged parent. How do I deal with this and feel loved without seeking it from people?

Love others. Love everyone. Be kind and compassionate towards all. Help others. Make yourself capable so that you can help others. Serve others. Make yourself capable for that. When you feel sad, make others happy. Give happiness unconditionally.

If there is love in your being, it spills. Everything starts from you. If you do not evolve, nothing happens. The situations and experiences are a direct result of your own nature.

There is no way to "get" it from others, people, relatives or objects. It always fails. The only way is to give unconditionally.

Some may return it back, some may abuse your good nature. Learn from the experience. Be grateful to those who return love and help, do not cling, do not turn love into a "relation".

Love is a realization of the oneness of all. We are all one. Know this as your own experience. Know what you are. Your essence is oneness, which means it is love of the purest kind. Where else will you find it if you are it?

 Gift 1: Unconditional Love

380. How to be happy amidst an increasingly materialistic world?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-07 06:11:20

How to be happy amidst an increasingly materialistic world?

Happiness is independent of states of the world.

Happiness is deep contentment and peace. You are the source of happiness.

Calmly and with full awareness follow the path of your heart. It is that for which you are born, it is your life goal. Never let worldly distractions sway you from the path. When you follow your path, happiness and freedom is the natural result.

Worlds come and go, like illusions, like illusory pictures on a screen. The screen remains, you are that screen. Your essence is existence itself. Can it be spiritual or materialistic?

No matter what world it is, it is all spiritual, it is your own expression.

[ Gift 1: Happiness and freedom  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/11/happiness-and-freedom.html)  
 Gift 2: Balancing the material and spiritual

381. How to cope with competition, the fear that keeps us from taking up challenges?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-07 14:28:21

How to cope with competition, the fear of disappointments that keeps us from taking up challenges?

The fact is - no matter how fierce competitor you are, you are going to perform only as good as you actually are.

This realization should bring your attention back to your own performance. This should make you not worry about others. The others will do what they do, you have no say on that, but you have full control on your own actions. It is obvious where you need to invest your time and energy.

Excel, become better and better at that which you love to do. The competition takes care of itself. Your quality and devotion are factors in your success, not others. Others are simply a distraction.

A flower blooms by itself, it does not compete with other flowers, and it is still a beautiful happening. This is most natural. Everything happens as it should. The noisy fearful mind has no effect on what happens. Actually the fear and noise will deteriorate your performance. Competition is a sure way to failure. Improve yourself continuously, learn and grow, this is a sure way to success.

It does not matter what you did, does not matter how others judge it, you have taken a step on the path of your heart, you have progressed, you have done something beautiful. A life where your every act is a piece of art is the most spiritual life, it is blissful, even an advanced yogi sitting in a cave cannot dream of such bliss. Happiness and bliss, not achievements or fame is your goal. Actions are just a means to get that goal.

382. What is the first step of spirituality?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-08 04:55:24

There are many stages in spirituality,like being moral, kind, true and so on. What is the first step of spirituality of the A B C of spirituality?

Knowing what you are.

This is the only step. First and last.

Rest is cultivation - gradual removal of ignorance.

 Gift 1: Series-Spirituality for beginners

383. Is my current relation a result of my past karma?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-08 04:59:06

If you are being treated in a undesirable manner but can do nothing about it because the person could be your caretaker. Then is this a result of my past karma?

Everything is a result of past karma, which is the impressions stored in the causal body.

These are metaphysical memories. They cause a birth and a set of behaviours in the incarnated individual.

Everyone acts in their own deterministic way and we see the dynamics of such interactions. What is the point? To learn and grow. To evolve. Life is a school, a tool, for evolution of the mind.

What is really needed is that you see the lesson here. Perhaps there is too much attachment with a particular person, there are too many irrational expectations. His behaviour is his own natural tendency. Expecting that someone else will make you happy or do something for you is just ignorance. Life is trying to teach you something here.

Dependency of any kind will cause expectations and when people do not act as you expect (as you imagined in your mind as a fictional story), it looks like undesirable behaviour. The solution is not to "fix" that person or do something to fix it. The solution is to see that you are still dependent on someone else. The solution is to be free.

Unless you are free, you cannot love unconditionally. Your ego will always demand a return on your investments in someone. This is the cause of immense suffering and confusion."

384. What to do when love is your drive and you don't get it?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-09 14:50:57

What to do when love is your drive to achieve and you don't get it in life..?

Always do that which brings more happiness and freedom.

Take some other path, have a more meaningful goal.

If something keeps failing and brings misery, it is not your path. You are born for something else. Find the path of your heart. The sign that you are on a correct path is that happiness and freedom keeps growing, everything happens without effort or struggle, even failures become just lessons that improve you.

Drives and impulses come and go, path of the heart remains forever. By the way you cannot "get" love, you can only give it unconditionally. Any attempt to get it from others will surely fail and land you in suffering. Such actions are a waste of time and of life. Become a source of love, not a beggar of it. Love everyone equally. Serve others. Be kind. Love is the expression of oneness of all. We are all already one, the Self. How can you get it if you are already it?

[ Gift 1: Path of the heart  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/05/the-path-of-heart.html)  
[ Gift 2: Happiness and freedom  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/11/happiness-and-freedom.html)  
 Gift 3: Unconditional love

385. Why do I feel down and low every morning?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-11 04:10:10

On every morning why I feel down and low?

When you are disinterested in doing anything, even the daily tasks, it is a sure sign that you lack a life goal, you do not live for a purpose, you have no ambitions. So the obvious solution is to find your goal. Find that for which you are here as a human, and once you see it, you will have no time to just sit.

The mind is not energized, not excited, so the body follows, becomes lethargic and lazy. All kinds of bad habits creep in. Depression arises, and the body starts becoming sick. You are sending signals to the body that its job is over, there is nothing to do now, so the life forces start withdrawing, the body is preparing for the death.

Such condition can arise also due to a pile of unfulfilled desires. The mind gives up because it failed hundreds of time, and now there is simply no motivation left to go on. It does that in all cases, important and rational desires or irrational and random desires. Usually if it is very important, it gets done anyway. But if it is unimportant, something which is not a need, it cannot be fulfilled, except by chance. So it is necessary to throw away random desires. Try to fulfill some of them, which are most prominent. This frees the mind to concentrate of something important. If there is nothing important in your life, if it is just drifting, then the energies will start stagnating.

Probably you are not on the path of your heart. You have no goals, no ambitions, your survival is taken care of, so you are lost, what to do next. You randomly venture into things, only to find suffering and dissatisfaction. You mind creates an image of a thing- a person who is suffering, this causes self pity, and lack of any motivation or energy. This is an affliction of the mind. The cause is ignorance about the nature of the life and nature of who you are. The cure is knowledge.

Ensure that you have a goal. Eating, sleeping and reproducing is mere survival, a human life starts when survival is over. Set a higher goal than simply surviving.

Ensure that the goal is that which you absolutely love to do. It should not be copied from someone else. Do that which your heart agrees with. Everyone has a unique path.

Proceed towards your goals step by step. Decide moment by moment. Choose that which takes you towards your goal.

Human goals are set up by mother nature and they are - happiness and freedom. If your goal is aligned with them, you will reach there. The sign that you are progressing is ever increasing happiness and freedom. If you cannot see it, change goals, it is not your path.

Try taking up a task as a play, take first step, very slow, but act as if you love to do it. You will find that the mind comes out of initial resistance. It starts working. This is a trick, but very effective. The permanent solution is to be on the path of your heart. Else you will always encounter boredom, a disinterest in everything, a lack of energy and motivation.

In the end, the journey is important, not the destination, there is no destination. You are already home, you are already whole and complete, you are the Self.

386. What is real?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2018-11-13 03:32:18 SQ: 88

what is real?

Reality is an idea in the mind. Whatever one defines to be real becomes real. It totally depends on the definition of the word "real".

Reality is a subjective word, with everyone defining it in their own way. You can make anything real or unreal simply by defining it so. You can choose a list of criteria you like, and if something satisfies most of those criteria, you can call it real. Else it is unreal. It is a way to classify experiences. So the concept of reality is somewhat arbitrary, subjective, relative and not very useful.

Some people may choose the criterion of objectivity, which is, if something can be experienced by many in more or less same way, it is real. So the world becomes real indeed. But this has problems, because experiences like thoughts and other mental activities are purely subjective, and hence become unreal according to this definition. It is ok, but it means your mind doesn't exist, which some people may not like to hear.

Some choose the criterion of experience. If something can be experienced, it is real and if you cannot experience it in any way, it is not. This takes care of mind, as we can obviously experience it. And now both the world and the mind are real. However, it has its own problems. That would mean that the dreams and hallucinations that everyone can easily experience are real too. Some may not agree again.

Some may employ the criteria of measurement or mathematical structure, and that also leaves out many things in this world which we all can experience but cannot measure. It does make it more logical and rational and less error prone. But that's not the truth, that's for practical purposes, like technology.

Some use the criteria of utility or use. If something is useful, let's say, for survival, it is real, else it is not. So the colours become real, as they help us to survive better. But then we are left with so many useless things in this universe, and some may not agree that they are unreal, just stage props.

There can be many more ways. Explore and be amazed, how useless this word "reality" is.

Advaita and a few philosophies use the criteria of change to classify things into real or unreal. So everything that changes is unreal and that which never changes is real. You will find that all of our experiences change. Nothing remains same. Experience is actually change itself. So as per this criterion, everything is unreal, including the world and the people. There is only one thing that can be called as real, which is the background on which all change happens. This background is the consciousness. Also known as the Self. It is your real essence. It is you. The reality of experience is a derived reality, derived from the reality of consciousness.

[ Gift 1: Truth behind the truth  
](http://pexp.podbean.com/e/spirituality-for-beginners-the-truth-behind-the-truth/)  
[ Gift 2: Truth is slippery  
](http://pexp.podbean.com/e/spirituality-for-beginners-5-truth-is-slippery/)  
 Gift 3: Nature of reality

387. How to get what I want?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-17 18:24:22

How to get what i want

Wants and desires are cause of actions. Actions, whether good or bad, have consequences. Consequences are not in your control, whether they are good or bad, there is always a lesson. Lesson, whether desired or not, always makes you grow, makes you mature and progress. So all wants when acted on lead to growth. There is always a lesson.

When a lesson is finished, the want disappears, another appears, another lesson starts.

Therefore, you may or may not get what you want, but you always get what you need. All you need is lessons, learning, experience and growth. Nothing will stay with you, nothing will go with you except your lessons. Explore, act and learn. There is nothing more to do, nothing more to get."

388. Why have I felt empty for most of my life?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-18 00:11:36

Why have I felt empty for most of my life?

A sense of emptiness, meaninglessness and purposelessness is a sign that you are not on the path of your heart. The path of your heart is a goal for which you were born, to accomplish which you have taken an illusory form in an illusory world. It is your primary drive, usually it is that which motivates you most, which you absolutely love to do.

If you are not on the path of the heart, if your life is just biological processes or egoic preprogramed activities, like eating, sleeping, reproducing, relating, hoarding or trying to win the social rat race etc, then sooner or later it will produce dissatisfaction. No matter how much of such activities you do, it will all be miserable, meaningless, depressing.

Find that for which you are here. Pursue your life goal, your Swadharma with passion. There is nothing more to do as a human.

[ Gift 1: Path of the heart  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/05/the-path-of-heart.html)  
[ Gift 2: Happiness and freedom  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/11/happiness-and-freedom.html)

389. How do we get pass the ignorance that we are in?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-18 04:41:34

How do we get pass the ignorance that we are in, people including me are living a lie..

Another thing is that we need to sustain our life and dignity, for which we need to do a job, we sacrifice a lot to keep jobs.. Is spirituality a luxury that we can't afford?

Ignorance is just a set of assumptions, blind beliefs, unfounded ideas and concepts. When we act from ignorance the result is irrational actions and finally suffering.

The sign that a mind is in the darkness of ignorance is - pain, suffering and dissatisfaction. Such a mind seeks happiness in objects, people and achievements, and also ends up making others miserable.

So as soon as you encounter suffering in any form, question your beliefs immediately. See what you are doing and what consequences are you getting. Uncover your beliefs that are causing suffering. When the ignorance is seen, beliefs are dropped. You reach a state of not knowing. Now the cup is empty, it can be filled with knowledge.

Knowledge comes from experience. Explore, experiment and introspect. Books can help a bit, but a beginner usually needs guidance. Its never too late to approach an experienced teacher and get your ignorance cleared quickly. Usually the first and last ignorance is not knowing what you are. Once the Self is known all else becomes known without much effort. It is somewhat difficult for a new seeker to understand their own essence. So it is highly recommended to approach an experienced teacher. It takes only a few minutes to realize what you are. Ignorance disappears completely once Self realization happens. Rest of the practice is to cultivate awareness, right action and speech and to not to fall back into ignorance again.

Life, jobs, family, these are just aspects of the same spirit that you are. There is no such thing as a separate spiritual life. An assumption that spiritual life needs to be of a special kind is just an assumption, it is just ignorance again. This belief is just an attempt of the mind to delay Self realization, it is an inner resistance, an obstacle. It does not take any effort or time to know. It takes some effort to clear the inertia of the mind against knowledge. Probably you do not know what a spiritual life is, so its best to start from there. There is just life, all lives are spiritual.

A sign of an ignorant mind is that it clings to its beliefs, perpetuates its ignorance, delays that which is most important and wastes a perfectly good life in petty and useless activities. So a spiritual life is any kind of lifestyle that is lived for knowledge, for truth, for happiness and freedom, doing all that which is necessary with full awareness.

This phone app is limited in scope, so follow the gifts below. Ample help is available for those who show some interest in seeking further. Take up a path, know and grow. Be the light and spread the light.

[ Gift 1: Spirituality for beginners  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/category/series-spirituality-for-beginners/)  
[ Gift 2: Balancing material-spiritual life  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/balancing-the-material-life-and-the-spiritual-life/)  
 Gift 3: Online Meetings

390. Why is self enquiry difficult?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2018-11-18 04:53:30 SQ: 78

Why is self enquiry difficult?

It is not difficult at all. Probably it is difficult to let go of old beliefs and assumptions.

Self enquiry means a direct realization of the essence of that which is known as the I.

It is that which is a background of all experience. It is the experiencer. The witness or the observer of perceptions and mental events like thoughts, emotions etc.

The perceptions form the world and mental events form the mind. These are just experiences. When all that can be experienced is discarded, the background on which the experiences happen is seen as the Self. It is seen as pure nothingness or emptiness or pure consciousness.

It is the easiest thing to do. Even breathing takes more effort compared to realizing that the Self exists as a silent and empty witness of all experiences. It is like a screen on which the movie of world, body and the mind is being played. It is not physical, not non physical, not an object, not a process, not a magical thing, not any kind of experience at all. Self is the beholder of all kinds of experiences. If something can be experienced, it is not the Self. That which is experiencing that thing is the Self.

[ Gift 1: The Experiencer  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2017/05/the-experiencer.html)  
[Gift 2: Introspection  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2017/04/i10.html)  
[Gift 3: The Self  
](http://pexp.podbean.com/e/the-experiencer/)

391. Some say there is NO self. Some say there is ONLY self. What say you?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2018-11-19 20:20:25 SQ: 100

Some say there is NO self. Some say there is ONLY self. What say you?

The Self is eternally silent and peaceful. It says nothing. It is simply witnessing the minds say one thing or the other. It is pure emptiness, it is, but it is not.

It is as pure nothingness that is consciousness, bliss and unchanging, it is not an experience, not an object, not a process, not something magical. It is the experiencer, the ground of all experience.

So those who fail to see it as nothingness that exists, which as nothingness it can not really exist as a thing, call it not existing.

Ultimately, the one that says I am not is Self itself. Who else is witnessing the denial that I am not here?

392. I tend to get easily attached to nice people, why does this happen?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-20 17:59:46

I tried not getting attached to people but, when people are nice to me, I tend to get easily attached, why does this happen?

It is the tendency of the mind. Where it finds security and acceptance, it tends to cling there. It helps in survival to be among people who are good to you, this behaviour is imprinted in the mind since millions of years. It avoids those who are threatening to its survival for obvious reasons.

Trying to detach while ignoring the basic instincts of the mind fails usually. Try to attach to something finer, something more important and valuable than people, things or worldly achievements. This works. The mind finds a new security and home in the new goal, and the lower gross attachments are dropped.

It can take some time. So a full awareness and constant reminding is necessary. Detachment is a practice that continues life long, it is not a job that can be finished on a weekend. It all starts by knowing what you are, and knowing what mind is, and how it behaves. Everything starts with knowledge."

393. Where do I even begin?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2018-11-23 05:46:40 SQ: 70

Where do I even begin?

Obviously one must start from where one is.

If there is a goal, say a spiritual goal, and if you have proper knowledge about a way to reach it, then do a self evaluation, see what needs to be corrected or changed, and start doing it. An experienced teacher would be able to recommend a good path or practice or a lifestyle. If there is no goal at present (probably that is why you feel lost), an experienced teacher can suggest a goal also.

Ultimately, you will find that it all begins by knowing your essence. Know what you are essentially. Once that is done, the path appears, the practices are seen clearly, and usually there are no doubts of any kind.

To know your essence is to know the Self. It is a matter of discriminating that which can be experienced from that which is experiencing. When all that can be experienced is discarded, the experiencer is seen. It is the Self, your essence. It is not yet another experience, it is the background on which all of the experiences appear. It is the answer to - Am I conscious now? Self is seen as the conscious background of all that appears to it or in it.

Once this knowledge is established, when there is no confusion what so ever, the path appears. The goals can be picked and one can begin the journey.

In the end the journey is more important, not the destination. You are already at the destination. Only that it takes some time for that recognition to happen.

[ Gift 1: The Experiencer  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2017/05/the-experiencer.html)  
[ Gift 2: Going Home  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2017/09/going-home.html)

394. Why do I experience only one body and others seems separate from me?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-23 14:37:54

Why I experience only one body and any thing other seems seperate from me?

Imagine that your phone gets connected to all the phones in the city. Now a million voices can be heard, but how will it sound like? It will be just a loud noise. Not a good and meaningful experience.

Imagine a 100 movies playing on the same screen at the same time. It will be again a random experience with random patches of colours on the screen.

Imagine one mind connected to all 8 billion human bodies. Will it work? If a body cannot be separated from others, how will the mind know which body to feed, or if one body is in pain, and is not separate, how can it be protected?

So it seems that mother nature came up with a very smart way to experience meaningfully by drawing boundaries around different minds. She must have tried other ways, but probably this works and is the best solution. Separation of experience ensures a meaningful experience and survival of the bodies. This is the experience as an individual.

However, the separation is only virtual, there are no real boundaries. It lasts for 14-16 hours in a day, and about 70-90 years as a human. It all merges back into oneness in the state of deep sleep and after death. There is no separate individual in sleep or in death. But how is this experience like? Surely it is all combined into one, and hence no experience at all. There is nothing there to distinguish one experience from another. It looks like nothingness.

All this is true when seen from the point of view of the mind. From your point of view, which is the point of view of the Self ( Consciousness), all experiences are merged in one already. It is the same one Self that is experiencing all the experiences of every mind of every creature. The minds do not know this and cannot know this, but the Self does.

Its view is like a giant room with many windows, each window shows a slightly different view. I see all views, but the windows do not know that. The window has no way to know how it looks like from another window. Anyhow this is only a metaphor. Another metaphor is a dream, where you see a different body and you see many people with their own separate bodies, but when you wake up, you realize that that dream body was an illusion and all those people were created by your mind, but they looked different while in the dream and your dream body looked separate from other dream people, although all of them came from the same mind, with same mind experiencing them.

So the experience of a single body and its separation from other bodies is a sophisticated illusion, a dream of some kind. It is called a human life, and there is a purpose and a meaning to it. It lasts for a very small time, the separation is temporary, just like any other experience, it does not last.

395. What is the role of Kundalini in Self-realization? Can it be reactivated?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2018-11-23 22:17:34 SQ: 95

What is the role of Kundalini in Self-realization? I activated Kundalini a couple of years ago and it seems to have gone dormant. Only noticable changes that stuck with me are increased awareness and a faster reaping of karma. After it goes dormant, can it be reactivated? If Kundalini is Shakti, then Kunlun is Shiva? How can Kunlun be active?

It is easy to get lost in mysterious terminology.

Different people interpret these words differently, so rely on your own experience, not on the opinions of others. However, sometimes you will find very useful advice from seekers which comes from their own experiences, not from books or gurus.

One of the opinions says that Kundalini is simply acceleration of evolution of the mind. An ordinary mind is under the burden of deep conditioning, ignorance and delusions, it is lost in illusions, so much so that there is no recognition of what its essence is. The process of Kundalini clears this up. This accumulation is also called karmic structure. It gets destroyed relatively quickly compared to an ordinary person. When enough of it is cleared, the mind attains a stable and aware state where its essence becomes known. It is the Self, the pure consciousness that is also the essence of all existence. In Shaivism, the Self is also known as Shiva. Kundalini path is that of Shaivism mostly, but various masters have adopted and devised their own versions of this basic practice. Such as Kriya or Hatha or Tibetan energetic practices or Chinese Chi practices.

If you feel that your progress has slowed down, it could be because of some heavy clean up that is happening, or perhaps your mind is not cooperating, it is stuck somewhere. It is not very difficult to find out the cause and clear it up. An experienced teacher can help and you can also do a self diagnosis. You seem to be capable enough and already advanced enough beyond primary level.

Shiva, as defined here, is always active, it is unchanging, it is eternal, it is the underlying reality of existence, the reality cannot go active or inactive. Only its forms, the individual minds keep changing, evolving, dissolving. This body-mind is one of the infinite forms. Self realization is simply disidentification with forms, and realization that I am the Self, Shiva. This can be achieved in a few minutes without any Kundalini also, via the direct path. However, the mind gets a boost and Kundalini shows up anyhow and must be managed via lifelong cultivation and discipline.

[Gift 1: Kundalini  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/category/kundalini/)  
[ Gift 2: Kundalini and path of knowledge  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/kundalini-and-path-of-knowledge/)  
 Gift 3: Kundalini for Gyanis

396. What if I do not know what I really want in my life ?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-24 06:21:39

what of I do not know what I really want in my life ?

It is very easy to know that, you want nothing but happiness and freedom. Not only you, all people, all creatures in this universe have only one goal \- happiness and freedom.

The ways to achieve that goal can be different. It depends on the person, their level of maturity, or evolution. Some try to get it via food, pleasures, objects, hoarding stuff and money. Some try relations, families and friends. Some want to achieve more via arts and sciences. And a rare few reach there via advanced spiritual practices.

See what works for you. Try some things. That which takes you to permanent happiness and freedom is your path. It is the path of your heart. Usually it is that which you love most. It sticks for the life, never is fleeting, it is never just being alive or survival, never just biological activities of the body, not related to people, not copied from others.

Follow your path, follow your bliss. It is that for which you are born. There is nothing more to do, nothing more to achieve.

[ Gift 1: Happiness and freedom  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/11/happiness-and-freedom.html)  
 Gift 2: The path of the heart

397. How to isolate one of the 5 elements of nature as an object during meditation?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2018-11-24 17:47:24 SQ: 78

How to isolate one of the 5 elements of nature as an object during meditation , for example water , how do i comprehend it as an object. What is the dynamics of such a meditation.

Without knowing your current progress and which path you are on or what exactly you are trying to achieve here, it will be a broad answer. So its best to take the advice of the teacher under whom you are practicing. You will get a specific practice or technique. The broad answer is as follows, it may or may not be useful for you.

The elements mentioned in scriptures should not be confused with matter or its states that are seen in the physical world. The five elements are just concepts, the names are derived out of physical phenomena they closely resemble. For example the Aakash is the concept of emptiness with a potential of becoming something, obviously the closest thing which we can see via eyes which has such a characteristic is the sky, it is empty yet produces clouds etc. Sky is the metaphor here which describes the mental concept, the idea, the thought of a potent emptiness. So its called Aakash which means the sky, after the metaphor.

Similarly the water element or Aap is the idea that every form is a flow. There are no stationary forms. Some forms last for a second, some for millions of years, but they all dissolve back into some other form sooner or later. They appear and disappear. The physical object of water is a good metaphor to demonstrate this idea. You can see it, and so you can understand it better. Water takes on shapes, the waves appear and disappear, it is always flowing, transforming. It is easy to see how the form flows in our experience simply via paying attention to everyday experience. Observe carefully how objects are forms, flow and disappear. Even the mental objects of thoughts, emotions, dreams etc, all are flowing. Question why they do so, why are they not permanent, what is the ground on which this flow happens, etc.

Similarly for other elements. All these ideas can be seen in nature, in the mind, in the laws of existence. The existence functions according to them.

This is the real meditation on elements. You can see it, and you can gain very profound insights simply via observing and reflecting intelligently on your own experience. First you learn the theory, second you experiment, observe, see it yourself, and third reflect on it, try to connect the dots, derive meaning and relations among your observations, sitting quietly alone in peace with perfect concentration and attention on the subject.

Explore. Find the concepts behind the philosophy of elements, know well their meanings, do not get lost in literal mindless interpretation or magical made up meanings. Try to experience the truth of these ideas. Try to see how they can be a useful tool in higher knowledge and understanding. When you know the five elements and their dynamics, you will know the blueprint of existence.

398. How to keep the mental noise away?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-11-25 10:32:53

Existence of ego (person) is relying upon either thought in mind or experience/contact from five senses; that is why there is too much stress and its hard to get rid of thoughts. How to keep them aside?

You have answered your own question. Practice being aware 24x7, every second of your life. Awareness keeps the unnecessary activity of the mind under control. Awareness is attending to the content of the mind consciously, knowing the mind all the time. Start from 20 mins a day and extend to at least waking hours. Later try awareness in dreams and sleep too. This will make you ready for an aware death and beyond.

If you are surrounded by negativity, negative people, bad jobs and unclean environment, it will be absorbed in the mind and the mind will regurgitate the same mechanically. It will react very badly, garbage in is garbage out. So purify your surroundings, adopt minimalism, kick out negative toxic people and relatives, prefer solitude, rid of bad habits of consuming negativity via TV, internet or newspapers or cheap books. Grow a healthy set of habits and upgrade your tastes. Engage in positive uplifting and knowledge enhancing activities. You do not need to cut off from society or people. Just change them to something better, prefer the company of wise and loving not of ignorants and violent, prefer a clean business or job even if it is more hard work and less earning, prefer a clean and less crowded area, avoid going to noisy places or negative places.

Most of us are in grip of total negativity, and that is causing suffering even though there is enough prosperity, good health and good relations. The solution is to adopt a more pure and minimal lifestyle. It cannot be done overnight, its not a small trick, not a quick fix, it requires a change in the mind, knowing the mind, how it functions and knowing your own essence, your purpose of having a human form in the world of illusions. You have too much time to attend to negativity because you do not know what else to do with this life. If you had a meaningful goal, the unnecessary would be hardly noticeable. Explore and evolve, be blissful and free from suffering permanently.

399. How can I discover my karmic purpose in this birth?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2018-11-26 01:18:39 SQ: 69

How can I discover my karmic purpose in this birth?

Usually it is that to which you are most drawn to. It is that which you absolutely love to do. It is that which you encounter and take up again and again with increasing refinement and perfection.

Depending on your current evolution, it can be something very specific or can be just a series of general lessons. If you cannot find anything specific which lasts for a lifetime, nothing to worry, your goal is then to experience many aspects of life and learn. Slowly and surely you will be drawn to a specific path, which will also form a seed for future goals in future births if any.

There is a compass built in every mind, which is that of happiness and freedom. This is like a light house. Follow that which brings most happiness and freedom. Follow your bliss.

Happiness here is not momentary pleasures that come and go and make you addicted to the object of pleasure, happiness is absence of suffering, fear, negativity and ignorance. It is peace, bliss, love, contentment. Freedom is not the ability to do anything and everything, it is simply having more choices, more knowledge, absence of bondage, attachments and clinging.

Anyhow, the ultimate purpose for every individual is to attain self knowledge and evolve to the next step. For a human the next step is liberation from compulsive births in physical worlds. This is a big goal but all human actions boil down to it. It is not a choice, it is the direction where the whole existence is going. Explore, why this is so. Make it your own experience, verify it and take steps to make it smooth and quick.

400. Is there any truth in myths like Agartha and Shambhala?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2018-11-26 04:46:28 SQ: 95

What is the relation between Agartha and Shambhala, if any? Some sources say Agartha the place of Nagas and Asuras. Other sources say, outright wrongly, that the Ramayana states that Rama came from Agartha. Others still say that Agartha is a continent, or a city, or a kingdom, which Shambhala a city or state within it. It seems to have become a part of the modern myth of the hollow earth, but I can't find many ancient sources on the topic, and the modern sources seem to be baseless. Is it all metaphor that got adopted and taken too seriously, or is there some substance?

First of all, you got a very impressive SQ score there, it is a pleasure to talk to you.

As you must have noticed, behind every myth there is a truth. However, the truth is often very simple and obvious, it is usually twisted out of proportion and corrupted beyond recognition as we progress through the river of time. Time has a tendency to forget, to change, to dissolve everything as it moves.

You will find many models of existence that arose in different cultures on this planet. Although there are differences, one common theme stands out clearly, which is - all of them are layered. There are layers of existence, of creation. Its not a flat thing, and its not a one monolithic thing. It is multilayered and multidimensional. Another theme that is noticeable is that there seems to be some kind of hierarchy. The differences among the various models are petty, like number of layers, their names, which is better, who lives where and so on.

The existence is evolving by necessity, and as it evolves, it arranges itself in layers. Some layers have greater organisation and are more rule bound, some are loose and free, they flow with mind and its will. A more evolved mind finds itself in a more evolved and free layer. More freedom means more knowledge, more power and a blissful existence. This is the basic proposition. The rest is seekers own personal interpretation.

Language has its limitations, and when I describe a layered model, I can choose words like above or below, superior or inferior (means the same) or dark and light etc. An ignorant mind, who has never experienced these layers, or is not intelligent enough to understand it even intellectually, will surely take it literally. When I say, there is a part of existence which is below our own world, and is inferior, populated by inferior beings, the mentioned kind of person is surely going to assume a land beneath the surface of earth, creatures created out of fear in ugliest possible way and will cook up stories of all kinds.

Those who explore these worlds, these layers, know and smile, the wise can understand and are willing to explore them. The smart can see it as a ridiculous fantasy and laugh at it. Only a seeker knows that the only way to know is via a direct experience of it. There is no other way. A spiritual explorer is not interested in stories, who said what, who is right, who is not, which belief to adopt blindly. No. A spiritual seeker sees it as an opportunity to explore. A new idea has entered his mind, and now its truth must be known. Such a person is not a blind believer, they are extremely curious, thats all.

Take the teachings, and stories as your next project in exploration of the unknown. There is so much to know. There is so little time to waste on debates and arguments. Explore now. Add your own contribution to this immense knowledge we have gathered. Get there to know, there is no other way.

[ Gift 1: Nature of reality  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/category/series-nature-of-reality/)  
 Gift 2: Exploring the universal mind part 1

Questions: 401-500

401. Can some of the night dreams come true?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-12-08 08:07:27

Does dreams can b true ? Bcoz some of my dreams had been came true. So im curious to know about that

If something happens in the waking state which is exactly like the event that happened in dream state, which one of them is true?

Are they both true or are both false?

See that the experiences in waking state are just as illusory as experiences in dream state or any other altered state of the mind. All experiences are mind created. All of them are illusions. An occasional resemblance among these events is not totally impossible, and it does not say anything about their truth.

Know that which is true, which never changes, which is independent of ever changing states of the mind. You are that truth, you are the Self, the only truth there is.

 Gift 1: Reality is an illusion

402. Where do you find your bliss?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-12-09 19:05:55

Where do you find your bliss?

Depending on the level of ignorance (or level of knowledge), people find it in various place.

For those who are animalistic or hedonistic, it is always survival, security, food, mates, sensory pleasure etc.

For those with tribal tendencies, it can be wealth, land, power, dominance, achievements, wars, victories, pride, social status etc.

For those with emotional tendencies, it is love, affection, friendship, joy, sorrow, sadness and activities and arts that promote emotional experiences.

For intellectuals, it is knowledge, science, technology, exploration, travel, discovery, invention, occult, powers, creativity, fine arts and so on.

For spiritual people, it is wisdom, awareness, spiritual experiences, truth, oneness, peace of mind, freedom, liberation from ignorance and from the above tendencies.

There is no formula that fits all. It is not this one thing which everyone should do. Everyone is different and unique. It is not possible to simply adopt a belief or copy someone else if you wish to know what can make you happy. Evaluate yourself. Do that which you absolutely love to do. Do that for which you are born. That is your path of the heart. That is your bliss.

 Gift 1: Happiness and freedom  
 Gift 2: The path of the heart

403. Why it is called self-realization?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-12-23 09:10:53

Why it is called self-realisation?

Because realisation is an act of mind. If mind is realising the the self. Then it cannot be self realisation.

Please enlighten on this.

Mind does not realize anything. It is the Self itself knowing itself.

This leaves an impression on the mind anyway. When the Self is facing towards itself, the mind is silenced, its activities stop or are minimized. When the mind starts acting again, speech such as - I know the Self now, happens, or bliss happens.

Mind is only a sophisticated machine, it simply reacts to whatever experiences are happening. One such experience is the Self (or consciousness) turning to itself."

404. Am I a person?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2018-12-25 18:03:39 SQ: 68

Am I a person?

A person is an idea in the mind, a concept. An idea based on an ever changing body, memories, tags likes names, relations or professions. It is a concept that there is a doer of all actions that happens via a body or a mind. Actions like bodily activities, perceptions, speech and thought happen on their own, later a doer is assumed. This is the identity or the ego or the person. When seen as is, all there is, is the ever changing experience of a body and a mind. The doer is an abstract idea, an identification with these experiences.

This can be clearly seen via direct observation. The illusion of the person is shattered as soon as the blind beliefs and assumptions about it are dropped. As an idea it exists, as a reality its not there.

There are experiences of various kinds, including those of the world, body and the mind. The essence of I is not any experience, it is the experiencer. The experiencer is there as a silent witness of all experiences. It remains unseen, because it is the screen on which the experiences are played out. Because of ignorance in the mind, the mind identifies itself with one or the other experience, or a collection of experiences.

The essence of I am is the constant background of consciousness or the Self. I am the observer, a witness of all that is, of all ideas and concepts too. I am not an idea, not an object of senses, or any mental activities, or any imaginary invisible processes. I am a conscious witness of all those. Experiences are a flow, they keep changing, they come and go. Experiencer, the I, is changeless, it remains steady, as all experiences flow through it. It is a space like screen on which the illusory drama of experiences is played out. One part of this drama is the role of a person the mind assumes. It is also experienced.

[ Gift 1: The Experiencer  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2017/05/the-experiencer.html)  
[ Gift 2: Illusion of Identity  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/12/introspection-4-identity-and-ignorance.html)  
 Gift 3: Identity and Personality

405. How should I react against people who are extremely competitive?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-12-25 15:35:32

How should I react against people who hide good information on me just for the fear of being more successful than them ?

With kindness and compassion.

There is no other rational way to act. It is not for anyone else's benefit, it is for your own good. The savings of time, energy and gain of peace of mind is all yours.

It is not in our hands how people act. They act as per their own mental conditioning. It is not our responsibility to fix them or manipulate them to conform to our own notions of how everyone should act. That would be foolish. However, our own actions, behaviour and thought is in our control. This is where you need to focus. Never react, always act is such a way that causes no harm to anyone or the self. Act with full awareness.

Once you react to the behaviour of others, you are dominated by them, you become a reactive slave of them. Your own intelligence become dormant, your potential becomes ineffective. Do your own thing, do that which you love to do, which takes you forward towards your goals.

An action must be the right action. Right action is the one which takes you closer to your goal, wrong action takes you away from it, it is a distraction. Are random people your goal? Is your life about pleasing people of all kinds? Are you defined by what other do or think? If not, what is the real goal of your life? Are you taking the right actions, or are you distracted?

Evaluate your actions. Discriminate the right from the wrong. Diligently move towards your goals. Become aware of your own actions, speech and thought. Awareness offers an opportunity to the mind to pick the right action. Without awareness, the mind reacts mechanically in the dark. Shine the light of awareness on all your acts. Once you reach on the peak, you will be able to guide others, it always happens via setting an example, not by competition, jealousy or violence.

406. How can I achieve my goals ?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2018-12-25 15:33:58

How can I acheive my goals ?

It is very easy. Set up a goal. Divide it into steps. Act in a way that takes you towards the goal, not away from it. The right action is the one which brings you closer to the goal, a wrong action throws you off. The consequence of any action should be such that you are closer to the goal. The right action is the one which brings long term satisfaction, happiness and freedom. If an action is not resulting in happiness and freedom, it is not the right action and it is not the right goal, if its pursuit is causing nothing but suffering. So your guides are happiness and freedom. It is like a lighthouse. With every little action, guided by this light, you will reach near your goal. Step by step. Decision by decision. Moment by moment. There is no blue print, there is no grand plan, just a guiding light. Follow your bliss.

Usually success is defined as achieving a goal. One makes a goal, does actions to get it, and if one gets it, he is successful. Not getting it is a failure. So everything starts with a goal. Do you have a right goal? What goals have you set up and what are you doing to achieve them? Not having a goal is the biggest thing that can go wrong. Secondly, not having a correct goal can land you in failure. What is a right goal? It is something you are born to do. It is something your heart wants, you simply love it, you are not tired of it ever. We are born here to walk on the path of the heart. If you do anything else, you will either fail totally or achieve partial and unsatisfactory success. Find your path of the heart, you will find that when you walk on it, nothing ever fails.

Try smaller goals, see what actions are needed to achieve them. See where you lack, what do you need to learn first. Learn it, fix yourself and try that task. Set another small goal, get it, so on and so forth. If you love doing it, you will succeed, you will put effort and you will enjoy it. If your goals are not your path, you merely copied someone else, probably someone who is rich or famous, or something which you are not born to be, you will merely waste your life trying to become that other person. You need to be you. Be your Self, ask your Self, what path you are on. Take baby steps on it. There is a lot of time, you don't need to achieve everything today.

If you fail, there can be reasons. Perhaps you are trying to do too much. And you do it without knowing how to do it. Divide your goal into many small sub-goal. Every failure is a lesson, a step towards success. Success is not something one gets by chance, it is a work of many years, sometimes whole life.

Depending on the goals, the exact actions may vary. In general, improve your intelligence. Get new skills. Work hard. Persist. Never give up. Have big life goals. Stay positive and fit. Get a mentor. All this is absolutely necessary to achieve the goals. Break them into smaller steps. Go one step at a time.

You may or may not get them, but you will always get a lesson. A lesson is meant for your growth. That's what we are here for, and that's what will stay with you forever. Nothing is certain. But that's not a problem. The problem is - what will you do after achieving it? Obvious answer is - run after another goal. And keep doing it forever.

Having said that, the idea of success is just brainwashing by society and parents. We are not here to achieve success, we are here to experience life as it comes. You are not the actor, you are the watcher, the Self. Anything that you achieve or get will be left here. Everything that you are will remain with you. Re-evaluate your purpose. Question your beliefs. Free yourself.

So, the goal is not important, the path is important. Its the journey, not the destination. There is no destination. You are already home. Do not worry about the goals. You may or may not achieve them, what will you achieve is - lessons. Lessons are meant for your progress. You are here to grow, learn and evolve. You are not here to get things, hoard things, make countless relations or achieve intellectual things. Remember none of it will remain, nothing will go with you. What will remain is - what you are.

Know what you are. Know what it means to evolve. Know what needs to be done on this eternal path called life.

Do that which is most necessary and do that which you absolutely love to do. You will forget about the petty goals. You will see that the real happiness and freedom comes like this, when you are on a path of your heart. Know that path. Walk on it. There is no destination, you are already home. Nothing needs to be achieved. You are already whole and complete.

Gift 1:  Happiness and freedom  
Gift 2:  Going home

407. Is Maya evil?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2018-12-26 18:08:29 SQ: 68

Is Maya evil?

Maya is that which is not. Or an illusion. Are there good or evil illusions?

Maya is a projection of the mind, a veiling of the real nature of the existence. It exists in the mind, is a product of the mind. All that is manifested in nothing but Maya, and it is therefore an integral part of the existence, it is the cause of all that can be experienced, although everything that can be experienced is not that which it seems to be.

Good and evil are the words reserved for people, they are not applicable to spiritual insights, such as Maya, or the Self or the Existence itself. It is what it is. It is the ignorance in our minds which tends to projects human qualities, good or bad, on everything, including the things it cannot understand.

 Gift 1: Reality is an illusion or Maya

408. Am I alive?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2018-12-28 02:02:27 SQ: 68

Am I alive?

You are life itself. So is everything. There are no dead things in this universe. Death is an illusion. Everything is alive. See why this is so. Introspect. Seek answers.

[ Gift 1: The illusion of death  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-illusion-of-death.html)  
Gift 2: I was never born

409. How to feel complete?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-01-02 04:49:35 SQ: 54

How to feel complete?

The feeling of lack is there because of unceasing wants and desires. When we do not get what we want, it leaves a vacancy to be fulfilled. When this happens again and again, it leads to frustration, depression and suffering. It is strange because as soon as one desire is fulfilled, ten more pop up, leaving the vacancy as it is. This is the tendency of the mind. It keeps generating the desires and keeps demanding more. Why does it keep doing so like a machine? Simply because there is no awareness. The essential knowledge is the only lack. The knowledge of what you are essentially.

See that such feelings, the desires and their consequences are an act of the mind. You are the one who is aware of these actions. They are happening apart from you. You can witness them as consciousness. These are passing experiences, you are the experiencer.

Is this experiencer incomplete in any way? Are there any demands or desires there? Or is it simply watching? Ask yourself.

Are the feelings in the category of experiences that come and go, or are they the core of you? What remains there to see them come and go? Introspect.

What you are essentially is whole and complete. It is the whole existence itself. There is an identification with the mind, which makes it narrow and causes suffering, because the self limiting beliefs do not bring happiness or a sense of completion, they are fragmented into I am this or that, I need this or that, endlessly. This is the core ignorance. The solution is knowledge. Self knowledge. Know what you are essentially, be that. Disidentify with all that which you are not. Discriminate between the experiences which are impermanent and the experiencer, which is ever present. You are that.

410. How can I stop being so selfish? And have more empathy towards others?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2019-01-02 09:21:36

How can I stop being so selfish? And have more empathy towards others?

Be inclusive. Enlarge the circle of selfishness. Include others as beneficiaries when you act in order to have something for yourself.

Empathy is not a skill which can be achieve via effort. It is a natural outcome of seeing others as my own self, as my own forms. So the first step is to know your own essence. Once that is known, the separation between this one and the other disappears."

411. Does the self have a form?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-01-02 15:51:07 SQ: 68

Does the self have form?

Self is pure emptiness, just consciousness. It has no form. You can experience it directly, the forms are seen as an experience. The Self is the one that is experiencing.

Anyhow, all forms appear and disappear on the empty background of the Self, so one can say it is also all the forms. It is existence itself. There are no two.

So we have two positions - no forms or all forms, depending on where the attention is. Both are true. The other position, which is, Self is one particular form and not other forms, is false.

412. What is a thought?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-01-03 19:25:47 SQ: 54

What is a thought?

A movement in the mind. A process which generates new impressions or actions by processing the existing impressions in the mind.

When this process starts (it is always on anyway), faint echoes of memory are seen via internal perception. Some are excitations of sensory-motor regions in the brain, they produce a faint replica of sensory perceptions - sights, sounds, smells, language and also memory recalls, emotions, intellectual events etc.

Thinking is a broad term denoting mental activity involving intention, imagination, recall, creativity, planning and so on. Whatever is going on in the Mind at the moment is thinking, roughly speaking. When the body is idle or situations demand less attention than usual, when there are no actions to perform, thinking takes over an ordinary Mind. The Mind begins to process whatever experiences it went through recently, or distant past or anticipates future actions/situations. This is the default state of the Mind. The activity may involve sensory contents, imagination or recall, and most of the time the activity results in a conclusion - a Thought (aka an idea).

Although many kinds of contents are responsible for origination of a thought, it is usually expressed as language. The thought is abstracted as concepts and these concepts are linked together to form a meaningful structure, that can be communicated easily - the Language. So the language is an agreed upon protocol of communication of thoughts among us.

Less frequently, the thoughts are expressed in pictorial formats, such as drawings, paintings, diagrams, graphs, flow charts, sculptures etc. But most commonly, they are verbal or written expression of thoughts. The Mind comes up with a thought and goes ahead one step and structures it into language, as a habit. One may not act on the thought or may not express it vocally or in writing, but most of us do form thoughts into language and rehearse the expression in our imagination. This activity is the familiar Monologue or, in simple terms - talking to oneself. Also known as internal dialogue, it is the main occupation of a waking Mind throughout the day. It starts a few minutes after waking up and continues non-stop till a few minutes after falling asleep.

There is some thinking that takes place even in sleep state. This is usually random and incoherent, and one can experience it if one gets up suddenly from sleep and attends to the mental activity immediately. Thinking and formation of thoughts is mostly an automatic activity and an untrained person usually has no control over what thoughts his Mind produces. But as with other mental activity, the person owns the thought anyway, and the thought is perceived as "my thought"ン after it has already occurred.

 Gift 1: Thoughts and thinking

413. How to change from introvert to extrovert?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2019-01-08 01:17:26

How to change from introvert to extravert?

There is no need to change, except if it is really necessary. If it is really necessary, the change will happen on its own.

Being able to be with oneself is a great gift. Extroverts cannot dream of such peace and bliss, they always need an external distraction. Perhaps, some bad advice or ignorance or brainwashing by the media or society has prompted you to force yourself to be that which you are not naturally. Why will a forced change, according to the opinions of others be good for you? Evaluate. Decide for yourself. Think yourself. Be that which you naturally are. Do that which you love most, not which others love or like. Find that which is most important for you. Find your life goal, and seek it passionately. Random advises from random people will take you nowhere.

The personality is ever changing anyway. What is important is, what you are essentially, what is it that never changes?

Disidentify with all that keeps changing, comes and goes away. Know that which remains, it is your essence. It is the Self. The Self is neither introvert not extrovert and it is both."

414. Is the Jiva eternal?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-01-08 18:33:44 SQ: 68

Is the Jiva eternal

Jiva can be defined as a bundle of memories. If you define it like this then yes it is eternal. In this form it is the causal body, which is well known in Yoga.

You can also define it as that which takes births repeatedly. The births are a result of tendencies of the causal body, its unfulfilled, unexperienced desires. This is the famous Ego or identity or the individual. If you define it like this, then it does not last forever. Sooner or later, the individual knows about the illusion of separatedness from the whole and the Jiva is dissolved.

Its a matter of interpretation. Because even after the individual is gone, there is no reason for the memories to disappear. They simply are seen as the memories (karmic impressions or sanskaras) of the universal mind. So a shift of perspective, nothing else.

Now it is interesting that we think that the Jiva exists as an independent entity, or that it has an existence of its own, like an object, it appears one day and disappears after some time. When you look closely, all that happens is that the identification with a bunch of memories appears and after proper knowledge arises, the identification disappears. Everything else remains as it is. Did a Jiva really existed while this happened? One can conclude that it is also an illusion, just like everything else. It is just a concept. We use this concept for convenience, to explain some events or phenomena.

The word eternity is also ambiguous, it may mean a duration of time that is extremely long, like infinite, never ending series of experiences, or it may mean this moment, the present moment, which is all there is. There is no time, there is just present moment. Its eternally present. This is our direct experience. The memory recall is past, and imagination or projection of events is future, both happen in present moment. Since the present is all there is, it is eternal. Its always there. So every experience appears and disappears in present.

One can say that the experiences are always present, the mind shifts through them. All experiences are eternal, however because of the movement of the mind, its vritti, they appear fleeting. So appearance and disappearance is also an illusion. Jiva is an experience, and hence it is both eternal and momentary. When seen from the point of view of the Self, it is eternal, when seen from the point of view of the mind, it is not. So is any experience.

415. How to forget bitter memories?

Self Talk 1.3.2 2019-01-10 10:37:51

How to forget bitter memories?

Forgetting is not a voluntary function of the mind. Memory too.

This is for a good reason. If you forget a mistake and its consequences, you are bound it repeat the same mistake mindlessly, like a machine. If you forget an act which is useful in some way, you are bound to fall into misery. Without memory, there is no learning, no progress, no life is possible except something really simple , like a rock. So mother nature has kept this option of forgetting to herself, just like heartbeat.

What is possible, is to control the way the mind reacts when a memory recall happens. This is in your control. The key is to be aware when a recall happens. Just observe the memory come and go, do not react mechanically. Awareness is the key here, without it the reaction is automatic, so produces suffering automatically. Not reacting is your only freedom. Non doing is your only option. So instead of clinging to memories, bitter or sweet, just let go.

Inability to recall is not erasure of memories. They still are active, under the radar, and control your life. Best is to bring them into the full awareness. Shine the light of knowing on them. Act wisely.

Memories are forever. They are not your memories. They are impressions of experiences obtained via this form, that you call as me or my body. The impressions reside in the wholeness of the existence, the universal mind. We do not "own" them.

You are seeking that which cannot happen. There is no forgetting, but the repeated recall does stop. A memory, especially of an important event, serves the purpose of a lesson. Usually the mind lets go of the perpetual recall of that event as soon as the lesson is learnt. It then focuses on the next issue. That which remains unresolved is brought up again and again.

Perhaps its best to learn your lesson and let go. Forgiving is as good as forgetting. Focus on the more important aspects of your life. Let the dead be dead. Clinging to that which is illusory and impermanent always ends up causing suffering. Know that which is permanent. Be free.

 Gift 1 : Memories

416. How do I still thoughts?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-01-11 01:36:44 SQ: 69

How do I still thoughts?

That which is thinking is the mind. You are that which is witnessing the thoughts. You are the consciousness of the thoughts.

This is the key. Once you realize this, there appears a distance between you and your thoughts. Now it is possible to see them objectively. Once seen, they stop immediately.

You need to have a clear understanding that it is not you, it is the mind that is running around. You, who is this absolute silence, pure emptiness is simply an observer of the unceasing activities of the mind. Very few people understand that. Most identify with the mind, and are in ignorance that it is they who are constantly thinking. You are not the mind, you are the Self, the consciousness that is a witness to the experience of a mind.

Once the mind is under the searchlight of consciousness, it becomes easy to see it. You will notice that it is a bunch of processes that keep happening and keep repeating, like a machine, like a computer. The processes are seen as thoughts, memories, imaginations, desires, emotions and many more. They can be directly perceived via the mind itself. We do not need to employ the senses to see them, and hence they can be called non-physical in nature. The processes just happen, they do not happen in anything, but they happen on the screen of the Self. This is the mind essentially.

You will also notice that all these activities arise out of memory. Memory is a storehouse of experiences. Whatever goes in the memory, doesn't just stay there passively, it continuously gets expressed as activities of the mind. For example you see a new car one day, and now it is in memory, it will keep coming back as a desire to get that car. If you hadn't seen it, you'd never have that activity. So in short, the mind is running because it is being fuelled by our own experiences. As long as there is a stream of experiences, it will keep processing them, it will keep running. This is the nature of the mind.

If you are looking for a way to calm down your mind, then probably you guessed it by now. One way is to feed it less. Be in solitude. Remain away from a crowd of people, junk of TV or cheap entertainment. Meditate on silence. Get away from all kinds of distractions. Slowly the mind will settle down to a peaceful state. It will not die, it springs up when it is needed. This is the ideal way to operate it. You do not want your car engine to keep roaring all the time, you use it only when you need to go somewhere. This is the famous practice of Pratyahar.

Another way is to become intensely aware of what is happening in your mind. Usually in the beginning, you will find that it gets worse, because now you notice even the tiniest of the thoughts. Its like the traffic noise becomes worse when you pay attention to it. But gradually you will find that the simple act of being aware, watching your mind curiously, makes it stop. It jumps back now and then, but as soon as you are aware of its activity, it slows down. In this way, the awareness acts like a switch to operate the mind only when it is needed. Awareness is the key to control over a mind. Same effect can be achieved by attending to breath with full awareness. This starves the mind of energy and the thoughts die down. Awareness remains.

These methods produce a temporary relief. The permanent cure is disidentification with the mind and its activities.

Some people are so aware that they are not bothered by the activities of the mind in the least. They see the mind as something happening far away, like thunder in the distant horizon. And they let it do whatever pleases it, they simply do not act on it. Mind keeps throwing baits, and when you act on them, they become stronger. They become mechanical habits. Be aware of the baits, do not bite them. With time, the mind stops doing it and gets peaceful. The trick is to dis-identify with the mind, then it becomes just another phenomenon of the nature. The Self blissfully witnesses all that is happening. It is ever peaceful.

417. Why is there suffering?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-02-06 23:54:03 SQ: 67

Why there is suffering?

Mostly the cause of suffering is ignorance. Lack of essential knowledge, or presence of partial knowledge or beliefs.

Its in the mind. Pain is the suffering of the body, which again is the ignorance that I am a body, and I need a body to exist etc. Pain comes and goes, but the mental suffering remains. It remains as long as there is ignorance. The cure is knowledge.

For example, the ignorance or belief that external objects, wealth, fame or power etc are the source of my happiness, causes immense suffering to the person holding that ignorance and also to others, who suffer because of his greed or ignorant actions. The belief that I need other people to be happy, causes dependency on others, we call them relations, and since nothing lasts, everything is impermanent, the people also change, becoming the perceived cause of suffering. The ignorance that I am the body, causes fear of death, and clinging to an old and rotting body causes great suffering and pain. The ignorance that I must fulfil all my desires that appear out of nowhere causes dissatisfaction, madness and depression, and even mechanical rebirths.

Suffering is a state of the mind, where the mind perceives a lack, when nothing really is lacking. This illusion is broken by a direct knowledge, and by knowing your essence. You can experience suffering, so you cannot be that which suffers. You are the witness consciousness of this negative state of the mind. This realization alone can destroy all the suffering within a minute. The gradual cultivation and restrain of the mind can cure the tendency of the mind to generate suffering. It becomes peaceful, not a slave of pleasure and pain, of reward and punishment. Awareness of the activities of the mind is the key.

 Gift 1: Afflictions of the mind Part 1

418. Why people that you are close to, let you down easily ?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-02-09 00:44:10 SQ: 59

Why people that you are close to just let you down easily ?

Probably you need to think about what closeness means.

Being close means that you trust someone so much that you feel comfortable sharing your life with that person. The trust comes from your own past experiences. If someone supported you, helped you, was always there as a caregiver, then you can trust that person. Now you can share your life, your plans, your achievements etc with that person. You can call this closeness. It builds in a long term, after many many years. Blood relations or temporary relations do not mean closeness.

If that did not happen, it simply means that there was really no closeness. It was just your own ignorance, your assumption.

People do what they are conditioned to do. They will do it even when you assume that they are close to you. Your expectations have no effect on how someone will behave. Thinking otherwise is immaturity. Blind expectations are a problem, not closeness or distance. Expecting others to act as per your wishes is not wise, being independent is.

See your experience as a lesson. It is a learning opportunity. Check what this experience, even if painful, is teaching you. Once you learn from it, be thankful, it will not repeat again. Another lesson will start.

419. What is Transcendence?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-02-09 00:31:46 SQ: 69

what is transcend

Transcendence usually means to rise above. In spiritual sense, it means to reach to a place which is beyond mind.

What is beyond mind?

That which is witnessing the mind. The pure and unchanging consciousness that is conscious of the ever changing mind and its activities. When the identification (the belief that I am this or that) is dropped or is shifted to the witness consciousness, one is freed from the mind, and so from the impermanence, suffering, and bondage which the identification with limited mind produces. Transcending the limited is to realize that you are limitless, eternal, bliss. You are the existence itself.

420. What is the ultimate truth?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-02-10 11:50:00 SQ: 77

What is ultimate truth ?

The ultimate truth is that there is an experience and there is an experiencer.

The experience appears in many forms. It is nothing but pure change, pure energy, a flow.

Upon closer examination these two appear to be just one. Or two sides of the same coin.

There is nothing to know beyond this, nothing more fundamental than this.

All that exists is oneness of experiencing. When divided by the mind, the oneness appears as a changeless experiencer and an ever changing experience. Both appear at the same time, not independently of each other and hence are same. There is no division in that which is experiencing and that which is being experienced. The thought "I am experiencing" creates an illusion of separation.

The change arranges itself in patterns via evolution, some patterns are stable enough to last long, others dissolve back into a sea of random patterns. There are almost an infinite varieties of them. The universe, world, objects, bodies, minds - everything is patterns and patterns of patterns and moving patterns or processes. All patterns are only of one kind, you can call them metaphysical kind. One of the pattern is a mind, a multilayered structure, it has memory, which is a pattern with an ability to register change, or to form impressions of other patterns as they change. When seen via senses the patterns appear as physical and when viewed directly, they appear as mind. Without the senses, its all non-physical, or in other words, everything is essentially mind. Senses as like windows with filters that convey parts of the mind to itself. Senses are parts of the mind itself, hosted on another part of the mind - the body.

In the end it all is just changes of nothingness, a vibration, a flow of pure information. Out of this the whole of the reality is created. What is really changing? It is the experiencer itself. Also known as consciousness or the Self. Changes are its own modulations. Your essence is consciousness and that implies that everything else is also you.

 Gift 1: The Ultimate Truth

421. What is grace?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-02-11 23:35:21 SQ: 72

what is grace?

When the fruit is ripe it falls.

Everything happens as it should. Events unfold as they must.

Grace is a special event when everything comes together in a perfect way to produce a perfect outcome. But isn't everything already perfect? Yes it is, and hence all that happens is nothing but grace. However, our minds are biased and cannot see this. This is mental conditioning. Due to its limited beliefs, limited intelligence and darkness of ignorance the mind sees some events as desirable and some not so. It tries very hard to make everything happen as per its own liking, as per its own limited understanding. When it learns slowly to let go and just flow with the current of existence, it can see the perfection, else there is struggle and suffering. The more it lets go of this limiting belief that I am in charge, I am the doer etc, the more it can see the grace, which is already there, but was hidden behind the veil of ignorance.

Letting go, being in now, living moment by moment, frees the mind. It is now open to new experiences. It not merely repeating its old habitual patterns. It is not mechanically functioning on its assumed good and bad, likes and dislikes, preferences of all kinds. New things happen as a result. Life does not look like a repeating pattern, run of a mill, purposeless, meaningless experience, which one must somehow endure. Life becomes magic, there is wonder, mystery, because the old rotten beliefs are dropped. Most importantly learning happens. Lessons open up the natural intelligence of the mind. It becomes mallow, surrenders more, learns more, takes all experiences as lessons to be learnt, not as something to be loved or hated. With such attitude, almost magically, everything starts to fall in place, every event seems just right, the whole life turns into grace, which it was already, only that the ignorance in the mind had covered it up.

422. How to know that the experiencer itself is the source of material world?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-02-14 01:16:16 SQ: 72

When it is said that experiencer is the source of material; mind never digest this statement. How to introspect this?

What you call material is nothing but an experience of change being registered through the senses. If an experience comes through senses we call it experience of the world, i.e. matter or objects. If an experience comes directly via internal activity of the mind, we call it the experience of the mind, e.g. thoughts, desires, imaginations etc. If you look closely the sense perceptions are also purely mental in nature. In other words, the objects are also a non-material experience. They are projected out there as material objects by the mind, which organizes these perceptions in space and time.

So there is no matter or material world, it is an illusion created out of regular patterns of change. This change is also called information. A regular pattern. So all experiences originate from information. The mind creates icons or internal representations of information and calls it material objects or mental objects. This division is illusory and only a convenient way to classify the experiences.

Now, what is the source of changes or information? Upon closer examination, you will find that the experience and the experiencer are just two faces of one process of experiencing. When the mind is extroverted, it calls it experience, when it is introverted, its called the experiencer. Both experience and the experiencer are nothing but essentially the experiencing, which is continuous change. This change, when it is regular appears as patterns of information.

So, in essence, change is a result of experiencing, without change there is no experience. In the absence of change, the existence reduces to changeless witnessing of nothingness. This is also called the pure consciousness, it is empty like space. However, it has infinite potential to be any change, any pattern. Its only a potential, a virtual change. Nothing really changes in it. Its all in one at all times. One of the patterns is the mind, which provides a sequential experience of the infinite potential of the existence. So, surprisingly, its the mind that is changing. It is going through the potentials of the existence in a specific way, generating the experience. Just like the whole of the movie is always present, but must be projected on the screen frame by frame, as patterns of colors, to be meaningful. This is the whole process of experiencing. What we experience as consciousness, is a tiny slice of our self, appearing as information patterns or names and forms.

See this as your own direct experience.

[ Gift 1: The Ultimate Truth  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/05/tut.html)  
[ Gift 2: Change  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/search/label/Change)  
Gift 3: Origin of experience

423. How do I find a career which I will enjoy? And what should I expect?

Self Enquiry 0.1.0 2019-02-14 01:27:27 SQ: 64

How do I find a career which I will enjoy? And what should I expect when looking to find an enjoyable career?

Obviously, you enjoy that which provides you more happiness and freedom. Both are necessary.

So you can use them as a radar, a compass to find your way. Choose that which provides maximum long term happiness and freedom. Experiment, see what gives you most happiness and freedom. If a career is so called successful career but is robbing you off happiness, where you are enslaved by it, is not the one for you. Something which leaves you free, which is not merely work, but your passion, for which you are born, and of course it must take care of the basic survival. Survival is the foundation which ensures that you reach your goals of happiness and freedom. Survival is not the goal.

In case there is a conflict between what you enjoy and what keeps you alive, accept both. Work for the survival while enjoying that which is your passion. For this to happen, the work part must be minimal but sufficient.

Ultimately, you cannot simply decide a path and find it somewhere, the path will find you. This path is that of your heart. It is your internal drive. As long as you are on any other path, you will find suffering, bondage and dissatisfaction. Everyone has their own unique path. Never copy others. Someone else's path may not provide you happiness or freedom. Similarly a career does not provide you any happiness and freedom, it is an expression of your inherent happiness and freedom, it simply, does not block it. That is the trick.

 Gift 1: Happiness and freedom

424. Why am I feeling like nothing matters?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-02-14 14:15:34 SQ: 59

Why am I feeling like nothing matters ?

Probably that is true. Nothing really matters, its all a play. In the end there is no purpose, or all purpose is a mental creation, originating in the assumption that I am limited in some way. When the mind assumes a limited form, it must try to complete itself, and so the unceasing journey of attachments and achievements begins.

Sometimes the mind wakes up from this dream, finds it meaningless. The whole purpose is just to be and let everything be. Nothing really matters. If things are a specific way, it is perfect, and if they are in some other way, it is perfect too. This is how the mind attains peace.

Before that happens, the mind must chase some goals and provide a meaning to its own existence. This is perfect too.

So have a meaningful goal, a purpose. The aim of your life. For many it is mere survival - eating more, sleeping more, reproducing more, hoarding more, commanding more land and people etc. For some, it can be something greater, intellectual or emotional, like - love, knowledge, skills, arts, sciences. For a rare few, all these things do not really matter, they are after spiritual knowledge, the essential knowledge that finally liberates the mind from the run of a mill meaningless existence and rat race of all kinds. Seek that.

 Gift 1: Spirituality for beginners

425. If I am not the doer, why do I keep acting as a doer?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-02-22 05:07:39 SQ: 72

After introspecting alot; I came to this conclusion that I'm not the doer of anything. But still I act/think all day as doer. Is my knowledge is weak or need to be aware of it moment to moment?

When you say I am not the doer, the I is still there. Only now disguised as "not-doer". When you see actions or thoughts happening, the I is still there, identifying with those actions and thoughts.

A better statement would be - there is no doer, there is doing. There is no actor, there are actions.

Now there is no I in it.

The problem is not the actions, the problem is that the mind owns them as "mine". Actions happen, thoughts happen, and then the owning happens. This is the direct experience. See it in this way. Attend to this owning process of the mind. Also known as the Identity creator process.

That which acts or thinks all day is a structure, the body-mind. It is being animated as per its conditioning or programming. One of the programs is identification with some actions that are good for survival, that keep the body-mind going. The mind draws an imaginary boundary around it by naming some of the actions as mine, and others as not mine. This helps in survival. The division of experiences into I and not-I is helpful for the mind. Now it can prefer those actions that are tagged as I and avoid its annihilation.

If there is hunger and consequent pain, and if an action of eating eases it, it is a good strategy to label it as "my hunger", "my food", "I ate", "I am pleased" etc. If there is rain which is of no direct consequence for survival, it is not labelled as I or mine. It is not-I. So identification or owning is a survival strategy of the mind. A mechanism that evolved to help in survival. That which tends to survive is the mind-body.

The essence of everything is the witness consciousness. It is the witness of all actions, all thoughts, all owning and all identifications. One can say that it is the real I. The Self. One can roughly say that I am that consciousness. It is merely another identification, a reaction of the mind to this knowledge. But it can help to disidentify with the mind created illusion of the person or the ego. So a good practice is to be aware, be conscious of all the actions, speech and thought that are happening, as universal, impersonal events. Identification as the ego is ignorance, disidentification is knowledge. This will establish the mind in wholeness and make it blissful and steady.

426. I am lost and feel useless. What to do?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-02-24 10:35:00 SQ: 73

How do I understand my interest and move on in life.

I feel useless.

I care and love people. But seems like no one in this world need of care and love.

People want to help everyone economically.

My close ones are asking me to find my interest,set goal and move on.

I'm currently having a good job, that income is enough for me.

I don't feel money matters in my life.

I feel alone when i see my parents,my love going behind money and me nothing.

I have been depend or being around by someone.

Though I'm capable of doing alone, i get the feel of insecure being a girl to step alone and go out.

I really don't know what to do

It is very easy. Do that which brings most happiness and freedom, and which is most meaningful for you.

If your life is mostly eating, sleeping, reproducing and killing time, then you will find nothing interesting. These are biological activities of the body, not human life. A human life starts when the basic survival is over. In itself the survival of the body is useless, it ends in dirt and smoke. Your goal has to be something greater than merely staying alive or doing some job or business.

Look for inspiration, be in the company of wise people, great people, who are doing great things. But never copy anyone. Your path will be unique, just like everyone else's.

Do not fixate too much on people. Life is not about people. Its about you. Be kind and compassionate to everyone. And move on with your life goals. Also do not hunt for people to give them care and love. Care and love cannot be forced on them. Just help anyone that asks for help, if you can, and be detached. Never expect anything in return. This is unconditional love. Let them walk on their path, do not manipulate them for your happiness. People are not a source of pleasure, they are not objects.

Find that for which you are here, for which you were born. Finish that. There is nothing more to do. People may or may not contribute to your goal, or may become a distraction, but they are you. You and others are essentially the one Self. The ground of all being, pure consciousness. Once you understand this, you will appreciate unconditional love. It all starts with understanding who you are essentially, and what is the purpose of a human form in this virtual world. Hunt for purpose, meaning and knowledge, not for petty things and random people.

[ Gift 1: Happiness and freedom  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/11/happiness-and-freedom.html)  
 Gift 2: Spirituality for beginners

427. What does a feeling of challenge and fear in me mean?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-01 20:16:15 SQ: 59

What 's that feeling of challenge and fear inside of me means ?

Insecurity can appear in the mind as everlasting fear and the ego reacts to it by preparing itself, which is a challenge, a threatening situation for it.

Insecurity is there because there is no life goal, no foundation for life, no path, nothing is clear in the mind. It is a feeling of total abandonment.

Those who have a clear path, a crystal clear understanding of what they are, and why they are here, feel totally secure, protected and in the arms of oneness always. Nothing shakes them. The ups and downs of life have no effect on them. They convert every threatening situation into a learning opportunity. They use these lessons to progress forward on their path, towards their life goal.

[ Gift 1: Happiness and freedom  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/11/happiness-and-freedom.html)  
 Gift 2: Spirituality for beginners

428. Do I have the power of free will and the means to exercise it practically?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-04 17:12:38 SQ: 73

Do I have the power of free will and the means to excercise it practically?

The I is an illusion. The I or the identity or the person or individual or Ego is a story created by the mind. The mind divides all events into two categories of I and not-I for the sole purpose of survival. The ownership is a convenient way to ensure survival. The I never does anything, actions happen as per the programming of the mind, and once the action has happened, the process of identity assigns it to an I. Decision making is also an action. No one decides, decisions happens, choices happen, no one chooses them. This is your direct experience. Look deeply and carefully and destroy the ignorance of the Ego, the concept of a separate thing which acts or chooses.

All that is willed, or is in the form of an intention or potential action, belongs to the whole existence. The individual owns nothing, does nothing and wills nothing, because there is no individual. There is will, but it is not yours. There are actions but they are not yours. There are choices, but not yours. So now what should you do? Should you stop acting? It is not possible to stop acting, because you never started acting. It was only an illusion, a delusion. The only thing that remains to be done is to disassociate from the imaginary Ego. Identify with the whole. In this way, all that happens in this whole existence will be yours, will be your own choice. See that you are the existence itself, which is active and conscious, ever changing, ever choosing. You do not become the whole, only the ignorance that you are separate from it all is destroyed and the mind is purified, becomes peaceful and unconditionally loving.

Nothing needs to be done, because everything is happening perfectly as it should. Nothing needs to change, because it is already changing in the most perfect way.

 Gift 1: Identity

429. How to see clearly that time is an illusion?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-08 06:05:44 SQ: 64

How to see clearly that time is an illusion?

Time exists as a concept in the mind. Which means it is created by the mind in order to organize the experiences neatly one after the other.

What exists is changing. Change is fundamental, out of which the concept of time is derived as an idea.

Mind does that using memory. Experiences get lined up in memory, what goes in first becomes earlier in time, whatever is recorded next, become later in time. Memory produces the illusion of past. Mind has predictive abilities which produce the illusion of future. Future is an extrapolation of past memories, it is imaginary. No memory, no time. This is your direct experience.

Some changes happen regularly and they can be used as a reference to measure other changes, these become our tools to measure change, cycles of sun, moon and clocks. Time is a measure of change. Just like a meter is a measure of length. It would be incorrect to say that the meter is real, meter is a concept. A clock does not show time, it shows a change, changing numbers or moving hands, which is happening in present. Because of the memory the change is registered and because it is regular, it can be used as a reference to measure other changing experiences.

All we experience is the Now. Everything changes in the Now, which is ever present. What we think is the future is merely some thoughts in the mind, they happen in the Now. We also never experience the past. We experience the memory, which happens in Now, present moment.

Have you ever experienced something which was not in the present?

Have you ever taken an action which did not happen in the present?

See that the concepts of past and future are illusory. They are made up in the mind. All experiences and all actions happen in the present.

One can say that the time and change are one and the same. Wouldn't it make the time real, because the change is real? Change is experienced, time is not. Or the time is experienced merely as a thought. But then what is changing? When seen closely, the experience itself is changing. All experiences are flowing and are impermanent. An experience does not stay, it is replaced by another one. There is an illusion of permanence because of the memory. If it is gone as soon as it appeared, is it real? What really appeared and what disappeared? When you look carefully, these experiences are all illusory. That which experiences stays and is the only one that is real. It is the experiencer, the witness consciousness, an empty nothingness, which is your essence and also whole of the existence. The existence is experiencing itself as an illusory change. It is not changing, because it is the whole existence itself.

So all experiences are merely illusory changes. The change itself is apparent, it seems to last for a while because of the memory or the mind. Nothing is really changing, nothing is really happening, or one can say the mind itself is changing, scanning through infinite possibilities. The witness-existence is infinite in potential, it has infinite possibilities. One of the possibility is that of a mind. A mind is a limiting structure, like an aperture in the film projector, it limits the experience and goes frame by frame, producing the illusion of changing experiences. The whole of the movie never changes. The memory and intellect then arranges them in a string of events, giving rise to the illusion of time, past and future. But all that can be witnessed is present, where the illusion of experiences is taking place. The witness-existence is the only reality, the experiences, the changes and concepts such as objects, time and space are illusory.

430. Is it possible to know the experiencer? Is this a trick of the mind?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-09 03:08:31 SQ: 73

It's it possible to know the experiencer or is it that the experiencer only comes into existence when there is an experience created by the mind? What can be known about the experiencer? Or will this just be tricks of the mind?

Knowledge is organized experience. It is inter-relations of experiences. Knowledge resides in memory. Experience forms the knowledge.

When you say knowledge of the experiencer, you are pointing to the experience of the experiencer. You are looking in the memory, in the mind. You are looking for an experience. By the very definition, the experiencer is the one which witnesses an experience, and therefore cannot be an experience. Since it is never experienced, it cannot be known. Knowledge is always of an experience. Knowledge itself is an experience, a memorized experience. When you are looking for it in the experience or in the mind, you are that experiencer which is looking. It is not to be found by looking, because it is the one who is looking!

In simpler words, the knower is the one that knows, it cannot know itself as an object. In somewhat inaccurate words you can say, the knower knows itself simply by being itself. Or it is self illuminated.

When the mind tries to perceive the one that is experiencing, it sees nothing, knows nothing and therefore dismisses it as non-existent. This whole drama is also experienced.

There is no separate experiencer that can be seen or known apart from an experience. The experience and the experiencer always appear together, they are like two sides of one coin. This is because it is impossible to have an experience without the experiencer, and if there is nothing to experience, there is no experiencer also. However, they are one and the same, just like the coin is one, even though it has two faces. The two faces appear together. It is meaningless to talk about their separate existence. If you do, you are not talking truth, you are talking fantasy, you are talking about a coin with one face. See that there is experiencing, which appears as the experience and the experiencer.

The existence is conscious of itself as names and forms. Mind is one of the forms, a very special form. It is like a point of view. It divides the experiencing into two - the experience part and the experiencer part. So this illusion of duality is just a mental activity. Cessation of this activity is pure presence, is just existence, is oneness or unity.

Its not that there are two and a seeker is trying to become one again. The seeker is already one, only that this illusion of two needs to drop. We cannot become one, because we already are one. The mind will never know this, since oneness means dissolution of the mind itself. No mind is oneness. So the person or individual does not become the existence, the person is dropped and the existence remains as it always was - one and undivided consciousness. Its dropping of a veil, nothing more.

Since the mind cannot know it, or knows it as nothingness, emptiness, non-existence, and still it acknowledges its existence, it can be said that the experiencer is conscious emptiness. For the mind, this is a paradox. Because it is beyond mind. It is a presence, a background, a screen on which all the experiences appear as an illusion. The experiences are mind created, the experiencer is the existence in which this play happens.

Another way to describe the experiencer is by negatives. Since it is not an experience, you can say it is not the objects, not processes, not material, not body, not ego, not a person, not a mind, not subtle bodies, not any imaginary or metaphysical experience etc. This is all that can be known about it as far as the mind is concerned, or logical observation will take you up to this negative description. The last step is to turn around, not to follow the mind, turn inwards and be that which is experiencing all this.

[ Gift 1: The Experiencer  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2017/05/the-experiencer.html)  
 Gift 2: The Ultimate Truth

431. Who is it that is aware?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-09 19:49:09 SQ: 78

Who is it that is aware?

The awareness itself is aware.

The consciousness itself is conscious.

All other experiences are illuminated by the one consciousness. The experiences of the objects, worlds, bodies, subtle bodies, ego, mind, mental processes, extraordinary experiences, ideas and concepts are merely illusory experiences that appear on a constant eternal background of consciousness.

432. How do "I" know that "I" am aware?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-09 19:49:41 SQ: 78

How do "I" know that "I" am aware?

The I is only an idea, a concept, a thought that appears in the mind. The I does not know, it is known. It is an experience. That which experiences the I is the experiencer, or the consciousness or the existence itself.

The mind for a moment may become silent, stationary and the experiencer appears as the empty background of knowing. When the mind activity is resumed in a split second, a thought may arise in the mind which is I am aware, as a description of this event. This whole experienced is known by the experiencer itself.

See that the awareness is. There is no I, apart from the thought of I am aware.

433. What are thoughts? Who is it that thinks?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-09 19:50:04 SQ: 78

What are thoughts?Who is it that thinks?

Internal actions.

A tiny simulation of an action in the mental space. It can be of speech or bodily actions.

Similarly, simulations of perceptions is imagination.

These are the abilities of the mind, among many. By using such "rehearsals", the mind tries to predict the outcome of an action.

One can roughly say that it is the mind that thinks. But see that the mind is nothing but a movement, an illusion. More accurately, there are thoughts, appearing as illusory experiences, there is no thinker.

Like any other experience, thoughts or mental activity is also experienced by the experiencer, the Self, the conscious existence.

 Gift 1: Thinking

434. Who "becomes" free from fear, desire etc.?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-10 08:39:34 SQ: 78

Who "becomes" free from fear,desire etc.?

Desires and emotions etc are activities of the mind, and when they disappear, the mind is freed from them.

The Self, or the witness consciousness is pure like space, and has no such associations or characteristics, it is merely an observer of such mental activities. However in a purified mind, still mind, the Self is reflected clearly and continuously.

435. Why have I come?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-10 09:52:36 SQ: 58

Why have I come?

Probably you mean to ask why are you born in this world.

The answer is to learn and grow, to know your essence, to become the ALL or to realize that you are it already. This is the whole story of the evolution of the soul or Jiva.

The sign of knowledge and evolution is continuously increasing happiness and freedom.

If this is not so, your evolution is not happening optimally or is very slow. The cure is knowledge.

436. Is the desire for liberation or moksha an obstacle for moksha?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-10 09:32:44 SQ: 78

Is the desire for liberation or moksha an obstacle for moksha?

Yes and no.

It is this desire that brings a mind on a spiritual path. So it is necessary. It is one of the four requirements for a seeker. More intense desire for liberation will bring the fruits quickly and effectively.

Since liberation is destruction of all desires, the desire for liberation is also dropped. It does not remain.

If it remains, something is wrong, it simply means you are not liberated yet. If you keep desiring, but are doing nothing at all for it, then it is an obstacle. Sometimes wanting something badly becomes the cause of failure. For the one who is liberated, there are no desires or all desires are clearly seen as impersonal, universal happenings. Desire is like fuel, but practice is like the engine. Once you fill in the fuel, focus on the path, not on the fuel.

437. Is there good and evil?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-10 20:13:53 SQ: 71

Is there good and evil?

All ethical concepts are mind created. They are entirely subjective, ever changing, dependent on time and place, and are nothing but survival tactics of the mind.

At the ultimate level, everything just is, neutral and perfect. From the point of view of the mind, there is duality. This is because the mind has an agenda, it wants to survive, the survival, growth and procreation, protection, defence etc are the ways a mind operates. So all that is favourable for survival is categorized in one way, and vice versa. Survival is always favoured. Altruism etc are nothing but extended mechanisms that emerge out of survival tendencies of large groups. In the end the individual is favoured.

You are the Self, the pure consciousness, which is beyond this drama of the mind. It is blissfully aware of the tendencies of the mind. Mind creates duality out of pure existence which is non dual oneness consciousness. The error is to identify with what the mind is mechanically doing. To treat that which is illusory as I and as real.

[ Gift 1: Ethics  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-extraordinary-gift-of-mindpart-10.html)  
 Gift 2: Asthetics

438. How do I reprogram my subconscious?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-10 20:54:36 SQ: 58

How do I reprogram my subconscious?

See that there is no subconscious. Its merely an idea, a theory, belonging to one particular philosophy among a thousand other.

The error here is to blindly believe such theories. Try to find out if there is such a thing, and if you can see it, you can change it.

It will be futile. The mind is only a machine, the machine cannot repair itself. It needs a mechanic. What can the mind know, it itself is under heavy ignorance? How will it know what needs to change? Even if it does nothing, the change is happening, and it is happening in the most perfect way.

Be aware of what the mind does, how it acts. Become aware of its tendencies. Awareness is the mechanic, awareness changes the mind in a most perfect way. You are that awareness!

 Gift 1: Stages of awakening

439. What steps do I need to take to be on the right path?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-11 01:39:16 SQ: 58

What steps do I need to take to be on the right path?

Become aware of your thoughts, speech and actions.

Know well, note it down, which of these produce suffering and bondage, and which of these result in happiness and freedom in a long term.

Prefer the later. That is the right thought, right speech and right action.

Repeat.

If you are aware 24x7, a choice will open up which enables you to prefer the right actions. Always choosing the right action is nothing but a right path.

[ Gift 1: Stages of awakening  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/09/soa.html)  
[ Gift 2: Happiness and freedom  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/11/happiness-and-freedom.html)  
 Gift 3: Path of the heart

440. How can you best support me today?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-11 02:53:30 SQ: 58

How can you best support me today?

Try being a support for others instead of expecting support from others.

When you demand support you become dependent and weak, when you provide support you become strong and independent.

Choose wisely. This is unconditional love.

Realize, know well via your own experience, that you are the all, your essence is this whole existence-consciousness. Why would it need any support, and who else is there to support it, if it is the only reality?

 Gift 1: Unconditional Love

441. Who is asking this question and why? What is a question?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-11 19:25:32 SQ: 78

Who is asking this question and why?

What is a question?

Knowledge is organized experience.

Knowledge is in the mind, as structured memories. Interrelations of impressions derived from experiences.

Ignorance is the lack of knowledge. It is also in the mind. Mind can sense the absence of knowledge and it is expressed as a question. There is no person there, no individual who asks. There is a question because there is some ignorance and there is enough awareness and enough knowledge.

Without partial knowledge and awareness of ignorance, there is no question. This is innocence. With complete knowledge, there is no question. This is wisdom. Both belong to the mind.

You as the Self is both completely innocent and completely wise. See this as your own direct experience. You are beyond ignorance and knowledge. You are the witness of all questions.

442. What is the power of brahmacharya or celibacy?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-11 19:26:36 SQ: 78

What is the power of brahmacharya or celibacy?

It is not a power, it is total detachment.

When you see yourself as the blissful witness of a body-mind and its actions, you are separated from the body-mind and the illusion of I drops. This state is a constant abiding in this knowledge. Gradually, this produces a detachment from the body-mind and its actions. It is the mind that was attached, its the mind that detaches. Consequently, the unnecessary thoughts, impulses and actions are terminated. These are seen as merely movements in the mind that appear and disappear. The actions disappear or are minimized to the bare needs. Ultimately as the body disintegrates, such impulses are completely destroyed, and are never repeated again. This is liberation from the pattern of body-mind forms.

The error here is to force the body-mind into specific behaviour without realizing your own essence. Forcing it into a certain behaviour is the body-mind forcing itself against its own conditioning. It is like forcing the water to flow upwards when its nature is to flow downwards. It is a useless struggle, is unnatural and produces even more suffering. Thinking that it is a power of some sort or can bring powers of strange kind is complete stupidity.

Transform your mind, realize the truth of it. Realize that it is merely a conditioned form, executing its programming. The rest is inconsequential.

443. Is there is no consciousness experiencing "this" through any other living thing?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-11 23:26:34 SQ: 71

So if the one consciousness experiences "this" through this body, does that mean there is no consciousness experiencing "this" through any other living thing?

It is the same one consciousness-existence-bliss being conscious of itself via many forms. Since it is existence itself, it cannot be seen as an object in existence. So the mind assumes that every other form is unconscious. Actually, the more common belief is that each form has a separate consciousness, which is another assumption.

The error is to assume that since it is being experienced via many forms, many points of views, it is different for each one, or there is a separate consciousness-existence-bliss for each form. There can be only one existence, and since it is consciousness itself, there can be only one consciousness.

The assumption is that everyone sees their own personal consciousness which no one else can see. So one person knows nothing about another's consciousness. Our direct observation is that we do not see a consciousness, we are consciousness. No one can see a consciousness, but everyone is consciousness. It is the same one consciousness, forms are separate. The separation is done by the mind.

Forms are merely points of view. All experiences are experiences of one experiencer. All that is experienced is experiencer itself. There are no two.

More accurately, there is no experience or experiencer, there is merely an experiencing. See it directly as it is.

[Gift 1: Introspection: There is only one Self  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/03/i9.html)  
Gift 2: The Illusion of Self

444. If were literally in a matrix type simulation how would you get out?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-11 23:57:44 SQ: 81

If were literally in a matrix type simulation how would you get out?

Realize that there is no me. The body-mind-person that you think you are is an impermanent happening. This form is bound by laws, attachment to this form produces an illusion of bondage.

Your essence is consciousness-existence-bliss, which is not bound. It is infinite and free. All simulations are in you, you are not in any simulation.

The various forms that appear and disappear are illusory, they are not there, not real, they are simulation itself. That which appears and disappears is a play of memory, merely patterns of information. That which witnesses this play is consciousness-existence-bliss, which is our essence. Consciousness-existence-bliss is the only reality and hence it is permanent, unchanging, eternal and completely free.

See this as your own direct experience. Discriminate between mind and the witness of the mind.

[Gift 1: Illusion of bondage  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/01/i7.html)  
[ Gift 2: Going Home  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/09/going-home.html)  
 Gift 3: Nature of Reality

445. Where does the experience of nothingness in deep sleep happen?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-12 01:26:30 SQ: 64

Where the experience of nothingness in deep sleep happens?

Deep sleep is not an experience, it seems to be an absence of experience.

Experience of nothingness would imply that there is an experiencer that is experiencing the nothingness. This is a nonsensical sentence, a meaningless play of words. Nothingness would include the absence of experiencer too. Can the experiencer disappear? This is a more meaningful question.

If it does, we need an evidence that it indeed disappeared. We need an experiencer to experience the disappearance of the experiencer. So it follows that the experiencer cannot witness its own disappearance, and there is no way to know it. A simpler explanation is that it never disappears. Where will it go? It is the whole existence itself that is experiencing itself. Where will it hide and from where else can it come?

The fact that a human being comes out of the sleep intact is the evidence that the existence continued while not being witnessed. There was something, at least in potential, that continued, as the person changed his state from waking to sleep and to waking again. That which continued is the existence itself. More accurately, that which remains permanent while the mind changes its states is consciousness-existence-bliss. Since it is the only one there, it never goes, never comes. So it must be the mind that comes and goes, or changes states.

The state of deep sleep is only a state change of the mind. In this state, the memory, which is the essential part of the mind, remains inactive. So after state changes to waking, there is no memory of what happened, there is no time also, as time is derived from memory. This produces the illusion of there being nothingness, since the mind sees nothing, recalls nothing about the event of deep sleep. While our direct experience is that of waking, dreaming and waking, not of deep sleep. The mind tries to fill this gap, this puzzle with various assumptions. Deep sleep is the inactivity of the object we call mind.

It is possible to keep the awareness on while in the state of deep sleep. It is only another state of the mind, so the awareness can be extended to this state with some practice. The intermediate stage is that of awareness in dreaming state. So there is continuous awareness in every state of the mind. This is the state of a Yogi, the Samadhi. When you master awareness in all states of the mind, you will see that the deep sleep is not nothingness, it is actually very blissful and also surprisingly, full of activity. There is no nothingness, there is always presence. It is you. It is always alive, it is eternal, independent of the states of the mind, body, births and deaths.

Gift 1: Sleep

446. Does enlightenment happen in a moment or is it a gradual practice?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-12 01:46:23 SQ: 64

Does enlightenment happens in a moment or its a practise happens gradually?

Enlightment: When one realises its real self. End of ignorance created by mind.

It happens as soon as it is pointed out. But the mind almost immediately slips back into ignorance again.

When a Guru points it out, let's say via questions such as - are you aware now? or is there is conscious witness of experiences such as the objects and the body or the mind?, the attention of the student may briefly shift inwards and awareness of awareness takes place. It is actually absence of mind, absence of thoughts. The awareness briefly comes to foreground.

However, the mind quickly restarts and the awareness recedes behind its activities of perception, thinking, memory and other actions. When the remembering of one's true nature is continuous and unbroken, one is established in one's own Self. This is enlightenment. A state of the mind, where it is not a mind anymore, not a person or limited illusory form.

So it seems that the realization can happen instantly but it takes some time and practice to keep it steady. Then there are other factors like the amount of ignorance in the mind, interest of the seeker, resistance of the seeker and skill of the teacher etc. When all these factors are conducive, enlightenment happens in a moment. It may take some time for all these factors to come together. This cannot be forced or planned.

However, the time is not of any importance, as after enlightenment, it is clearly seen that I was never un-enlightened, it was just a forgetting. That which I am, I cannot become and I cannot not exist. I am timeless, so I was always the same I, that which I am now. As you said rightly, it is only an end of ignorance, not something that I become.

447. Why is there an ignorance about who we really are?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-12 20:33:34 SQ: 81

Why the ignorance to whom we really are?

That which you are is very pure, it has no ignorance and no knowledge also. It is merely a witness consciousness. An observer of ignorance and knowledge.

Realize that the mind has ignorance and the mind has knowledge. The mind is an experience, just like any other experience. There are some ignorant thoughts, beliefs, and there are some wise thoughts, beliefs etc. It is not you, it is something that you witness.

Why does the mind have ignorance?

The mind arises out of change. That which changes forms impressions on memory and memory when it acts is the mind. Since a change can only register another change, and not that which is unchanging, the mind, being a change, registers only that which changes. Since it cannot see anything else other than changing forms, it naturally associates itself with one of the forms. It can be an object, a body, a mind, a person etc. All these changing experiences reside in memory as concept. The mind takes these concepts as reality. There is no way for the mind to come out of it. Ultimately the mind dissolves and that which remains is pure consciousness, its real background. This is liberation. Dissolution of the individual, and whole of the ignorance.

448. What is will?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-13 21:45:11 SQ: 81

What is will?

Experiences leave an imprint on the mind. This is memory. It is a storehouse of all experiences. A process in the mind keeps scanning these memories, and according to its survival tendencies, picks some and converts them into actions. This is a program. All actions arise from memory.

Usually the action is such that it favours survival. Mind does nothing else except survival. The memories keep generating actions and thoughts in response to experiences. The actions get fine-tuned as required for survival. These are biases or programming or conditioning. Biases completely determine the action. This is choice. Once the choice to act is made, according to biases and programs, it is perceived as will, a motivation, a force that propels the body into action.

The action can be a thought, speech or bodily movements. Once an action has happened, another process, known as the identity creator, assigns an identity, a tag to that action. This is the familiar owning process. The thought - I willed X and I did X etc occurs. This is also owned.

There is will. There is no one who wills. It is a universal or natural event. There is action, there is no actor, all actions are actions of nature, of universe. This is our direct experience.

[ Gift 1: Identity and choices  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-extraordinary-gift-of-mind-part-2.html)  
 Gift 2: Impulses and desires

449. Is there any way to get rid of experience of physical pain and pleasure?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-14 00:49:05 SQ: 64

Is there any way to get rid of experience of physical pain and pleasure?

This keeps the identification binds to the physical form.

Yes, fortunately the death ends physical suffering. After that if the mind is sufficiently evolved, it will never take up another physical body. It may remain free or may opt for a better form.

Of course, these sentences may sound like fantasy. It is up to you to explore and experiment. Anyhow the evolution of the mind is a natural process, it will evolve beyond the physical gradually. We can assist it by not clinging to physical existence. Intention is a powerful thing.

Meanwhile you are stuck with a body, minimize the pain by giving up unhealthy and risky lifestyle. Do not cling to the body when the time comes, let it go. Minimize the pleasure seeking activities by cultivating detachment. Detachment happens when the falsity of the body and world are realized. See that it is only an illusion. Identification with pain and pleasure means presence of ignorance about your real nature. That is a good place to start. Know what you are, and establish yourself there.

 Gift 1: Spirituality for beginners

450. What is an experience?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-16 11:26:25 SQ: 63

What is an experience?

Potential changes in the field of the universal consciousness are being registered in the memory. This is the experience.

There is witnessing of various changes, that is all an experience is.

The change is a potential change, not something real, something appears to have changed because of the memory.

What is changing? What exactly is being witnessed?

Since there is only one existence, it is witnessing itself. The existence-consciousness-bliss, the only one that exists, is experiencing itself in the form of changing patterns. That which is experienced, is the experiencer itself. See that this is so right now right here. There is no experience separate from an experiencer, there is only experiencing. A continuous witnessing of illusory changes.

451. Is absence of everything experienced during deep sleep?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-18 23:23:54 SQ: 63

On what basis one can say that absense of everything was experienced during deep sleep?

If everything is absent, there is nothing to experience. So absence of everything cannot be experienced.

Deep sleep is a state of the mind. Most of the activities of the mind are stopped, including memory formation. So after the mind state changes to waking, nothing is recalled. There is no time registered, because the concept of time is derived out of memory. No memory, no time. Hence after waking up the mind fails to say anything about its own state.

Now the mind will cook up a story about it, like, there was nothingness, or I was unconscious etc.

Since the same Self witnesses the mind going to sleep and the mind coming out of it, one can safely say that the Self remained throughout the deep sleep state. So practically, and logically, deep sleep is not absence of everything. The Self is always there, no matter what the state of the mind is. Self is existence itself, and existence never not exists. It is eternal.

With some practice, one can keep awareness on while in deep sleep. This provides a direct evidence of continuity of the Self. This is the famous Yog-nindra practice, or the sleep of a Yogi. Mind can be bent with some practice.

452. Why ego is scared from the word "death" but not "birth" ?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-25 22:27:51 SQ: 68

Why ego is scared from the word "death" but not "birth" ?

Fear is the emotional reaction of the ego towards any threat to survival. This mechanism is always on a hair trigger and even the mention of death causes fear in ordinary people.

Ego does not understand birth, except at a procreative level, it understands lust. The joy that we feel when a birth happens, is from intellect, where there is the required understanding of what it means.

For a woman about to give birth, both fear and joy are present, more like nervousness, which come from both ego and the intellect respectively. Since ego sees it as a complete unknown and therefore, a threat. Ego owns the child and defends it, as it is programmed to see the child as a part of the body.

During its evolutionary journey, the egoic part of the mind got programmed to fear death and damage to the body, no programs evolved related to its own birth, as it is no more relevant and is unknown, ego never experiences a birth, it assumes as if it was eternally present. An animal has no idea of its own birth, since it lacks the intellect to understand it. However, it functions as nicely as a human when it comes to death and harm to the body. Death has a meaning and importance for lower mind, its nothing but ego.

453. Who is the supreme doer? And what is the purpose of doing?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-27 18:51:34 SQ: 68

It is very obvious that no one is doer and receiver of the doing. Then who is the supreme doer? And what is the purpose of doing?

There is no supreme doer also, and there is no ultimate purpose.

The ideas of doer and purpose, both are inventions of the mind. Since it imagines a doer of everyday actions, it imagines a doer of everything. It assigns a purpose to everyday acts, and so it tries to assign a purpose to the wholeness.

It is our direct experience that nothing is being done, it is happening, and it is not happening for a purpose, it just is.

Why? Since it is all an illusion, nothing is really happening. And since nothing was done, there is no doer and there can be no purpose for that which never happened.

The only reality there is, is the Self-Existence-Bliss, which is just unchanging eternal presence. It is infinitely free. If it must do something, it is not free, if it has a specific purpose which excludes other purposes, it is again not free. This is surely beyond mind and intellect.

You are that infinite freedom. All experience is your play.

454. Where does an experience actually register?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-28 00:03:51 SQ: 68

Where does an experience actually registers?

A where-question demands a location of the experience, but see that the locations are experiences themselves. Locations appear in experience, experience does not appear in a location.

Perhaps a better question is - what registers the experience. And it is obvious, the experiencer experiences the experience. The experiencer is the consciousness of these events. Also called the Self or the witness.

When you look closely, the experiencer and the experience are two sides of the same existence. They are one reality. There is only experiencing. The two sides are assumed by the mind. The division of the one into two is only an illusion. Right now right here, all there is, is experiencing. There are no two.

There is no separate seer witnessing a scene separate from itself. There is only seeing. A conscious oneness witnessing itself in the form of various illusory experiences.

[ Gift 1: What is my essence : Part - 1 The experiencer  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-1/)  
 Gift 2: What is my essence : Part - 2 The oneness

455. How can I change my vibrational attitude?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-29 19:55:12 SQ: 73

How can change my vibrational attitude?

To rise higher in vibration, here are some thumb rules. Use whatever works. Do life experiments. Recognize higher vibrations and gravitate towards it slowly. That is much better than following some instructions mindlessly. These will get you started.

Be in the company of wise. Seek enlightened people and spend time with them. Avoid, ignorant, animalistic or negative people at all costs. You are like a tuning fork. You absorb the vibrations like sponge.

Surround yourself with positive and uplifting things, like good books, peaceful music, spiritual talks or videos etc.

Avoid lying, deceit, cunning behaviour. Be honest, simple and truthful. Speak less, listen more.

Be in nature as much as possible. With trees and animals. Seek solitude. Avoid crowd.

Meditate, reflect, introspect. Keep the distractions, gossip and pettiness away.

Try light vegetarian diet. Be non-violent in actions, speech and thought.

Be minimalist. Avoid greed, hoarding, excess, fake or clinging behaviours.

Give love. Be kind compassionate and tolerant of all.

Above all, seek knowledge. Destroy the ignorance and blind beliefs completely. A low vibration is nothing but ignorance, the darkness. Knowledge is light. The above lifestyle can help in acquiring knowledge.

Become aware of every second of your life. Aware in waking, dreaming and deep sleep. Aware in living and dying. Progress to higher planes will happen as a result of the above naturally and gradually.

456. Who is identified with body and mind?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-03-30 01:42:34 SQ: 70

Who is identified with body and mind?

Mind itself.

The identification is a thought, a belief. It is a belief that says there is an I, a separate self, which is this body-mind.

Usually, we call that part of the mind which forms such a belief as Ego, or Identity or person. It is a mental process that ensures survival and enables social interaction, by dividing the experiences into I and not-I, and this enables a preference of all that which goes under the category of I, me, mine, myself.

There is a higher part of the mind, which is the intellect, which can know the unreality of the Ego. This can be done simply by trying to find the entity called I in the direct experience. All that is found are beliefs and stories. Identity or I is nothing but a delusion, ignorance in mind itself.

All there is, is a conscious witnessing of the process of identification or disidentification, and everything that can be witnessed. This is existence itself.

 Gift 1: Identity

457. Does the experiencer/witness experience only through senses?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-02 00:08:13 SQ: 70

Does the experiencer/witness experiences/witnesses through senses(be it anykind) only?

Yes.

Without senses there is no experience. And hence all experience is sense created, an illusion.

Experience of the world is due to external senses, experience of having a body is due to inner senses and experience of the mind is due to mental senses (including experiences such as dreams or other nonphysical experiences).

Senses are tiny windows that reduce the infinity of possibilities to a narrow range, and provide that narrow experience. Hence all experience is necessarily limited. To experience all is to experience nothing.

458. What does it mean "to experience all is to experience nothing"?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-02 23:53:52 SQ: 70

What does it mean "to experience all is to experience nothing"?

Please guide me on this.

Imagine a movie playing on a screen. A projector is projecting that picture. The picture is clear and you see a colourful drama there, a nice experience.

Now imagine another projector projecting a different movie on the same screen. You can still see some parts and hear a few sentences. Add more projectors, more movies to the same screen, and now its becomes confusing noise of colours, not much is seen except random patterns. And if you add an infinite number of projectors, the screen turns totally white or appears blank. When there is more to see, we see less. The experience of the movie must be limited to one, a very narrow experience.

In this metaphor, the movies represent the possibilities in the existence, which are infinite. The screen is the experiencer. In order to have a meaningful experience, it is limited to one possibility at a time. That which does this is the mind, with its special devices, called senses. The senses filter out all that which is not required for survival, or for the current human experience. In order to have such an experience, it must be limited. When you merge with everything, there is no experience, which is equal to experience of the all.

459. Can anything be experienced or perceived which is alive or in now?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-05 12:22:46 SQ: 70

Everything precieved through senses is dead or changed. Can anything be experienced or precieved which is alive or in now.

Everything is being experienced in Now. Can there be any other time in which something can be experienced?

That which changed is being experienced as a memory, and this is happening in Now.

Nothing can be experienced in the past. Past is nothing but a memory, which is replayed in present moment always.

Nothing can be experienced in the future. Future is nothing but an imagination, which happens in present moment always.

Past and future are ideas in the mind, the reality is always this present moment.

There is no time, except as an illusion created by the memory and the mind. So all experience is present experience, it is always alive.

That which experiences is beyond time. It is eternal timeless existence itself. You are that eternity. This is your direct experience here and now.

460. Is there any meditation technique that is beneficial on the path of knowledge?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-08 14:36:18 SQ: 70

Is there any meditation technique could be beneficial on path of knowledge

The traditional practice would be - listening, reflecting and continuous abiding.

One should listen to the teachings carefully and get any doubts cleared. After that one should reflect on the teachings, try to see if they are as per your direct experience, or if they are logical, or if there are any implications, contradictions, irrational statements etc. And finally, abide in the knowledge thus gained. Remember it all the time. Act according to the knowledge, not according to the old habits or ignorance. This will be a life style, not a few minute per day kind of practice. It has to be 24x7. This will change the mind, purify the mind, and it will progress, evolve, will be freed from suffering and bondage, will be peaceful and blissful.

In short you can call it mindfulness or being in awareness. Knowing your real nature and acting from there all the time. Remembering. Being in truth. There can be so many names for it. Maintaining unbroken awareness is the only practice on the path of knowledge.

The mind slips into unawareness, habitual behaviour frequently. A student should bring it back into awareness. With practice, the mind learns to remain aware. There is a difference between awareness and alertness. Awareness is not alertness, it is simply being the consciousness/Atman that you are. The light of awareness destroys suffering, behaviour that causes suffering or ignorance. Your actions, speech and thought all happen in the light of awareness of what you essentially are.

Helper practices can be employed to keep up the awareness. A student can set up reminders, such as pictures, malas, rings, pendants etc. Anything which you look at or use very frequently. One can also do sitting meditations to make the desire of remembering stronger. It is nothing special, simply sitting and watching all the experiences peacefully, while abiding in intense awareness. This is then carried over into daily activity.

A technique implies effort. It means you need to get something, fix something, correct something. It means you are imperfect and incomplete in some way. But path of knowledge is a direct path, it starts with the recognition that you are already whole, perfect and complete, there is nothing lacking. Only that you need to remember this, and act like this. The knowledge is nothing new, it is just remembering that which you have forgotten. Remember your real nature. A lion cub raised among sheep acts like a sheep, thinks he is a sheep. What should he do to become a lion? Nothing, just remember. Just let go of the ignorance that I am a sheep. It is a direct path, effortless path, technique-less path. Even then, sometimes a Guru will suggest a simple technique, just to pacify a new student. Ultimately reliance on techniques is given up. Its just effortless being.

461. How to stay away from desire to seek bodily pleasure?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-08 15:46:02 SQ: 68

How to stay away from desire to seek bodily pleasure?

It is a big distraction on the path. Even after failing to get what I was seeking, mind still not convinced to renounce it.

Without knowing what path you are on and how and where you failed, only a general answer can be given.

There are three ways to deal with any desire.

1- _Satiation_ : Fulfill the desire by any suitable means. The more satiated you get, the less is the desire. If it is desire to eat something, it goes away after eating that food. When this is done many times, one gets disgusted at the sight of that food. This ends the desire. If it is a desire for women, marriage kills it. If it is a desire to visit a place, go there and stay for two days, the desire will leave you forever. Unfulfilled desires cause suffering. Over fulfilled desires also cause suffering, which ends the desire. Negative consequences arising out of fulfillment of desires also cause suffering and also end the desire. If there is a certainty that the desire can be fulfilled, it ends the desire. This must be done for desires that are necessary for survival, then they become needs, not merely pleasure seeking impulses.

2- _Suppression_ : As soon as the desire arises, suppress it by distracting yourself or by reminding yourself of any negative consequences. The desire is overcome by force of will. This will only bury the desire deep in the mind. It resurfaces again, or will cause abnormal behaviour or mental or physical illness. However, when the desire has heavy consequences or is negative, it must be suppressed in that situation and can be dealt with later on. (Such as a desire to kill someone out of anger or jealousy).

3- _Surrender_ : Surrender the desire as soon as it appears. Surrender is letting go consciously. It requires a direct knowledge that desires are generated in the mind and are natural processes. Desires come and go, and I have a power to not to entertain them, just watch them come and go. Know that desires are events in the mind, it is not me that is desiring, it is not my desire. It just is. I am the pure consciousness that witnesses the coming and going of mental events such as desires.

It is arising from a past memory, a training of the mind when it received a reward, some pleasure, when a certain action was performed, or a certain object was gained. It is the mind mechanically trying to repeat a pleasurable experience. Or it is the mind imagining a pleasure or reward. See this clearly, and be silent, watchful, do not go with the mind. Watch it intensely and carefully, just like a scientist observes a planet via a telescope, or a germ via a microscope. Separate yourself as the conscious observer of the desires or any mental event. The desire is then seen as a movement of the mind which appears and disappears.

Awareness is the key. Without awareness, which is consciousness of mental events, the mind will act on the desire, or will produce suffering mechanically. This is the nature of the mind. Lungs breathe, heart beats, mind desires. Not all of them can be fulfilled, some get fulfilled and are pleasurable, some must be fulfilled just to stay alive. This understanding pacifies the mind. Observe the desire patiently without acting on it, or without letting the mind weave a fantasy about it. If thoughts appear, let them come and go, keep observing. The desire may appear again, so become aware of it again. This will permanently kill the desire, or whenever there are irrational desires, they are rendered ineffective. You are no more a slave of desires and whims. Mind is a horrible master, but a good servant. Do not serve the mind, command it. The key is unbroken awareness of your thoughts, speech and actions. Surrender the desires back to the universe from where they came. Do not own them, do not keep them, do not cling to them. Let go.

Note that the desires arise out of memory, and memory is formed out of experiences. Try to have experiences that reduce the onslaught of desires. Which means changing to a more pure, minimalist life style. Giving up a greedy consumerist life. Not depending on objects or people for pleasure and happiness. Such a life will purify the mind and the wants and desires reduce to bare minimum. Also note that desiring is a natural process in the mind, it is not painful, has no consequences. When we cling to those desires and cook up stories about how miserable we are because such and such desire is not fulfilled, or when we are deluded when we watch someone else enjoying because he could fulfill a desire or two, only then the suffering arises, not before. Non fulfillment of desire causes a lack, and that lack is the cause of suffering. Know that you lack nothing, you are whole already. Fulfillment of desires does not augment you in any way. It is an illusion.

Know the workings of the mind. Command it. Awareness is the key. Know what you essentially are. Discriminate between yourself and the mind.

462. How can the mind know its source?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-11 05:28:57 SQ: 68

The foundation of everything is experience percieved through 5 senses. Senses are limited and can never show the reality. Then how a mind will reach to that which actually exist? The source of it.

That which is being experienced, is that which is experiencing.

That which is being experienced is continuously changing illusion, doesn't matter if it is a tiny part or big part. The mind and its senses are themselves a part of this illusion. The mind can only sense the illusions created via senses, internal or external, big or small. That which the mind can know are called objects. Depending on the type of sense, these objects are physical, bodily sensations or mental events. (There are a lot more senses than 5). So it knows only objects, not that which appears as objects. It is not possible to know the source via the senses or the mind, of any kind, any size or any complexity. It is impossible to see the real source or substratum as an object. An object can only be an illusion, a distortion of what exists. The mind itself is an object.

However, it is possible to be that which exists. This is the experiencer itself. The existence is experiencing itself as this experiencer. You can say, I am this experiencer, the pure consciousness-existence-bliss. By doing so you know that which exists as your Self. The Self knows itself simply by being itself. Perhaps it is so simple that the mind does not understand it. The mind cooks up imaginary pictures of how the existence is and tries to see it as another object of senses. This is its primary ignorance. The reality is not to be found in any experience. It is the experiencer itself. In other words, you are the reality, the source, the substratum.

What you are witnessing is your own illusory forms. Illusory meaning that they do not really exist. So whatever is being witnessed via mind, does not exist. How can the reality be found when it does not exist as any experience?

The you here is not this body-mind thing, which is just another illusion. The Self is consciousness-existence-bliss, not the ego. Its all there is. Its nature is emptiness. These is nothing to know there. It is pure being, absolutely empty, eternal, infinite, bliss itself. It is not this moment, and not the whole time, it is not this tiny place, and not the whole universe. It is. And it is as pure, free and nothing as it can be. So to know the source, know your Self. Be the Self. Nothing more needs to be done. Know this as your own direct experience, not as a blind belief or theoretical knowledge. It is easy, just look, truth is here and now.

[ Gift 1: What is my essence : Part - 1  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-1/)  
[ Gift 2: What is my essence : Part - 2  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-2/)  
 Gift 3: Nature of Reality

463. Why is self taking infinite illusory forms and experiencing itself?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-11 22:45:20 SQ: 68

Why self itself taking infinite illusory forms and experiencing itself?

When you ask why, you are asking for a reason. A prior intention to act in order to achieve a specific task. What does the Self intend? What is it trying to achieve? When we put such questions before the Self, which is my own nature, we get absolute silence. It is pure, without intention, it is whole and complete, the only one that exists, what else can it become?

The concept of reason does not apply to the Self.

The mind needs a reason, the mind needs to achieve something. The mind wants to find a reason. Since it sees an apparent reason behind human activities, it extends this idea to the Self, thinking that the Self is some kind of human or animal or entity just like itself. This is an error, this is simply ignorance. Those who have not known the Self, have such ignorance, they project human characteristics on the whole existence itself, which is the Self. Know your essence, know the Self. Once you see what it is, the confusion will disappear. It is not something which has intentions, plans, desires or anything that a human mind has. It just is, its beyond mind and its reasoning. Since the experience is the experiencer itself, the experience of forms just is, beyond mind.

[ Gift 1: What is my essence : Part - 1  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-1/)  
 Gift 2: What is my essence : Part - 2

464. All I have is an idea of states not of the "I am". How to enquire it further?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-13 18:07:55 SQ: 68

There are two "I am" one which is connected to waking state that is false one and the other one is the actual "I am" in which all three states of mind exist. But all I have an idea of states not the "I am". How to enquire it further?

That which is witnessing the confusion of two I am, is the Self-existence-bliss.

That which is witnessing all the states of the mind is this Self-existence-bliss.

There is no I. Identity, separate individual is an illusion.

The I cannot have any ideas, it is an idea itself. This idea is also witnessed.

 Gift 1: Identity

465. How do I work on getting to an equanimous mind?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-23 04:49:52 SQ: 68

How do I work on getting to an equanimous mind?

Cultivate awareness.

Awareness is the direct knowing that I am the pure consciousness that is witnessing each and every experience. It is touched by nothing, it is empty and pure like space. Events happen in the space of consciousness. All experiences come and go. They can be experiences of the world, people, body or of the mind, such as feelings, emotions, memories, desires, imaginations or thoughts. Attend to all these experiences as consciously as you can and with unbroken awareness.

Awareness is the key. Awareness is not alertness, it is just a knowing that everything is being witnessed. When you are aware of the world, body and mind, you get a choice to not get involved in them. In every situation or mental state, remain at the centre of awareness. When there is no awareness, the situations will drive you and the mind will mechanically react to each and every experience. With the light of awareness you can choose to not react or to do that which is absolutely necessary. With practice the mind will stay calm and peaceful. It will become equanimous naturally.

For awareness, one must distinguish between what is me and what is mind. Mind is an experience. I am the experiencer. Disidentification with the mental experiences creates a distance between the states of the mind and you - the witness of the mind.

Like a child behaves nicely under the watch of his father, the mind behaves nicely under the watch of awareness. Whenever it drifts to extreme, the awareness brings it back to equanimity. Experiment, practice and note the results. Discover what works. This is a lifestyle, not a one day fix.

To help in this practice, you can do some clean up outside. Clean up the negativity, negative people, bad habits, purify the space where you live, the things you consume - mental or physical, adopt minimalism, seek solitude, seek positive people, be in the company of masters and read good books etc. This helps, but the real work is done inside. Awareness is the agent of happiness and freedom. True happiness and freedom is peace of mind and the ability to choose our actions consciously.

466. What is my passion?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-27 23:06:32 SQ: 74

what is my passion?

That which you love most. That which is always on your mind. That which you return to again and again. That which recurs often in your life. That without which you feel lost and uneasy. It is the path of your heart to do that you are born here.

It is always something that brings permanent happiness and freedom. The sign that you are on the path of your heart is ever growing happiness and freedom. Everything else you do is just distraction.

[ Gift 1: Happiness and freedom  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.in/2016/11/happiness-and-freedom.html)  
 Gift 2: Path of the heart

467. Who is identified with the mind? And who will be liberated from it?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-27 17:01:51 SQ: 68

Who is identified with the mind?

And who will be liberated from it?

And that which is identified with the mind must not be the self. Because self is actionless.

Or there is no one identified it is just a thought in mind?

Please help and throw some light.

Thankyou.

There is no who.

There is no I which can identify with anything. But there is identification.

Identification is simply a belief that there is an I, a person, who is identical to an experience, such as the experience of an object, a body or a mind. It is a structure in memory pretending as knowledge. It is usually acquired from others, who refer to themselves as a body or a mind or processes of these. Identification is a belief. Belief is an idea not founded on direct experience and logic. This ignorance is the root cause of suffering and other strange behaviours, such as violence, greed, selfishness, fear etc.

Since there is no one, no one can be liberated from this ignorance. The liberation is simply the disappearance of the I, the individual or separate person. The liberation is dropping of the false belief of I, seeing the oneness. Seeing that all there is, is one Consciousness-Existence-Bliss. Cultivation is keeping this in mind and living thus in purity, truth and beauty.

There are many paths to attain this knowledge. The simplest and most direct is the path of knowledge. Simply look and question your beliefs. A teacher can greatly help and speed up the liberation. Takes a few minutes.

[ Gift 1: What is my essence : Part - 1  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-1/)  
[ Gift 2: What is my essence : Part - 2  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-2/)  
Gift 3: Illusion of bondage

468. How does mind divide experiencing into two i.e., experiencer and experience?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-25 11:56:11 SQ: 68

How do one gets to know that mind divides experiencing into two i.e., experiencer and experience?

The experience is nothing but consciousness of experience.

The experiencer is nothing but consciousness itself.

Both are one and the same.

Why do we think they are different? Just ignorance. They do appear separated, which is because of the illusion created by the mind.

Mind is an illusion itself. Mind is nothing but activity of the mind. Activity of the mind is nothing but a thought. The thought says oneness is many. Another thought appears and says I believe that. The mind deludes itself.

The existence is nothing but consciousness witnessing itself in various illusory forms. That which is seen is that which is seeing.

[ Gift 1: What is my essence : Part - 1 Self  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-1/)  
 Gift 2: What is my essence : Part - 2 Oneness

469. Does ego need to dissolve to be the Self?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-27 16:33:57 SQ: 68

Does ego have to dissolve to be the self or ego has nothing to do with it, self is already self?

Let's define ego. Ego is a process in the mind, which gives rise to certain behaviours in an organism. It is responsible for the creation of an I, the identity or a person. The behaviour consists of defending, feeding and procreating this I. Ego is a bunch of processes involved in survival. The separation of what is I and what is not-I greatly helps in survival, without this separation the organism simply dies. Therefore Egoic processes are the strongest processes in the mind. They take precedence over everything.

Ego is important, but it gets afflicted in absence of knowledge and awareness. So we find anger, hate, competition, rat races, greed, selfish criminal behaviour, fear and politics. Ignorance of what ego is and what it does is the root of everything that is wrong in this universe. It conveniently hides behind the I and mine.

Dissolution of the ego is not total annihilation of it, as the latter would mean death, a bad outcome. Dissolution of the ego is simply the knowledge, a realization of what it really is. It is just another activity of the mind, a vritti. It is not I, not me, not mine etc. It is an experience, a fleeting experience, just like any other experience.

Since the ego divides, it divides the existence into two, as that which is out there, which is being experienced by this imaginary I and that which is in here, the one who is experiencing. Dissolution of the ego, or cessation of this activity of the mind, results in seeing the oneness of the experience and the experiencer. The knowledge of \- that which is observed is the observer - is the end of ignorance, not the end of ego. This is the knowledge of the Oneness, the Self-Consciousness-Bliss-Existence-All, whatever you call it.

470. What do I need to work on or practice now?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-04-27 23:08:37 SQ: 74

what do I need to work on or practice now?

Practice will depend on your chosen path and on the teacher under whom you are practicing. If there is no path, that is what you should work on. If there is no teacher, that is another job for you to find one. It may take some time to settle on a path.

The most direct path is the path of knowledge. It also depends on a teacher, but not on one particular teacher. It involves listening to the teachings, introspecting on them and implementing them in everyday life. The only practice here is to remain intensely aware all the time. This happens when there is Self knowledge and the knowledge of Oneness. These are the two steps. This knowledge can only be given by a teacher. No amount of practice will help. The practice starts when one is established in such knowledge.

One should listen to the teachings carefully and get any doubts cleared. After that one should reflect on the teachings, try to see if they are as per your direct experience, or if they are logical, or if there are any implications, contradictions, irrational statements etc. And finally, abide in the knowledge thus gained. Remember it all the time. Act according to the knowledge, not according to the old habits or ignorance. This will be a life style, not a few minute per day kind of practice. It has to be 24x7. This will change the mind, purify the mind, and it will progress, evolve, will be freed from suffering and bondage, will be peaceful and blissful.

In short you can call it mindfulness or being in awareness. Knowing your real nature and acting from there all the time. Remembering. Being in truth. There can be so many names for it. Maintaining unbroken awareness is the only practice on the path of knowledge.

The mind slips into unawareness, habitual behaviour frequently. A student should bring it back into awareness. With practice, the mind learns to remain aware. There is a difference between awareness and alertness. Awareness is not alertness, it is simply being the consciousness/Atman that you are. The light of awareness destroys suffering, behaviour that causes suffering or ignorance. Your actions, speech and thought all happen in the light of awareness of what you essentially are.

Helper practices can be employed to keep up the awareness. A student can set up reminders, such as pictures, malas, rings, pendants etc. Anything which you look at or use very frequently. One can also do sitting meditations to make the desire of remembering stronger. It is nothing special, simply sitting and watching all the experiences peacefully, while abiding in intense awareness. This is then carried over into daily activity.

A technique implies effort. It means you need to get something, fix something, correct something. It means you are imperfect and incomplete in some way. But path of knowledge is a direct path, it starts with the recognition that you are already whole, perfect and complete, there is nothing lacking. Only that you need to remember this, and act like this. The knowledge is nothing new, it is just remembering that which you have forgotten. Remember your real nature. A lion cub raised among sheep acts like a sheep, thinks he is a sheep. What should he do to become a lion? Nothing, just remember. Just let go of the ignorance that I am a sheep. It is a direct path, effortless path, technique-less path. Even then, sometimes a Guru will suggest a simple technique, just to pacify a new student. Ultimately reliance on techniques is given up. Its just effortless being.

[ Gift 1: Path of knowledge  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2017/04/path-of-knowledge.html)  
Gift 2: Path of knowledge Audio Podcast

471. What is the purpose of Shiva linga?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-05-06 15:21:18 SQ: 73

What is the purpose of Shiva linga?

It is a device to gain control over creation and annihilation.

The phallic form is symbolic, symbol of creative and destructive principles - Shakti and Shiv. But the process or use of it is purely mental. The device helps in this tantric experiment. The experiment is almost totally performed in higher planes of the mind.

Is the above really true? Nothing but your own experiments will reveal the answer. Blind belief can lead to disaster and stupidity. Unfortunately, the experimenters are almost extinct, and it is now a symbol of blind faith and religious worship, the technology is lost. The temples are places of business and mass manipulation. In ancient times, the people who used this and many such devices were extraordinary scientists and spiritual seekers. Now we see only ignorant illiterates surround it.

Words, theories and opinions are useless, sometimes entertaining but unreliable. One should seek a real master and experiment on it instead of believing merely words, or phone apps like this one. Beware of the risks and consequences.

[ Gift 1: Shiva - The pure nothingness  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/shiva-the-pure-nothingness/)

472. Is there any way to be conscious of dreaming or deep sleep?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-05-13 15:00:53 SQ: 68

Somehow the mind is trying to define the self in relation to waking state. Because the existence of self is not felt in the other states to the mind.

Is there any way to be conscious of dreaming or deep sleep?

Simply become aware of whatever the mind is trying to do. The mind tries to cling to ignorance in many ways. Become aware of its activity, its tricks. Be the knower of the mind, instead of being something assumed by the mind.

Its only your mind that is telling you that the Self does not exist when the mental states change. Look at your direct experience, ask how can there be a dream without there being a consciousness of it?

Sleep is absence of mind, not an absence of Self. Set up an alarm in the clock and when you wake up, ask - what heard the alarm?

The consciousness is already as conscious as it can be in all states of the mind. It is unchanging. However, the mind can be more aware of the Self in all states. In order to be more aware in ever changing states of the mind, start by being more aware in waking state. This practice will seep into dream and deep sleep states.

[Gift 1: Sleep  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/sleep-1518632065/)  
 Gift 2: States of the mind : Part - 1

473. Experience of oneness is shift in experience of the mind or shift in knowledge?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-05-19 20:36:47 SQ: 68

Experience of oneness is shift in experience of the mind or shift in knowledge?

It is both.

Consider that right now right here the experience is nothing but an experience of oneness.

Introspect why that must be so.

Question the separation.

Now the ignorance falls away and as a result the mind is also changed. The mind is seen as oneness itself.

474. What is mental sickness and how to help mentally sick people?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-05-23 00:01:47 SQ: 76

What is mental sickness and how do you shine light to bright and ease up those who are trapped in what they call "mental sickness"?

When the functioning of the mental activities degrades to a level such that the survival of the person or others is at risk, its mental disorder.

Note that it is not defined as a behaviour which does not match that of the majority, that would be an opinion of the ignorant.

When you understand your own mind, you will see that the other mind, whether healthy or not, is just a machine, memory and processes. This will help you to remain compassionate towards the mentally sick. Know that they are your own form, the essence is one and the same, which never changes, is never sick or healthy, is always brightly lit.

You can assist others minds in the same way you assist your own, by cultivating the mind. Since you know how the mind works, you can help others, by showing how you yourself train and control your mind. Without this knowledge, you cannot do much, in which case, be kind, seek professional advice.

475. Can one say that experience of deep sleep is experience of oneness?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-05-28 21:42:08 SQ: 68

Can one say that experience of deep sleep is experience of oneness?

All experience is experience of oneness.

It does not become one due to changes in mental states, it is always one. Its one right now right here. See this as your own experience.

 Gift 1: What is my essence : Part - 2

476. How can you deal with people who are obsessed in love?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-05-29 21:13:48 SQ: 76

How can you deal with people who are obsessed in love?

It is best to leave people alone. Its not our business to interfere in their affairs. You need to take an action only if you are being affected in some way, else not.

Anyway, they are obsessed in love, thankfully, not in hate. Obsession with hate would be a bigger problem. At least they have good intentions.

Anyway, again, excess of everything has its consequences. Consequences of our actions teach us lessons. This is how we learn. So if their obsession results in some consequences, it will be their lesson. Let them learn.

What you can learn from this experience is to not to be like others. Not to go to extreme, not too much , not too little. In this way you rise above consequences. Love and hate are just two extremes of one thing, which is attachment. Unconditional love is no attachment, not extreme love, not extreme hate, only total acceptance.

477. How do I overlook the rude behavior of others in order to see Oneness in all?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-06-05 01:10:26 SQ: 83

How do I overlook the rude behavior of others in order to see the Oneness in all? I am aware that separation is a strongly held illusion of this world. However, it is still difficult to feel love in the heart for those that are rude throughout the day. It's not easy to overlook those who are cruel, nor is it easy to view them with eyes of love. I am still moving beyond "ego" and during the meantime, it's been an extremely difficult transition. Thank you in advance for any useful feedback on this matter.

Oneness is the unity of the experience and the experiencer.

It is not unity of two experiences. Experiences will have a variety. The variety remains even after the unity is seen. What is being experienced is same as that which is experiencing. Each distinct experience is the experiencer itself appearing in that form to itself. Forms appear different but the substance is one. Just like gold ornaments appear different, but they are all gold.

So simply because the forms or experiences have a variety, it does not mean that they are essentially different or separate. The oneness can be seen here and now, it is very easy to see it. See that the body is an experience, the mind and the personality is also an experience. These experiences are not I. These are different from other experiences of bodies, minds, people, things etc. But they are all expressions of one pure empty consciousness. This is the real I, that which is experiencing itself in many forms.

It is the mind that differentiates, in reality there are different appearances without separation. Just like the movie screen is the substrate of all the pictures on it, although the pictures are many and appear separate. No screen, no movie. The separation between you and me is merely an error of the mind, as there is identification with the body-mind, and ignorance about the experiencer. The mind says that the character on the screen is I, and hence I is not the same as the other characters. When the real nature of the I is known, this ignorance disappears, disidentification happens, and the mind abides in the substrate, the pure empty spacelike consciousness. We all are the same one reality. We all are the screen. Characters are different, screen is one. Your body-mind-ego is just a character, an experience on the screen of consciousness, just like other body-minds, which you call people.

Once this is seen, the game of separation can continue. There is no problem. The forms will never know it, they will act as per their conditioning, the programming. Just like the characters are unaware of the screen, they are simply acting out what is already there on the film strip. The screen knows itself. This knowledge can change the mind, but it is not wise to expect that because you know, others will change. They do not. Everyone needs to change via their own enlightenment. Nothing can be done about it. This is how the game is.

Seeing this, one should remain kind and compassionate towards all - people, animals and environment. Do not judge, do not try to fix all as per your liking. Love unconditionally. Now it need not be told, as you know they are just you in another form. No ethics is needed, no laws are needed. Unfortunately they do not know this, and so will remain as they are. Occasionally, someone will be transformed by your behaviour, but most of them will abuse your kindness, will use you as a doorma? if you are not careful.

One must feed a lion, not because lions are good and kind, but because we are, they are almost extinct so we save them. However, you do not go and hug a wild lion. He will kill you instantly. In the same way, we remain kind towards all, but do not cross the fine line. What you call love can be dangerous, it is nothing but an expectation. Love is recognition of oneness, not a feet licking behaviour. When you encounter a wild beast, you do that which is most needed, either you run, or you defend. You do not hug the beast since it is one with you. If someone is cruel, rude or mean, you act intelligently. Protect the body-mind. When in Maya, its wise to follow her rules. You do not say they are illusions and I am one with the offender, you do that which is necessary and then you remember oneness, forgive, do not let any negative impressions form in the mind. NO hate, no revenge, no sadness. This way you remain in oneness while remaining pure, unaffected. Expecting others to change, is just another thought of the ego. Others will change, when its their time. This is your time, change yourself.

Moving beyond ego is not killing the ego, but making it subordinate to intellect. Ego is necessary for survival, use it there. It is not required for spiritual knowledge, silence it there. You cannot do a half hearted patchwork of manipulating everyone. This is how this world is, even if it is an illusion, it has rules. A seeker seeks a permanent solution, and that is to rise above the world. Liberate yourself from worldly existence, from its limitations and suffering. Rise above human. You are here because of your ignorance and attachments, and they cause suffering. Once these are gone, your experience will change, it will not be limited to this world. You will have a choice. One must make some effort for this happen. It all starts with an intention to rise above human life. Till that happens, take the life as a series of lessons. Once you graduate from here, a new series of lessons will start. But hopefully they will not be as nasty and difficult as the lessons we are learning while in this physical existence.

[ Gift 1: What is my essence : Part - 1  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-1/)  
 Gift 2: What is my essence : Part - 2

478. I feel drained by people. Why?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-06-05 08:36:49 SQ: 68

I feel drained by people. Why?

The reason is your own ego.

The ego is a collection of processes and programs in the mind that are concerned solely with survival of the organism. The ego is a primitive and lower part of the mind, and it is very important for worldly existence as a human.

When you are with people, there are actions and reactions concerning survival and social issues. There is hate, competition, attachment, worry, fear, anger, lust, envy, desire to use them for my happiness, desire to make them happy, seek security or remain secure from any harm they may cause, to lie, pretend, show off, expect respect, avoid insult and so on. These are egoic reactions. Note that it always takes two or more in order for them to arise.

The more egoic you are, and the more egoic the other person is, more activity happens, which is sometimes intense and stressful. If you are surrounded by egoic people or relatives, this happens all day long. If there are toxic and negative people around you, the ego will remain under extreme stress. It is a sign for the ego that the survival is threatened. So all your thoughts, actions and energy is diverted in dealing with people.

The body is in close contact with the ego. Ego controls the body. This causes weak immune system, digestive problems, lethargy, depression, anger, diseases and mental sickness.

The solution is simple. Seek solitude. Interact with others only when necessary. Choose a job or work where there are less people, or good people. Abandon the egoic people, relations that are toxic. Stay away from negativity, including the indirect sources of negativity like TV, newspapers, cheap movies etc. Get positive, creative hobbies, read uplifting books, meditate, live in natural surroundings. Choose people carefully. Be positive yourself, be kind and respectful, this will attract people of similar kind to you. Surround yourself with positive, intelligent and spiritual people.

Realize that there are no people. Everyone is your own form. You will see them exactly as you are. Instead of complaining or trying to fix everyone else, start fixing yourself. Purify the ego, control the ego. The rest is all perfect as it is.

479. How do I become at peace with the ever changing nature of my new reality?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-06-22 11:20:42 SQ: 69

How do I become at peace with the ever changing nature of my new reality?

Reality is exactly the same as it was. It never changes. If it did, what is real today will be unreal tomorrow.

That which remains is reality, that which changes is unreal.

Probably you have changed, which means the ignorance is gradually falling away. Although some of it is still there.

Ultimately, that which is I, is the unchanging, infinite, empty reality. Probably there is still an ignorance about what you are, and what you think is reality.

When you know this, you will see that there is nothing that changed.

Absence of peace is a sign that you are not seeing the reality.

[ Gift 1: What is my essence : Part - 1  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-1/)  
[ Gift 2: What is my essence : Part - 2  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-2/)  
 Gift 3: Nature of Reality

480. How to remain sane among selfish people?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-06-25 18:13:02 SQ: 73

I feel am being more selfish all times.

I knew the truth no thing belongs to us in this world.

Everything isn't certain.

But seeing people around me who are all behaving selfish, am also reflecting to them in the same way. Why??

Fear.

The ego, the part of the mind concerned with survival and staying alive, produces fear, when it sees competition. The fear is of losing one's life because everyone around it is so fiercely competitive.

This part is so strong that it overrides the intellect, which holds the knowledge.

So it is all ok, as long as you are not causing any harm to yourself or to others. When there is fear, and when you are pushed to act in a very selfish way which is harmful, just become intensely aware that this is happening mechanically. This is lower nature of the mind. Once you are aware, you can choose to not act, or act in a minimal way, only that which is most necessary for your survival. Without awareness, the fear will take over. You can see that this is exactly the state of everyone around you, there is no awareness in them.

You can also try to move away from selfish people. Seek better friends, better jobs, cleaner environment where there is less negativity. Seek solitude. Be concerned with your own affairs, not of others. Have detachment from worldly matters. Seek a Guru, and be with his disciples, instead of worldly people. But most importantly, cultivate kindness and compassion in your own heart, the outer solutions do not last.

481. After getting an intellectual understanding of Self, how to proceed further?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-06-28 01:36:10 SQ: 72

My intellectual conclusion is that "I am". And I dont know anything more than that. Also the presence of this "I am" is felt when there is contact through senses but "I am" is always present. And at the level of "I am" everything is one. But doubts are there. How to introspect properly?

It is a good step to arrive at the I am intellectually. Now step back and see that there is a witnessing of this intellectual activity also. The witnessing is not another intellectual activity. It is not the mind or mental events. The witness is nothing but the I. The intellectual understanding happens in the space of the Self, the I, pure consciousness.

The doubts also appear in the same empty space. Just more mental activity. How are they of any importance?

Are the doubts displacing the sense of I am?

Who has the doubts? Who owns them? Are they not yet another kind of mental activity? Questioning and owning happens in the space of consciousness, the I. The thought of I is not the I. Discriminate between that which is witnessing and that which is appearing. Rise above the mental activity. Stay there.

Whenever a doubt arises, step back into the I, the pure being, and watch them appear and disappear. Know that the mind has limits, it is only an appearance. What it thinks will come from memory. What is, is here and now, nothing to do with the mind or the content of the memory, the conditioning or sanskaras.

Stay with the I am, let the mind play.

482. Why the sense or doership is in waking state only?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-06-29 01:16:27 SQ: 72

Why the sense or doership is in walking state only?

Waking state corresponds to the experience of a body and a world. The illusion of a doer is necessary to function in a world, to survive. The ego or identity or doer is a necessary consequence of evolution in this world and is needed to function in a society, that is, survival in a group. Since others are best modelled as doers of actions that happen via their bodies, there is also a doer of actions that happen through this body, which you call my body. Now it becomes easy to feed it, protect it etc. Doer is a survival strategy. Without it the organism may not survive for long. Without it the society will simply collapse. So there is a co-evolution here of such a system.

As soon as the mind enters another state, where there is no world or people or body, this model is no longer necessary.

However, it again appears in dream state, as there are people, body and world, although self created. Doer may again appear in other states of the mind when it is exploring other worlds and so on. It appears whenever it is needed.

483. Do you believe in the akashic records?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-07 19:09:56 SQ: 72

Do you believe in the akashic records

Belief is a poor substitute for knowledge. Its best to know it via a direct experience of it.

Just as a person's dream can be said to have arisen out of his memory, we can say that this world arises out of a universal memory. Akashic records or Akashic memory is just another name for it. Akasha means sky, which points to its vastness, it is almost infinite, it is nonlocal, not belonging to anyone, not placed anywhere, it is everywhere and lasts for eons.

We all arise out of this memory and go back into it. We are a dream of the universal mind, which contains everything as this universal memory. Since we are it, we can know it. Whatever you are seeing here and now, is nothing but a tiny part of it. Now there is no need to believe it or disbelieve it, its in front of you.

 Gift 1: Memories

484. Why do I continue on with patterns I know aren't good for me?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-14 12:54:25 SQ: 66

Why do I continue on with patterns I know aren't good for me?

Differentiate between what is I and what is mind.

I is the observer, mind is the mechanism that desires and acts via the instrument of the body.

I is the pure consciousness. Mind is just memory, a machine.

Patterns get programmed into mind via repetitive behaviour. Those behaviours that produced pleasure are favoured and are etched on the memory. So a habitual pattern is formed when there is no awareness, and the individual simply repeats it mechanically.

What knows if a habit is good or bad? Its another layer of the mind, the intellect. The seat of reasoning. It can either simply copy from others or can arrive at its own decision whether some action is good or bad for the organism. However, if the action is a habit, it is usually powerless to stop it. Its job is to think, not to act. See that what you think is I, are just different parts or layers of the mind. The ignorance that it is I, gives rise to conflict and seems illogical. Once you see what is you and what is not, it becomes possible to rectify the mind. The false I cannot change the false doer. The mirage cannot satisfy the thirst.

Any action starts in memory. It appears as an intention or desire, and after some thought the mind decides to act via the body. A habit is formed when a particular action is repeated numerous times in exact same way. This forms a deep memory of it and even becomes automated, so much so that no thought or planning is needed in order to act. A good example is driving or dancing or playing an instrument. Obviously, we repeat an action over and over because it is useful or because it provides pleasure. However, some actions can cause bad consequences even though they seem useful or pleasurable initially. Such as lying or over eating. These are bad habits, actions that have become automated because of repetitions and now happen without any control.

You can terminate an undesired habit by not repeating it again. It sounds simple, but it is not. Since it has become automated, you are not even aware of it. So the first step is to become very very aware of the action. Try to stop the action while it is on-going, and then try to stop it sooner and sooner, till you can stop it even before it starts. For that you need to be very aware as soon as the intention to act appears in the mind. It comes by practice and a strong will and interest.

Awareness or consciousness of actions and mind only makes you aware of your actions and intentions. Once you are aware, you can kill the action. Else nothing changes.

The best kind of meditation for above problem is to concentrate on 1)your thoughts and intentions 2)your speech 3)your actions. Just pay attention to all of these. Watch it very curiously and attentively like a scientist observing something under a microscope. We use mind to fix the mind. This practice grows the awareness, shines light of consciousness on the mind. Once your awareness is sharp, you can get a good command on the mind and actions. Simply become aware of what the mind has in it, and what it is going to do next. If needed delay the action for a long time, till your awareness takes over, now you can decide to not take a habitual action. This meditation should be done 24x7, not for a few minutes. You do not need to sit or recite anything. Just remember to be aware in daily life. You are not the mind, you are pure consciousness that is aware of the mind. You are the Self, you are above all actions. This realization will give you power over all actions.

 Gift 1: What is my essence : Part - 1

485. How can I not focus on lack but still recognize it?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-16 22:52:54 SQ: 69

How can I not focus on lack but still recognize it without it affecting my vibration? How can I be aware of that but still offer the vibration that is appropriate and in alignment with my highest self?

First thing to realize is that there is no my-highest-self. All that is, is this one Self, it is the highest, universal, infinite, eternal Self, and it is you. Identify it as yourself.

It is complete, whole and perfect as it is. This is the highest vibration possible.

Now, whatever remains is, so called, lower-self, or separate self, or the ego. The body is a vehicle for the Self, through which it can experience its own creation - this world. In order to continue as a physical body, there are some requirements, some needs. Like food, clothes, shelter, security, procreation and social support etc. In this play of the body and world, there can be situations where this lower-self may not get some of these, or may get it and still remains unsatisfied. But this is not you, this is only your expression. Its problems and desires are as illusory as this ego-body-mind-world.

Disidentify with the lower-self, and let it do that which is needed. This will keep the vibrations where they are, at the highest. The key is that as soon as a person identifies themselves with a body-mind-ego object, the vibrations drop to that level. E.g. identification with the body causes one to vibrate at the level of this gross body and all its pains, needs, diseases become my-problems. This causes suffering. Disidentification, with what you are not, is the key.

After all, you will see that no matter what these vibrations are, you are always the Self. You are above all manifestation. You are the ALL, the universal spirit.

[ Gift 1: What is my essence : Part - 1  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-1/)  
 Gift 2: What is my essence : Part - 2

486. How to enquire that "I am" was never born with the body?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-17 00:53:38 SQ: 73

The sense of "I am" arises with a body. How to enquire that "I am" was never born with the body?

Other people tell me, that the body was born and I am that body. Sometimes they say, this is your body instead of saying you are the body. Some say I am inside the body, and so on. I believe it blindly, and assume that I am a product of the body and was born with the body. I also see others die, and assume that I will also disappear when the body dies. This is true, I say, because everyone says so, believes it totally. They have no reason to lie and appear honest and intelligent. Even my own parents told me that. How can they all be wrong?

So far all is good. One day I meet a crazy man, people call him a Guru. He asks me to question everything, to investigate about my own nature. A deeper investigation shows me that what I am is a pure subject. I am not the body because it keeps changing. I am also not all of those different bodies that appear during the growth and decay of what I assume is one body. Because I see myself as one individual, not many. I see myself as one unchanging subject, not as many changing objects. Similarly, I can disidentify with the mind or memory or mental processes, because they come and go, are ever changing, and are many.

I find that I am the experiencer of these changing experiences. I am conscious of these experiences, I never change, the consciousness never changes. The metaphor of an unchanging screen of consciousness on which various images of experiences come and go, can be useful here. I am the screen, not the images. This is self evident truth for me. Who else can say anything about my own self other than myself? Who else can be so certain about what I am? Of course, to know this subjectivity that I am, no objective view will work. All that is seen from outside is objective, and is invalid as far as the subject is concerned.

This is an important point in my life. For the first time I say I do not know what I am. For one, I am certain that I am not a body or any process or any object or any kind of experience. I am this screen, this experiencer. And its nature cannot be grasped just as we grasp the nature of any other object. It has no qualities, no beginning, no end, it has no time, it is pure presence.

Others can see only the body, which is an object. They cannot see the consciousness in any form, separate or universal *inside* the body. They cannot say how it arrived, from where, etc. Others can also not say, if the body was born without any consciousness. In fact they will say, I was conscious, alive, was not a dead body. From the point of view of others, I am a body, since I appeared with the body and I am no more as soon as the body dies.

The objective description as narrated by others, contradicts my own experience of not being a body. It seems like a fairy tale. And so now I am in a position to entertain a subjective point of view. People start calling me a spiritual person, which also means crazy in their language.

I immediately see that the body appears in me. Body appears on the screen of consciousness. This is my direct experience. Others will say that I appear in the body, but will never provide any evidence for it. When asked, what I? where exactly in the body? I get no answers. Beliefs of people are so fossilized that they do not even hear these questions. I see that they also appear on the screen of consciousness, I. So does the world. It is impossible to find I in the body or the world or in other people, but it is self evident that all these are here, in me, on the screen of consciousness. Thus I reject the imaginary stories told by others. I investigate. To know, one must experience it directly. Stories, theories, books do not work.

Our direct experience is - the world, the body and I, all arise together. Verify it yourself. (E.g. when waking up from deep sleep).

Now the question is, what is that unseen, unknowable potential in which the world, the body and the I arose?

And the answer is - pure consciousness or the universal consciousness, the Self, the Brahman. All these are your names. Shift the identity to this Self. Now the I-am-ness also arises in the Self. Its only a thought, a recognition that Self exists. I am the Self itself, not merely the one in the waking state, but the one in waking, deep sleep, after birth and before birth and after death. And so is everyone else. Therefore I am this universal Self that appears as a separate self in the waking state, as a limited experience of the body-mind-world-people.

One can say that the experience of body-world was born in me, I was not born in the body-world.

Distinguish between that which appears and disappears, and that which is, which exists, which remains.

Remember, the experience and the experiencer always arise together. This is a necessity, since they are one and the same. Two faces of one coin. Verify this also.

In waking state, the experience of the body-mind-world covers up my true nature. Since I am a blank screen, emptiness, space like, devoid of qualities, I become the body-mind-world. I become the experience. Its like forgetting, nothing major, I am always there, never lost.

Metaphorically, in a dream, your dream body appears along with dream characters, dream places, a whole dream world. The dream characters tell you it was always there and you were born in the dream past. Some character may die before your dream eyes. He disappears, and so will you - you think in the dream. This completes the story of how everything is. It appears so true that you never question it. However, on waking up, you realize that the whole event happened in you, on the screen of consciousness. No one was born, no one died, no one lived. There was no separate I, others were me, even the dream buildings and rocks were me, my own creation, made out of me.

Was I born with the dream body? Did I die with the dream body? Did anything exist before me? Did I exist before the dream? Did the dream exist in a potential form in this sleeping self? Is the consciousness in the dream world any different from that in the waking world? Does my essential nature change, when experiences change from waking to sleep to dream to birth to death?

Replace the word dream with waking state and proceed with the enquiry as above.

487. Is it possible to perceive something without filtering it via memory?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-18 01:08:23 SQ: 73

Is it possible to perceive something without filtering with memory or conditioning? Like a new born child sees.

Perception itself forms impressions on the memory and affects future perception. The flipping cube illusion, or vase-heads illusion are good examples of this. Once heads are seen, the mind cognizes the picture as two heads, else it is seen as a vase. So perception is not an independent process, memory and many more structures in the mind are involved.

A new born child does not perceive without memory. There is genetic memory in the form of structures of the eye, nervous system and some pre-programming. Without which no perception will be possible, or the child may not be able to function. The whole perception is based on these initial structures.

One can do a thought experiment, and imagine memory or conditioning vanishing step by step. Let's say there is some impairment in a person's memory and he cannot recall anything except last 10 years of events. He will see his parents, wife, house etc in a new way. His old habits, likes, dislikes, addictions will be gone. Let's say, it gets more impaired, and now he cannot recall anything except last 1 year. Now his name will be new, his body will be a strangers body, his language will be gone. Turn the dial to last 1 month, and he will barely function, he will forget where he lives, he will need potty training. Turn the dial to one day, and everything is new for him, he cannot recognize anything, not even himself in the mirror. Turn the dial to last 1 hour, and his perceptions will suffer, everything will be so distorted that there will be only a chaos of colors and sounds. Turn the dial to 1 minute, and even the colors and sounds start fading, it will be just like a forgotten dream, with a sense of just something happening. Cut this to 1 second, and all of the perception will be gone, his own actions, movements will be random. Cutting it even more will be same as deep sleep state.

So we can guess that after removing the memory or programs, the senses and nervous system will still function, but it cannot be called perception now. It is like a machine with camera and mic fixed to it.

Things are made up of perception. There are no objects, they do not exist. Only perception of them exists. This is our direct experience. We never experience any objects via any sense, we experience that which the mind presents to the consciousness. Objects are constructed by the mind. So the whole world is made up, a fake image of what is out there. Just like a dream. That is why we call this world a dream.

What is out there? It cannot be perceived as it is. But one can know that it is me, I appear to myself as objects, people, body and mind.

Just like a dream is constructed out of memory of a person, one can say that the world is constructed out of a greater memory. We are witnessing this dream, in what is known as the waking state. It is very stable and persistent. But it is an illusion. This memory is also known as the universal memory, or Akashik memory. It is not a static memory, it is active, just like this individual mind, and its activity is called the Universal Mind. UM is ever changing evolving universal consciousness, which is nothing but the I, Self.

[Gift 1: Origin of experience  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/origin-of-experience/)  
 Gift 2: Exploring the universal mind - Part 1

488. How to enquire that manifestation arises from I or it is I?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-21 20:27:28 SQ: 73

How to enquire that manifestation arises from I or it is I? My current experience is, there is only self which give existence to manifestation.

Your understanding is correct.

Nothing arises from anything.

Manifestation is also not I. I is a separation from all that is. Absence of I leaves everything as it is - pure emptiness. This emptiness is not nothingness, not object, not subject. The thought - I am that - arises later. I is in the duality.

That which is before the division of the experience and the experiencer arose, just is. It did not arise from anything. This can be called the Nirgun Brahman. There is no suitable word in English for that.

All just is. It is being experienced. There is experiencing.

The causal relation is an illusion created by our conditioning. Things just are. It is not possible for something to arise from other thing, and it is not possible for something to arise from nothing. All causal relations are an attempt of the mind to understand the impermanence.

To see this is to be free from concepts of cause and effect. Rise above the mind and witness that which is. It is ... and that is all.

489. When will my spirit guides speak to me?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-24 13:35:16 SQ: 69

When will my spirt guides speak to me

The short answer is - whenever there is a real need.

That which you call guides are interfaces with a field of minds, an area in the universal mind. There are no individuals there, just a group mind. This is the Guru Field. It appears in a suitable form - a friend, a book, a teacher, an event or simply as an inspiration, idea, a coincidence, an android app and so on, whenever guidance is needed.

We expect a specific form or a specific type of interaction according to our conditioning, out of preconceived notions or just some wishy-washy thoughts or just because we read stories here and there. When those overblown expectations are not fulfilled, we think there is no one to guide us.

However, the guidance is ever present. It is here and now. All one needs to do is ask. Request. Do not worry if you see no magic stuff, this is not magic, this is real world. Everything happens on the right time, nothing happens if it is not needed.

We are already in contact with the Guru Field. But that relation can be made stronger. Just like any other bond, the bond is strengthened by more interaction, mutual love, working for each other. Be of some use to the Guru Field, spread the light, how can they ignore you now? It is being manifested everywhere, you will see its working, which , to an un-awakened mind seems to be non-existent. See the apparent invisible workings of the Guru principle. Merge with it. Be it. Ultimately, it is all your own expression, you are the student and you are the guide.

More details below.

Gift 1: The Guru Field

490. How can I manifest what I need in this world?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-24 13:36:29 SQ: 69

How can I Manifest what I need in this world

You are the Self. Also known as pure consciousness or the witness. It is the only thing that exists in the form of both the experience and the experiencer. It is the same one Self for everyone, who are just forms of it.

Self is nothing but the whole existence itself. There are experiences of forms, bodies and minds. Which are again nothing but expressions of the consciousness. It is very pure and empty, like space, it is bound by nothing, everything comes and goes in it. This is the continuous flow of impermanence. You can witness it now. This is self evident. All you need to do is see it.

What can you manifest when you are all of it already?

What can you make appear when you are all illusory appearances already?

There is an ignorance in the mind that I am a body or a bunch of thoughts. What can a body or bunch of thoughts manifest?

Mind is full of ignorance. Mind is just some memories, processes and programs. What can memories and programs manifest?

It is simply a misunderstanding of an important law of the mind. It says that what we perceive is identical to what we manifest. But we do not do that as a person or this mind-body. We are the universe itself, perceiving itself. You will need to rise above the tiny personal level to see its truth. Know yourself.

Follow the gift for details.

[ Gift 1: Perception and manifestation  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/laws-of-mind-7-perception-equals-manifestation/)  
 Gift 2: The Experiencer

491. Is the starseed theory true?

Self Enquiry 0.1.0 2019-07-25 02:46:00 SQ: 60

The starseed theory..Is it true?

In this illusory universe what is true and what is false?

All truths are relative truth. The absolute truth is - we are all one pure consciousness. Consciousness is the only seed. Everything originates in consciousness and dissolves back in it.

It is manifesting in countless forms, just to witness itself. A play.

So we are all starseeds in one form or the other. In absolute terms. We are very very ancient beings. All of us.

Now that can sound like too far fetched even for a new age kind of seeker. So investigate. Explore your true nature. Know yourself.

Anyhow, there is a good chance that highly evolved minds would spread life and light in this universe. What else can be more purposeful, meaningful and beautiful than that?

If one thinks he or she is not a starseed, one can become that. Simply make a choice. The choice is to enlighten myself, live the life to its highest potential, and spread this light around. There, now you are also a starseed. An awakened being spreading life and knowledge in this infinity of darkness.

492. Why am I here? What's my particular mission in life? How do I recall my purpose?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-26 03:12:15 SQ: 100

Why am I here? What's my particular mission in life? How do I recall what my purpose is?

Investigate what is I. What is the essence of I?

Is there a person? Is there an individual? Or are there ever changing experiences?

That which is never changes, that which changes never is.

I, me, my are only words. Missions and purposes are mind created. You can create any. There is no why, there is just life.

Life is a series of experiences, devoid of any inherent meaning, any purpose or mission. The mind invents a meaning, a purpose and needs something to do. It lives in duality of meaningful and meaningless, purposeful and purposeless. See this as your own experience. You are not the mind, nor any other experience, and hence these concepts do not apply to what you essentially are.

You are this pure empty and eternal consciousness manifesting in infinite forms, having an infinite potential.

You are pure bliss. You are perfection. You are the only truth. The ground of existence. Worlds, bodies, people and minds come on go, appear and disappear on this substratum. This is your essence.

One purpose will make it tiny, one mission will bind it in finitude. How can that be? How can the eternal infinity become so tiny?

The mind has missions, the mind has purpose, the mind feels small and incomplete. Imperfect and lowly. So it takes up missions. Forgetting its own nature, it wanders around, searching something. Searching for that which it assumes is lost. Doing that which it assumes must be done. Thus, it is miserable.

The purpose for the mind is predefined. It is to seek completion, to be boundlessly happy and free. Happiness and freedom are its mission. How can it get that when it actually already is that? The answer is simple - by dropping this ignorance. It is like coming back home.

Everyone has their own favorite way to achieve happiness and freedom. However, no matter how hard they try, they cannot find it in any external experience - money, food, relations, power, achievements, knowledge, nothing can give that which they are after. Many unfortunate people do not even know why they exist. They spend their lives aimlessly, aping each other, wallowing in the pit of their own ignorance.

The way out of this pit is knowledge. Know yourself. See your essential nature. What is it knowing which everything is known, every misery disappears, all bondage gone? Seek.

[ Gift 1: What is my essence : Part - 1  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-1/)  
[ Gift 2: What is my essence : Part - 2  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/what-is-my-essence-part-2/)  
 Gift 3: Happiness and freedom

493. How can I stay consistent with being aware and in tune with my body awareness?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-26 03:48:43 SQ: 69

How can I stay consistent with being aware and in tune with my body awareness?

Know that the body is an experience that you, the consciousness is witnessing. It is an object, it is not you.

Once this knowledge is crystallized, the attention can go to the body just like it goes to any other object.

All the perceptions, feelings and sensations of the body are merely passing experiences.

Now, you can build up basic exercises to witness each of these bodily experiences. Such as Asanas, breathing exercises, Tai chi, dance or sports. Attend to the bliss in the body. Listen when there is uneasiness. The body has its own intelligence, its own language. Slowly familiarize yourself with this marvellous machine. Attention is the key.

Always being distracted, always being in thoughts and fantasies, ignoring healthy diet, needs of the body and hygiene, will make it sick. For many people, it does become noticeable but only after it has already broken, the pain forces them to attend to their bodies. Else they are too busy to see it. Some use it as an object of pleasure, and then there is pay back. Over attachment with the body, seeing it as my self, is one extreme. Completely ignoring it, thinking its a pile of organic matter, a bondage, is another extreme.

So it is a long term relation that one must have with the body. It is our temple, our vehicle. It will disappear into mother earth soon, better utilize it. It has a purpose - to provide an experience of this world, so we learn, we grow as a conscious being via these experiences. Using the body for this higher purpose is the right use of it. When you have your life goal linked with the body, the awareness and interest will come naturally. It can never come by reading a book, or by trying to utilize the body for worldly pleasures. Once you know what body is, and what is it for, right awareness arises. Now the mind is not in conflict with the body. It cooperates, is in tune. When the time is right, it lets go of this vehicle, unattached, free, happy, without regrets. The purpose is now served.

[ Gift 1: The Experience of a Body  
](https://pureexperiences.blogspot.com/2016/10/the-experience-of-body.html)  
 Gift 2: Bodies and their Drivers

494. When will the sense of a separate me disappear?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-29 21:13:07 SQ: 73

When the sense of seperate me will disappear?

It need not disappear. It is necessary for survival as a human.

It won't be there after death, like in deep sleep.

Just realize that there is no separation. The experiencer is the experience. There is unity, its nondual.

That will make the suffering due to separation disappear. Non duality is freedom from suffering, the mind body may keep working as it does naturally and blissfully.

495. How can I change the flaws I need to change to make me more calm and less angry?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-07-30 05:04:12 SQ: 62

How can I change the flaws I need to change to make me more calm and less angry?

All actions, whether flawed or correct, begin as intention. All emotions begin as a reaction to outside situations or past memories. These are activities of the mind, or in plain language, thoughts. It is possible to stop a thought from manifesting at the level of mind itself. Once it has left the mind, the action or emotion will happen on its own. So get hold of the root cause, the root cause is an untrained mind. It is running wild. Now, how to do that?

The key is to be aware. Be intensely aware of the contents of your mind. Be aware without interruption in all your waking hours. Be watchful, just look, observe your mind. That's all you need to do.

Awareness is the knowledge that I am pure consciousness (Self) that is now conscious of an experience. Awareness is a knowing of what is not you and what is you. You are consciousness, you are not thoughts. Thoughts are activities, processes in the mind, they can be experienced and hence they are not you, who is the experiencer.

This fundamental understanding creates a gap between the Self and your mind or thoughts, now it becomes possible to control them. Install a thought above all thoughts that you will allow only a specific kind of thought, which is positive, if is it useful but negative, you should still allow it. Always remember this intention. It is also a thought, but acts like a gatekeeper of all other thoughts. If you forget, just continue as soon as you remember it again without cursing yourself or blaming something else. It is natural to forget, and takes some time and practice to keep awareness on. We are habituated into a zombie like life, so it takes some practice to break out of it.

You will soon realize that you do not generate your thoughts, you can only be aware of them. The thoughts appear on their own. You will realize that thoughts are generated from memories. Good memories generate good and positive thoughts, bad memories produce negativity in the mind. If you are aware of what is in your mind, you can filter out the negative content by refusing to follow that chain of thoughts. Replace it with something positive by remembering a positive event. If you have the gatekeeper installed you will be able to do it, else you will be unconsciously in the grip of any thought that randomly appears. It is important to be aware and remember your intention all the time.

Forgive people who had hurt you, so their memories stop producing negative thoughts or hate. Make your current experience positive, so that good memories are formed. For that you will need to give up the company of negative people or stay away from negative situations. Try to be as close to positive people as possible. Try to stay away from sources of negativity such as TV, newspapers, negative/hateful/violent movies or books etc. Cultivate healthy habits. It does not take long, just takes strong determination. Mind has a tendency to fall back to old habit. Pull yourself back again and again.

Mind is an accumulation of experiences, and thoughts and actions are a result those impressions or conditioning. Mind becomes that which you feed to it. Positive impressions result in positive thought, action and speech. Surround yourself with positive, keep the light of awareness on and the rest happens on its own.

 Gift 1: Stages of awakening

496. How can I set my mind in order?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-08-01 11:24:16 SQ: 73

How can I set my mind in order?

A disordered mind is an untrained mind. Unkempt mind. It happens when the mind is taken as I instead of an object that is being experienced.

Just as one can tidy up a room, a house or a city, one can tidy up the mind. It is just an object.

The impressions formed on the mind via undisciplined living can be erased by correct living. Impressions are formed via repetition. So the trick is simple, stop repeating that which makes it disordered, start repeating that which keeps it in order.

The repetitions can be of thoughts, speech and actions.

If there is already an awareness that this mind is disordered, then it should not be difficult to clean it up. If there is total darkness, total identification with the mind and its activities, then it is impossible to reprogram it.

497. How do I channel my spirit guides?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-08-01 19:26:43 SQ: 76

How do i channel my spirit guides?

Its best to take guidance from a living master. A Guru who lives nearby. More exotic ways are possible, but the knowledge is exactly the same. The essential knowledge is here and now, in this world, available from ordinary humans. Seek someone who is experienced, and speaks your language, so there are no communication issues, no ambiguity, no magic required.

A spirit guide is nothing but a disembodied mind, once it was a human. A very wise human. Anyhow, their guidance is ever present. Often new students do not recognize it, because it is in ordinary style, they expect some magic and therefore reject it.

They can guide us, simply because they are older, more experienced and know more. They know where everything is going, and how to not get stuck on the way. They can inform us that if we do not grow consciously, we may dissolve back into simplicity and get recycled again and again. Such minds often take up a lower body and appear in our world just to teach. Many of them work behind the curtains, and their teachings and guidance is available to all those who have a strong desire to know and improve. It appears in the mind directly, as an idea, an inspiration, as insights, and it can appear in the world, as a guru, a friend, as a coincidence. We can grow faster, and avoid mistakes, pains and suffering, if we seek guidance from those who are higher and knowledgeable.

Just make a strong intention to learn, and ask. However, there are no miracles, you will always get exactly that which you need in order to grow. Know well that the guides are not there to please you or to bring heavenly experiences of some kind. It can get uncomfortable also, as most of the progress involves letting go, not accumulating more.

[Gift 1: The Guru Field  
](https://pexp.podbean.com/e/the-guru-field/)  
 Gift 2: Gurulogy

498. How can I dissolve my ego naturally?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-08-01 21:26:03 SQ: 76

How do i disolve my ego naturally

Ego is the idea or assumption that I am a separate individual. This is the root of all ignorance. All you need to do is, destroy this ignorance, the normal functioning of the Ego may continue. It will all happen on the peaceful background of awareness rather than the miserable darkness of suffering. It will be seen as just another illusion. A product of the mind, merely a thought.

It need not disappear. It is necessary for survival as a human. It won't be there after death, like in deep sleep. Realize your essence, that is all is needed.

Just realize that there is no separation. The experiencer is the experience. There is unity, its nondual.

That will make the suffering disappear. Non duality is freedom from suffering, the mind body may keep working as it does naturally and blissfully.

One of the functions of the mind is formation of an identity. The processes and actions happen, and then one another process creates an owner of those actions. This is the I, or the person. A person is an idea in the mind. However, there is an ignorance in the mind that it is nothing but a person. Liberation is realizing that I am not a person, I am the one who is witnessing the process of identity, I am pure consciousness, the Self.

Yet another function of the mind is survival - the continuation, protection, maintenance and procreation of the bodies. This happens through a variety of processes, we can collectively call them as Ego. Ego is the lower or primitive part of the mind which is responsible for a bodily existence. Without Ego the body cannot be sustained for long. Starting from eating to fighting world wars is all motivated by the Ego. However, it can grow beyond a healthy size and these processes can take over whole of the life of a man. Ego is only a tiny part of what we are.

Once we see that it is essentially nothing but some processes to keep us here in the world, we let it function as necessary, and when the job of survival is over, we let go of the Egoic tendencies. We abide in the peace of the mind, happiness, which is its natural state.

 Gift 1: Ego and its tendencies

499. What is beyond the Self?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-08-01 23:06:08 SQ: 76

What is beyond the self, oneness, the i am?

Self itself is oneness. I am the Self. Beyond the Self is the Self itself. Before the Self is Self.

The illusion is Self. The real is Self. It is all there is. It is defined as that which is.

What can be more fundamental than the most fundamental?

What can be the ground of that which is by definition a ground of everything?

Know this as your own experience.

If there is a thing X beyond the Self, then it must be established. We must get an evidence for it. It cannot be a theory, an assumption, a blind belief. It has to be witnessed. And if it is witnessed, what is witnessing this thing beyond the Self? The Self itself. X will be seen as an object from the point of view of the Self, and so it cannot be beyond it.

The Self cannot be seen as an object from the point of view of X. If X is witnessing the Self as something lower, something separate, a part of it, then the X itself is the Self. It is the witness now, and hence the X is again the Self.

Introspect and see that there cannot be any beyond or above or prior. All these concepts are imagination of the mind. The ultimate is right here, right now. This Self that you are.

 Gift 1: The Ultimate Truth

500. Is it possible that experiencing can stop?

Self Enquiry 1.0.0 2019-08-03 21:48:14 SQ: 73

Is it possible that experiencing can stop?

If something stops or disappears, it must be witnessed. That means it has to be experienced as stopping so that it can be established with certainty.

Same for something starting. The two states - before and after must be directly observed in order to establish its truth.

If that something is experiencing itself, then its disappearance must be experienced. The two events of it being present and then being absent, must be seen. If this stopping is experienced, then the experiencing is still there. If experiencing stops, what knows this? If it starts again, what knows this?

And if the starting and stopping is indeed known, then the knower is present, it is already experiencing it. And if it is being experienced, then it never stopped, or never started.

So here is a self referential situation. Whenever something refers to itself, logic fails. We can only conclude that it is impossible to know it. Or we can say that the actions - start and stop - does not apply to experiencing, it applies to objects or appearances. The experiencing is of starting and stopping of an appearance. The experiencing is not an appearance, hence it is meaningless to use these words with it.

If something stops or starts, it is a change. All change is registered as experience. If experiencing changed, then it cannot become an experience, since it is experiencing itself that registers a change. All change happens in time. However time itself is an experience. So a change in experiencing cannot happen as an experience in time. Our direct experience is that the experiencing just is, we never see it start or stop. And if there is a claim that it stopped, it is merely imagination, an assumption. If it were a direct experience, one would experience the stopping of experiencing, and then this experience is experiencing itself.

This has an important implication that, the consciousness is never absent. It never comes or goes, it never changes states. It is absolute. All that changes, comes and goes, are experiences. In simple words, consciousness is eternal and timeless. That is what I am.

###
About the author

Tarun Pradhaan is a seeker. These are his humble attempts to share what he has found so far.

Pune

April 2018

Resources

 Self Enquiry App

Self Enquiry Web App

Self Enquiry Forum

Pure Experiences Blog

Audio Podcasts

Twitter

 Youtube

 Hindi Videos

Email : tarun.pradhaan@gmail.com

More Free Ebooks: Author's Page at Smashwords

###
