Surrender to Get the Bliss

Nescience - ignorance

From a satsang by Gautam Baiji ~

At the lotus feet of God, there is no desire.

Devotion needs surrender. If you surrender there, you will get what you want.

Only when the seed is fully absorbed in the soil will the plant grow. One day, when it becomes a big tree, it gives us fruit and shade and beauty.

The same thing with sugar. It needs to dissolve into the water, or the water cannot be sweet.

In the same way, if our mind is not merging with the holy power, with consciousness, with the divine power (which is such a blessed truth), how can we get bliss in our life?


Everyone wants that peace, but few people will surrender to get it.

Everyone wants electricity, no one wants to pay the bill. What happens? Try it. Once or twice not paying, they turn it off.

The same thing with us: if the mind doesn't merge with the Divine Energy, which is absolute truth, consciousness and bliss, this bliss cannot permeate our lives. We are waiting, waiting, waiting.

The reason: desire comes in front of that. Expectations come, and we give them all attention.

The Story of the Two Babies in the Womb

In a mother’s womb were two babies.  The first baby asked the other:  “Do you believe in life after delivery?”

The second baby replied, “Why, of course. There has to be something after delivery.  Maybe we are here to prepare ourselves for what we will be later.”

“Nonsense,” said the first. “There is no life after delivery.  What would that life be?”

“I don’t know, but there will be more light than here.  Maybe we will walk with our legs and eat from our mouths.”

The doubting baby laughed. “This is absurd!  Walking is impossible.  And eat with our mouths?  Ridiculous.  The umbilical cord supplies nutrition.  Life after delivery is to be excluded.  The umbilical cord is too short.”

The second baby held his ground. “I think there is something and maybe it’s different than it is here.”

The first baby replied, “No one has ever come back from there.  Delivery is the end of life, and in the after-delivery it is nothing but darkness and anxiety and it takes us nowhere.”

“Well, I don’t know,” said the twin, “but certainly we will see mother and she will take care of us.”

“Mother?” The first baby guffawed. “You believe in mother?  Where is she now?” 

The second baby calmly and patiently tried to explain. “She is all around us.  It is in her that we live. Without her there would not be this world.”

“Ha. I don’t see her, so it’s only logical that she doesn’t exist.”  

To which the other replied, “Sometimes when you’re in silence you can hear her, you can perceive her.  I believe there is a reality after delivery and we are here to prepare ourselves for that reality when it comes….”

~ Wayne Dyer attributed the original story to Henri J. W. Nouwen. However, it appears that all “mini-versions” have been adapted from the writings of Pablo Molinero. 

Tolerance - Now More Than Ever

Excerpts from a talk by Manubhai Patel ~

"Good afternoon everyone. Are you all getting ready for the big change next week? (a new president)

A few days ago, the baijis and I were talking about the new challenges I have in my own life, and the subject came up, how do I do what I have to face?

The answer was: tolerance.

I have learned tolerance from a very young age. Perhaps it's a part of my nature, of being shy and avoiding confrontation. But it has paid dividends.

Tolerance - a fair, objective, and permissive attitude toward those whose opinions, beliefs, practices, racial or ethnic, origins, etc. differ from one's own; capacity to endure pain or hardship; test of endurance, fortitude and stamina. This includes hardship and pain that comes from mother nature and events not in our control. 

There was a family who endured the Katrina disaster that is still in my memory. They asked the lady of the house, 'How do you feel? How do you cope with all of this?'

She said, 'We lost everything. But we did salvage a few things: our parents, our children. Some important documents and family photographs.' So you can see the value they placed on these things, as opposed to mourning what they had lost.

She also said they have an enormous peace and gratitude for the things that have come to them. This showed a great tolerance for hardship. This brought them strength, not weakness. They could have been angry, resentful, blaming everything on outside forces and suffering more. That was touching to me.

The practice of tolerance for the next four years will be important in the wake of the most contentious election campaign in modern history.

With seemingly every news article signalling a change from the status quo, tolerance will be coming up all the time. 

Helen Keller said: "The highest result of education is tolerance."

Timothy Keller said: "Tolerance isn't about not having beliefs. It's about how your beliefs lead you to tread people who disagree with you."

Gandhi was an excellent example of one who practiced tolerance when confronted with evil and injustice."

He said:

 and

The Boy and the Inheritance

From a satsang by Gautam Baiji ~

Once we realize the value of things, we give them their proper respect.

What is the value of family? Once you know that, then you start tolerating things. Sometimes kids tell you things you don't like. What do you do? You don't kick them out of the house. You tolerate it because you know the kids don't have that kind of understanding yet.

Once they reach a level where they can understand, then we can tell them. In the meantime, what do you do? You stay patient.

This power to tolerate comes from within - meditation gives you the power. Once you start doing meditation, you know what something is worth.

So when someone is not acting appropriately, it  becomes our duty to help them understand.

A true guru will say, "I am the servant of the ignorant people."

But know that if you directly say to someone, "Oh, you are wasting your time," what happens? What will the person do?

He will speak angrily with you. Why? Because he might think that this is his devotion, even though you can clearly see his actions are counterproductive.

Once there was a man who had accumulated a lot of gold objects when he passed away. His son inherited a heavy box of valuables and took it to his uncle.

"Can you sell this Uncle? I need the money."

The uncle looked at the items and quickly saw that some were real and some were fake. He wouldn't get the money he thought he could get.

But he knew if he told the boy this, he would think he was lying and trying to make money for himself by selling them later.

Instead, he said, "If you really need money, come work for me. I will teach you the business. In the future, when you really need money, then you can sell them for cash. But for now I will pay you enough money to live on."

So the boy came to work for him and every day the uncle taught him how to tell what real gold is, what a real diamond looks like, and slowly the boy learned.

Finally, when the uncle thought he could recognize what's real and what's not, he said, "Go get your box of valuables. Gold is getting a good price now, so you can sell yours for a good profit."

When the boy opened the box and examined the pieces, he finally saw what his uncle had seen. More than half of the coins and valuables were fake.

"Most of these are worthless!" the boy said.

"I knew that, but I felt you had to realize it for yourself, so I taught you."

"Good teachers are those who tell you where to look, but not what to see."

Perspective is Ours to Create

From a satsang by Gautam Baiji:

A woman got married and then moved to the Mohave desert with her husband.

She didn't like the place at all.

She got very bored and decided to write a letter to her father.

"Dad, I don't want to live here. This place is like hell. If you want to know the heat: it's 125 degrees in the shade. Even the wind is hot. And all you see is desert, desert, desert.

"I don't want to stay even another minute here," she wrote. "I'm leaving him and coming back."

After several days, she got a response from her father. It was just two lines:

"Two men looked out from prison bars. One saw mud, and the other saw stars."

With this bit of wisdom, she quickly realized she had only been listening to her mind and not her heart.

After that, she started making friends with the natives and found much to love about her new home.

The desert didn't change. Her attitude did.

Find the Clouds with Angels

Find the Clouds with Angels

The mind can't make you doubt;

it can only invite you to doubt.

The mind can’t make you worry;

it can only invite you to worry.

The mind can’t make you suffer;

it can only invite you to suffer.

These thoughts are like clouds;

even dark and rainy ones.

We (The Sky) notice their passing

And may focus on any

So why would we ever choose

wretched gray over fluffy white?

Perhaps because we sleep in limbo for many hours of the day

Thereby letting the mind live our life while we slumber

Then, it's free to focus on thoughts We wouldn’t choose

And cause our mouths to say things We wouldn’t say

It’s the master and we’re the servant

Until we grab the reins, we will only get the rains

Wake up soon

Or you may not recognize

the life

Your mind has built for You

Winter Solstice is Here

The Winter Solstice was Wednesday, December 21st.

It’s the shortest day, and the longest night.

Just as we’re affected by the changing of the seasons, the Earth’s tilt at this time of year signals a time of withdrawal and renewal; of hibernation and rejuvenation.

Solstice can be a magical, contemplative time—a night of spiritual reconnection and ritual. While solstice may not have gained the notoriety of Christmas, Hanukah, Diwali or Kwanza, many people celebrate it as a deeply meaningful holiday—a time to celebrate renewal, rebirth, and gratitude for the coming light.

One sage said, “Nature itself is inviting us to really accept ourselves, so we can grow and cleanse and prepare for personal growth.”

It can be a time of turning inward, a time of tuning into a deep sense of intuition—trusting your inner voice. Many people like to use the solstice as a time of deep meditation—to reflect on what has been and what will be.

Ancient cultures feared the light of the sun would not return unless they performed vigils and rituals on the solstice. Some refer to solstice as the rebirth of the sun—and not coincidentally Christmas celebrates the birth of the Son.

The pagans were early observers, followed by the Christians stole the winter solstice from the pagans, and capitalism stole it from the Christians. 

But like seeing a blanket of fresh snow, we feel anything is possible. 

The Businessman and the Mahatma - Satsang

A Mahatma-approved edit of a Gautam Baiji satsang:

Once there was a business traveler in a nice suit sitting in first class next to a Mahatma.

During the trip, the businessman noticed that when he asked for tea, the Mahatma also ordered tea.

He had a nice watch and noticed the Mahatma did as well.

His suit was made from the finest cloth, and he noticed the Mahatma's outfit was silk. It was orange, yes, but it was still made of nice silk.

He had questions forming in his mind, and as the plane was landing, he finally asked the Mahatma, "So what's the difference between you and me? We both are traveling in first class seats. We are both dressed wearing fine cloth. You were eating, I was eating. Everything is the same, so why do people follow you and listen to what you say? What's the difference between us?"

"Right now I am praying, so when I finish my prayer, I will give you the answer."

When they landed, they knew there would be a delay before their luggage would be ready, so the Mahatma said, "If you would like to get coffee at the cafe, I will answer your question in full."

He agreed, and they sat down and ordered coffee.

While the coffee was being served, they overheard two people nearby talking about missing luggage. The businessman asked them if it was for his plane, and they said yes, the airline lost their luggage and was trying to find it.

This news upset the businessman very much, but the Mahatma was calm.

"Aren't you upset?!" asked the businessman.

"It's okay, let's just enjoy our coffee."

"But that's my luggage!"

The businessman stood up and looked around angrily, like he wanted to strike out aggressively at something.

"It's mine too. I'm sure they'll find it. Please, sit, and let me answer your question."

"I can't sit, I need to do something."

"You're only stressing yourself out."

"Of course! I'm not a Mahatma like you!"

"That is the difference, and the answer to your question. The difference between you and me. We have the same things: you have the luggage, I have luggage, but I am not in that luggage. I have the luggage, but it does not have me. You have the attachment; I do not."

~

"Meeting a Mahatma or guru is different than talking to your friends.

When you are talking to your friends, they will always ask you about your health, your business, your family, and many other things.

But whenever you meet with any Mahatma, any saint, any guru, they will only want to know one thing: 'How is your meditation going?' 'Are you doing meditation, or not?' 'How much are you connected with the divine power?'"

~ Thank God for Mahatmas!

10 Yoga Poses You Should Do Every Day

Make Your Home a Heaven

After Kantidada spoke about health issues, Gautam Baiji gave satsang:

Kantidada reminds us that if we allow our bodies to collect bad things through what we eat, what happens?

The diseases start coming, like cancer.

The same thing with our mind when we start collecting negative things.

Those things don't bring us happiness! Why do we collect them?

Good things keep on giving. Bad things pollute.

Worries are a good example. They do nothing for us except bring us misery, yet we hold onto them.

'I don't know what will happen in this country!' Forget the country, and just do good in your own home. Make your home like a heaven and everything will change.

Garbage Attracts More Garbage

From a Gautam Baiji satsang:

"When the positive thoughts come into your mind, respect them.

When the negative thoughts come into your mind, don't keep them for long. Don't give them space.

Because once we give bad thoughts space, then other people will start dumping bad things there as well.

You can test this anywhere: go somewhere and throw some trash on the ground. Just some tissues or paper napkins.

You will see, after one hour, everyone will start throwing more trash there.

Why? Because people follow what others do, and what they see.

Someone in India bought the vacant lot next to their house. It didn't look nice for a long time, so neighbors threw their trash there. After a year the pile of garbage was almost as high as the house?

So what did they do to stop everyone from dumping garbage there?

They built a small temple, only about a foot tall, and placed it there.

People saw it and had reverence, and they stopped leaving garbage."

Aspire to purity. 

Open Hearts: Happy Diwali, Happy New Year, Seasons Greetings!

It seems people's hearts open more readily during the holidays.

Many say they wish people would act this way all year long, and that is an excellent goal.

We just weren't taught to come from our heart first.

The message of all the movies we watch give us this message: come from your heart! But we don't listen to that very well.

It's reflected in how we treat the least of us. When we solve world hunger and extreme poverty, then maybe we can claim victory of the mind.


So until then, keep sharing your flame!

We Are Not Our Body

Gautam Baiji did a satsang about not letting others' negative (or positive) words affect our inner peace:

"In our life, sometimes we are happy, sometimes sad. How does this happen?

Regardless of what happens, we should always be steady. Don't get depressed, and don't get too happy.

How can we maintain that?

If people say something bad about us, we feel bad. If they say something good, we feel good.

Try to practice being your true self. Know who you are.

Why do we feel sadness and happiness?

Because we think we are this body.

We don't know our real form. We should know we are just using this body as a vehicle.

The vehicle and the driver are not one. They are two. You will never say "I am the car." You will say, "Me and my car."

The car is mine; I am not it.
The body is mine; I am not it."

What We Leave at the Door

Gautam Baiji likes to say that when we enter the ashram, we need to "forget labels." 

Labels, meaning anything we attach to ourselves that gives shape to our identity that separates us from our True Self, our Divine Self.

Before God, we are not our profession, for instance, our any title or label we might attach to ourselves. 

There are other kinds of labels we should leave behind as well:

I remember reading years ago that when "We Are the World" was recorded with many great American musicians, the only requirement to participate was that they "must leave their egos at the door." 

Less distractions that way.

So there are things we can leave at the door - besides our shoes - that will enable the ashram to have the greatest effect. After all, that's why we came! 

Control the Breath, Control the Mind

I woke up this morning and sat down to meditate. I was in a little bit of a hurry, so I decided I would get right to "the good part."

So I said a few oms and proceeded to go to that state of being.

It started well. I started smiling a little...

But shortly after I'd begun, I realized I was in the middle of a thought. It was a good thought, but a thought nonetheless.

Realizing that, I let it go. After all, thoughts happen - it's a part of meditation.

Then another thought came which I found myself engaging with. My mind is active this morning! It took a few moments to disentangle myself from it, and then I entered back into meditation.

Then another and another came, all quite vibrant and with more frequency than normal. What was going on? Why was I so distractible this morning?

I realized the problem: I had skipped the deep breathing part of my meditation.

"Control the breath, control the mind." I had forgotten the importance of this, and thought I could just rush through my practice.

All the little rituals we do in our practice have good reasons, which we sometimes forget. Meditating at the same time every day for consistency, chanting om, doing cleansing breathing exercises, deep breathing, counting to help elongate the breaths, etc., are all important parts of a solid meditation practice.

Even with deep breathing, thoughts will come, but they are more manageable and easier to let go, along with the emotions that are sometimes attached to them.

Enjoy your practice.

Spoken Words Are Free - Should We Take Them For Granted, or Value Them?

Satsang by Gautam Baiji

"As humans, it's our responsibility to help other people.

But you might say, "I don't have enough money to give to too many things."

You don't need that - you have your voice.

If you have a nice voice, you can sing and other people will feel good. 

You can also say good words to give peace to others. 

Some words are like medicine, and some words give warmth.

Saints say, "Remember the Holy Name." But Swami Vivekananda was asked why he always said that. 
In reply, he said a bad word.
Some people got mad. "How can you say this word? You are a saint!" 
He said, "Sorry." Immediately they calmed down. 
"I said one bad word and your temper quickly flares high, then I said 'sorry' and you are quickly calming down."

This is the power of words.

Our saints say, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

So what is that word? Words can bring happiness, and words can bring sorrow and pain.

But we don't give them much value because they are free. Free things are not much valued by us. We don't see the value behind the gift.

Maybe we can try to do that."

Who is Working Overtime to Separate Us From God?

There are many names for God: the Supreme, the Creator, Spirit, Krishna, Christ, Allah, Love, Shiva, the All, Om, etc. We tend to favor one or two that empower us to live the most spiritual life possible.

In fact, just thinking of the (nameless) Holy Name can instantly connect us to God and our own divinity (as do blessings like "Namaste - the Divine within me honors the Divine within you").

But what about the names for things that separate us from God? Isn't it just ego, or are there more? Can spiritual seekers avoid their traps?

Here are their most popular names:

Mind/Ego/I/Identity/Me*/self

These "God-separators" each show a different aspect how duality (us/them, feminine/masculine, follower/leader) keeps are distance from God. 

In reality there is no "split," but this illusion is so convincing, we allow it to occur many times a day (despite the fact that it's the cause of all suffering!). 

Take "Mind" (please!). Its distracting thoughts pop up frequently and tell us what reality supposedly is.  

Most of us weren't taught that we can control not only our thoughts but also our responses to them. Until we learn this, we just get pelted by these thoughts like a car in a hail storm, which leave large dents in our psyche as well. 

What kind of thoughts? Usually worries of imagined events in the future, or fears that painful events from the past will revisit us. Not healthy at all.

The problems can really pile up without a spiritual practice in place that includes yoga and meditation, both of which help us to stay out of the past and the future, right here in the present.

Being present it our truest state, but the Mind fights that by constantly trying to get us to forget who we truly are (Divine) so we will only take care of it (the Mind), usually through the senses. 

It's consistently successful at getting this kind of care because most of us don't know we are not our thoughts. (We are the ones noticing the thoughts.)

Identity is also a strong God-separator by creating a convincing (phony) beingness that makes being separate from God a plausible reality. With such vivid colors, no less, like painful (or pleasurable) memories of past experiences; the temptation to dwell in the emotional meaning we give those experiences (which affects how we react to life moving forward); our societal conditioning; the story of Me, and who I think I am. 

Identity appears as a consistent phenomenon, and that sameness gives us a comfort we're unwilling to give up, at least without great motivation. 

It's very popular to refer to all of this as Ego because it feels detached; scientific even. Here, it's handy to use what Gautam Baiji teaches, that the ego is a tool which can only be dangerous when handled improperly, much like how fire is very useful for cooking, but you wouldn't want to turn your back on it for long. 

Finally, when one refers to their self, they may wish to pause and ask, "Am I addressing the little self who lives inside me, or the Self?" It's easy to see that we default to our ego-mind-self. We can reverse by entering into an inquiry every now and then to re-member Who We Are again and put the Self back in control (which causes the little self to disappear). 

That is, until we're distracted again. But the back-and-forth is part of our spiritual journey.

*They all have capitals because they are always straining for importance or significance. This is their attempt to replicate the true Self to attempt to fool us, but in the end they are all imposters. 

**One of the mind's greatest distractions (for people on a spiritual path) is the desire to accumulate more spiritual information at the expense of simply experiencing our True Self, or having self-realization. Sri Mooji says, "It cannot be learned, it can only be recognized in ourselves," and yet we frequently find ourselves pursuing more information for "answers." This is one of the mind's final tricks to delay our re-membering/oneness. (Another mind diversion: telling us we are "too tired" or sleepy as we start to meditate, causing us to stop.) 

***Which is ironically like focussing on the dot in the middle of the blank page, while ignoring the vastness of the white paper and who we really are.