It Must Be Direct Experience - 21th November 2016

So if the hearing of satsang is important, it is a million times more important to contemplate that which has been spoken. And a million times more important than even that is to have the direct experience of what is being shared. If it is only being heard and it is not recognized as our direct experience, then we can go on like this for thousands of lifetimes over and over, but that freedom, that Mukti which we are looking for, will still be elusive.

So first we have to stop being in denial about where we are. If you're still attached to things in this realm, if you still find that these are real and meaningful, then we must stop fooling ourselves. We must admit that this is where I am, and we must contemplate on what here is actually lasting. Which outer object will last forever, is eternal? How long will this body last? These thoughts, these ideas, beliefs—you must be able to see by now that they are fleeting. All of this is fleeting; it is coming and going. And if you know that it is going, then is it not foolishness to be attached to these?

We must be able to distinguish the real from the unreal. What is real? That which is eternal, that which is found to be permanent, unchanging. What is unreal? That which changes; it comes and goes and therefore is inherently unreliable. So if we continue to be attached to that which is inherently unreliable, what will be our fate? There's too much attachment to objects of desire, too much attachment to this body, too much attachment to our ideas, our individuality. And unless we are able to throw them away in the dustbin, we can keep fooling ourselves that we are doing Advaita, but actually we are not getting anywhere at all.

And it is about time that we stop fooling ourselves as we are undertaking this inner journey. If you keep holding on to these outer appearances, it will become one big tug-of-war and it will seem like it is dragging on forever. Therefore, whatever it takes, first come to this clarity about what is real and what is unreal. See the world for what it is. See this body for what it is. See your thoughts for what they are. Look at the functioning of your intellect. Find out if any of this will last. How long will you be this person? What is the duration of this play, and how long will you play even with this identity of being an Advaita seeker? Let go of all the meaning that you have given to things in this world, then let's talk about the reality of who you are.