Maharaji: Zero: The Infinite In You, Warsaw Poland 21/22 July 2008
This speech starts out sounding measured and rational, as much as Maharaji manages measured and rational. There are mostly very long pauses with a few fast parts.
Maharaji introduces the problem his minions have never solved, the huge early drop-out rate: "They will listen to the message, and they'll enjoy it, and they'll receive Knowledge and then it's like, "Okay, you know, GONE, but it's, it's, it's the practise and participation that really allows people to link." So now he's decided that new premies have no service to do so that is making them become Manmats. "It's going to require a lot of strategic planning throughout all the United States" to work out how to get service for the new premies. Is he just giving them make-work? There's so few people receiving Knowledge, the drop-out rate hardly matters
Maharaji in Warsaw Poland 21/22 July 2008
Zero: The Infinite In You
But what do you think is a reality is also a dream. Because one day one day all this will not be there But the soul. Your essence will come back. My essence cannot be cannot be separated from the essence of the infinite. This is where in me resides the infinite. This is finite. And what inside this finite shell lives, is infinite. about God, about salvation, about heaven, about all these things. Don't they only exist because of one reason? And they only exist because of one reason and that one reason is, that people haven't felt it. This (points to forehead with other finger).is programmed There were concepts of beauty before there were pictures These ideas have been put in your head. - unlike the ideas Rawat is trying to put in their heads
How far does this go? This makes up a god. That's going pretty far. So Rawat is going pretty far as he makes up his God
So finally I finally after many many years we're having this event in Poland and the subject as always is the understanding of the true self. For many people, this idea of the true self is very alien because we see what we see. We perceive what we perceive and we think this is it. This is who I am. This is what I look like. This is my name. This is my job. This is my family. And the sum of all those things we think constitutes us. But there's always been a different thought. That all this you see, all this is that you are surrounded by is not you and people get confused. How can this not be it? It goes back to that one word, reality. What is reality? All this or something else. Now talking about reality I will tell you a story. Now most of you have heard it. Some of you might not have heard it. And it's a story that can cause you to reflect, to think.
Once upon a time. Of course. This is an Indian story. (laughter) So once upon a time, long time ago, so all the stories have to begin. And the point of all stories beginning with this long time ago is so that the story is removed from us. So we can look at it. We can enjoy it and not have to get too caught up in it. Except the nature of this story is such that it is there to inspire you to think. So anyways long time ago there was this king and he was a powerful king He was wealthy. He was honoured. People liked him and he was wise and he was generous and he cared for the people. One day when he was sleeping. He had this dream. And this dream was very intense. Very real. And in this dream, he dreams that he loses the war. And because he has lost, the enemy comes to his palace, to take him prisoner and he has to run and he runs into the jungle, into the forest. And he's tired and he's hungry and he's running and he's running and he's running and he's running and it's wet and it's cold and he comes across a little cottage. A little hut and goes in. This old lady and this old lady he asks her "Can you please give me something to eat? I'm hungry." And she says" I have nothing to give you except here's some lentils, here's some rice. Then maybe you can make yourself something."
So the king accepts that, goes in further into the jungle. Tries to collect some twigs to light a fire. The twigs are all wet. It's all raining. Cold. He's trying and the smoke is getting in his eyes, it's very unpleasant. Finally he gets a fire going and he cooks his rice and lentils. And when they are ready. It is too hot to eat. So he puts them on a big leaf to cool down. Just then 2 bulls come fighting and take what he has made and put on a leaf to cool, mash it into the ground. And this is too much for the king and he begins to weep. Because on one moment there he wa,s all his life he had been a good king. He was wise. He was generous. And what had drawn this fate upon him to lose? And not only to lose, but to put him in such humiliating circumstances where he doesn't even have even a little bit to eat. So he begins to weep. But when he begins to weep the the dream is so real that he actually begins to weep. And this wakes him up.
Then he looks and where does he find himself? A beautiful bed. Cover is velvet. Beautiful embroidered curtains. Gold bed. Beautifully decorated ceiling. Guards. Everything. And the king wakes up and he cannot believe it. Next day he goes to his court and he makes an announcement. And he says I have this dilemma. And the dilemma he explains his dream. And whoever can explain, whoever can answer my question. I will give them my kingdom. And the question is, what is real? The dream I had was, that the reality and this is the dream. Or this is the reality. And that was a dream. Which one? So many people come. King, "That was just a dream. This is really the reality. You're the king. You are this. You are. He's not satisfied.
Then the Master of the time comes and there he says "King, both a dream. What you dreamt was a dream. But what you think is a reality is also a dream. Because one day, one day, all this will not be there. So what will be there? And today as we live in this world, as we exist in this world, as we function in this world. What really exists?
There are issues. Everybody is surrounded by issues. Good issues. Bad issues. Good news. Bad news. You have been promoted. You have been fired. You have just bought a new car. You have just lost a new car. Today you are young and you look and the same self. will look at the mirror and say "today you are old." Remember this. It was you. The same self looked in the mirror and said "I am so young." The same self looked in the mirror and said "I look good." The same self is going to look in the mirror and proclaim "I'm getting old." Same self is going to look in the mirror and say "I used to be young." Same mirror. Mirror is mirror. Same self. So are you not curious, what is this self. Are you not curious to understand your true nature? Are you not curious to understand, what is this realm of existence?
People talk about liberation and I wonder what liberation? This body comes from dust. This is what it came from. These simple elements and it will go back to these elements and it'll be reused again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again. And then they go. But the soul. Your essence will come back. My essence cannot be cannot be separated from the essence of the infinite. It's one and the same. This is where in me resides the infinite. This is finite. And what inside this finite shell lives, is infinite. So liberation from what?
Some people say you don't want to come back as a donkey. One time in India I was going to go from Delhi to this place to do an event. And I was going to go in the helicopter. I went to start the helicopter. The helicopter was broken. It wouldn't start. I said "We're not going in the helicopter. Fix it." Mechanics are going at it. Time is going to tick tick tick tick. It got to a point. I said "Okay, this is it. I've got to go to the event, helicopter or no helicopter. Let's drive."So there we are, in the car and I'm sitting in the back and we're driving and you know it's like come on come on. We got to go rush rush rush" and I'm sitting there "Oh my God you know are we going to make it in time, are we going to make it in time?" and I am worried and I see a donkey and he is on his back, legs up in the air and he's rolling and he is having the best time of his life. In that minute I said to myself "You know what? Right now this donkey is better off than you." Sadness and joy cannot be measured like that. What do we think is only attainable by human beings? The joy? No, no. This is also attainable by donkey. This is also attainable by a dog. It's different. It's different but joy is felt by also a dog. I can tell you this. I know. I have witnessed it. Sadness too.


But the real joy. The real joy resides in feeling and understanding that infinite that resides inside of you. That's the part of you that will not age. That is the part of you that will not get old. That is the part of you that is the reality. Away from all the bondage of ideas and concepts. Away from the chains that take a person and make that person a prisoner. The very ideas that these will set you free, this is what freedom means, are the very things that imprison you. But when you have the possibility of being able to go inside, when you have the possibility of being able to understand, when you have the possibility to feel, that that is simple by its very nature. Complete by its very nature. Real by it's very nature. Infinite by its very nature. And ???? of joy by its very nature. Complete by its very nature. Total by its very nature. Away from doubt by its very nature Understandable. Ha ha. Understandable by its very nature. No interpretation is required. In this world, people sit there and they interpret.
"Let me explain to you what this means. Let me explain to you what liberation is. Let me explain to you what salvation is. Let me explain to you what enlightenment is. Let me explain to you all these things." Imagine somebody comes to you and say let me explain to you what water is. What would you do? What would you do? Somebody says let me explain to you what water is. What would you do? Now come on, be real. This is not a quiz. What would you do? Now I know people are thinking "How should I answer this question? Should I say okay? Explain to me what water is." Or some people are thinking but not saying it "I don't need an explanation. I know what water is. I've drunk it before." How many of you could go? "I know what water is. I've had it." Not because somebody already told me a definition of what it is. No, no, no. Not defining. I know what water is because I have tasted and I have drunk it. I have bathed in it. I have jumped in it. It would be equivalent to try to teach a fish how to swim. Do you need to teach a fish how to swim? Do you? Why not? Because this the fish knows by its very nature.
Not necessary. They have aquariums. You know where they have the whales. The killer whales and they have to teach them to do tricks. This they have to, fetch the ball. Fly out on command. Jump back down. This, they have to teach them. But swimming. They do not. This they know. You do not have to teach a dog how to bark. This they know. You can teach them not to bark. This you will have to teach them. Don't bark. But to bark. You don't. So I ask you, of the millions of explanations about God, about salvation, about heaven, about all these things. Don't they only exist because of one reason? And they only exist because of one reason and that one reason is, that people haven't felt it. Now once you feel it, do you need an explanation? You don't. Knowledge is not about explanation. Knowledge is feeling. Go inside and feel it. Not what? But feel it. Simple of course. Bringer of joy. Of course. Like I said before, this is its very nature. And that's all you need to do.
Some people go "I feel nothing." Who says you don't feel anything? (points to forehead) This. If it says "I don't feel anything. It is correct. (laughter) 100% correct. Because it's not supposed to. How can it? This (points to forehead with other finger) is programmed. It's programmed. Now, right now, if you were in your room and you were naked, completely naked., and somebody walked in. What would you do? Besides screaming and whatever. What would you do? If you had a towel, if you had a sheet, you would try to cover. You think this is natural? It's completely programmed. Once upon a time you would just, you could be completely naked. You just look up as who it was and if he had a toy or not. That's all. Quizzing. Do you know how many things are programmed in here? Do you have any idea? Do you have any idea? Today you look at a girl. You look at a person. Oh beautiful. You think that's natural? There was a time these specifications of what constitutes beautiful were not placed inside of your head. The world has brought this about giving you picture after picture after picture after picture after picture and said this is beautiful. This is beautiful. This is beautiful. This is beautiful. And you go "This is beautiful. This is beautiful. This is beautiful."
I'm just talking to the people who think they are free. You're not. These ideas have been put in your head. And your world, what constitutes your world keeps changing. Keeps changing. Keeps changing. You know the first thing about getting old is not grey hair. Its alienation from the programmed world that you have in here. What do I mean by that? You see somebody wearing clothes that you're not familiar with. Cut off their jeans. Purposely put holes in their jeans, wear their pants about two inches above the knee. Alienation from your known world. Because once there were people who were pointing to you. But you were young. You, to you this was, whatever your world was, was normal. As you have gotten older, another generation has come in and now what that generation does feels alienating to your programmed world here. You look at it and go "Look at those people." That is the sign of getting old. (applause) You have moved up a whole generation.


So how can something, which only works because it is programmed, understand that which has never been programmed. Cannot be programmed. Cannot even be inputted. Cannot be explained.
There are Catholics in this world. There are Jews in this world. There are Hindus in this world. And you know when I was growing up I grew up in a Hindu household and everything we did was normal. Its like, its like, its normal. This is what you do. And then as I started going to school, the first one, the kindergarten I went to was St Mary's convent. There you see the church. Never seen the church before. You see the church. You see the pews. You see people going in singing. That was all not normal. But to a Catholic who's grown up in that, that's completely normal. All we are, are travellers from different households and as we meet on the street of life, we comment about our differences. You are like this. You are like that. You do this. You do that. That's it. One saint said "As far as this can go. Consider it all an illusion." Whew. That's heavy. That's intense. As far as this can go. Consider it an illusion.
How far does this go? This makes up a god. That's going pretty far. The real one never. It makes one up. How? How? Cannot think beyond its scope. We think, you know, mine is huge. It's okay. It's not that big because the God this creates. it's just like you. Can't imagine one that's not like you. Eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair and age is the God. Because God has been around for a long time. Must be old. How does timeless become old? But this is, it's doing. Kabir says that "Man takes the rock. Man takes the rock and chisels it. And when the sculptor chooses the rock, he puts his foot on it to stabilise it as he chisels it. And nobody says anything. And when the rock is finished being sculpted. If somebody was to do the same thing, people would scream "Oh my God. How can you do that? You are. You're defiling my god." But Kabir says "But the sculpture does it every day. So, how do you know when you go inside? How do you know? How do you know that you are feeling that beauty. For this there is only one instrument and this is your heart. The other day I heard something very beautiful. I have to check if it's true. I've heard it before, so I'm pretty sure it's true. But it doesn't matter. Even if it wasn't true. It's pretty good. The ancient Egyptians. This is how they imagined it. That after you die and finally, you go through all these things and then finally all these tests and then finally when you get to the final place, you will be asked two questions. And you have to know how to make it through all these other tests. And if you do, fine. But then when you get to the final place, you will be asked two questions and the questions are, did you find that joy within you or not? And the second one is, did you help bring joy to the others? (applause) And if you say yes to both, you will be let into heaven. So I know they were wrong. You can see now they were wrong, because the you know the pharaoh who was supposed to ascend to heaven, he's still there in the Cairo museum. Missed the bus, big time. But in such a culture, to hold these two things dear, this is what is so beautiful. Did you find the joy? And did you help bring the joy to others? If you this, did these two, you may now finally enter heaven. That to me is exceptionally beautiful to place this above everything.
The kingdoms. They did not have cell phones. They did not have cars. Life probably wasn't particularly pleasant. Work. Didn't really have Saturdays, Sundays, concept of holidays. You did what you did. You believed. you trusted. Make make it happen every day. Make that effort every day. And in their philosophy, in their imagination, in their culture a place above it all, heaven, and how do you get there? This to be viewed ultimately as the reason for existence. Did you find your joy? And if you did, did you help others? To find that joy. That to me, when I first heard it. It was like so profound because it is very much at the root of Knowledge. Find the joy and help others find it as well. I don't know if there is an Egyptian heaven. (laughter) But if there is at least you'll be able to say yes to both. (applause)
Look within that beautiful Knowledge. So simple. Go inside and appreciate and know that your heart is full and full of what? Joy. That you have found the unwavering joy. The joy that can be there for you for the rest of your life. Simple. Parents think watching their child. Little baby. "Oh that baby brings me so much joy." Yes, it will always not be so. It will always not be so. It's nothing wrong with that. Nothing good. Nothing bad. This is how it is. You buy a new car. You think this will bring you joy? Week. Two weeks. Three weeks. After a little while it will not be so. This is the nature. This is the nature of all this. The nature of the one, of that one thing that resides inside of you, completely the opposite. Whenever you turn within, good times, bad times, whatever. It fills you with joy. It fills you with clarity. It's fills you with simplicity. That's it. I didn't even have to speak for as long as I have spoken for. All I needed to do was really say those two things were the Egyptians believe it. The crux of it. Truly. Did you find it? If you have Knowledge, youy're the closest. Practise. Enjoy.
And let your heart be filled with joy. Not interruptions. Not doubt. Not questions, but joy. Me. That thirsty person who has found the beautiful crystal clear waters. No hesitation. Jump in. Be cleansed. Washed. Drink and quench your thirst. No more. No less. No philosophy. No ideas. No book to recite. No book to recite. No tree to sit under. No contortions to go through. Somebody asked my father once "What is Samad?" Samadhi is supposed to be the ultimate state of being. It's like you get your doctor's degree. (laughter) So remember. And I mentioned this in Scotland too. I remember driving and I was listening to this. I almost had to pull over because what he said was too much. Too much. And stayed on growing up Samadhi. Samadhi's like the ultimate ultimate state. Everybody talks about it. How incredible this is it. This is it. This is it. Samadhi. Samadhi. Samadhi. And then people tell you, you know, you try all your life and maybe someday you'll get there. Yes, this is what Buddha did. This is what this person did. This is what this person did. This is what Shiva did that. So. I'm interested. And he says "Samadhi. is the state of being just like being asleep. But you are not asleep." So this was not the reason why I needed to pull over.
The reason why I needed to pull over was because I felt that without having to sit under a tree, without chastity without austerity, without the billion this and a billion that and the da da da dot. By the kindness of the Master. The Master used me a knowledge which allows me to feel that whenever I sit down to practise. This gift of knowledge. Can it be simpler? Just like sleep but not asleep. Flee awake. Those feels like you're asleep. That's the difference, when you're asleep you don't know you're asleep and people say that "Oh Maharaji I fall asleep" and some people might. There are people who do. There's somebody I know is very close to me. He every time I'm talking he falls asleep. (laughter) Don't take him long and I was saying that at dinner. I said "What is it?" Because he sits there and he goes like this and then he wakes up and goes. (shakes head) The Indian way of Indian way of saying I'm enjoying it and doing this and (inaudible) Being in that state. Lot of people have their ideas. Lot of people have their concepts of what the experience of Knowledge should be. I have a very simple solution to our explanation for this.
Do you know what zero is? Do you have any idea what Zero is? Once upon a time Zero did not exist. Zero was invented in India. Mathematically they had to try to explain this thing that was everywhere. Mathematically you have to try to explain this thing that was in every molecule. It could not be deducted. Could not be subtracted. Could not be added. Could not be divided. Could not be multiplied. They had to mathematically come up with an explanation of the infinite and they did and they called it Zero (they called it Shunya) and this did not exist in the West because everything had to begin with a one. And aren't you glad that Indians came up with the idea of zero Okay, what is zero to people? Nothing. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is culturally misinterpreted because in the West they looked at zero and they said that's nothing. Not to the Indians. The explanation was everything from which nothing can be subtracted to which nothing can be added to which nothing can be divided to which nothing can be multiplied. It couldn't do anything to it. If you added a 1 to it, it transparently disappeared into the 1 and 1 stayed intact and nothing happens. Amazing. The explanation of what zero is. This is the part that runs through you, that infinite runs through here. To this, it will always be a zero, To this, it is everything. 1 is destructible because you can divide it. You can multiply it. You can do things to it. Try doing that to a zero. It does not lend itself into that personality and I can, I mean, I'm sure this Ewel is here, he could probably explain to you all night long. He's really good with math. He could probably explain to you all night long what zero really is. But I know I was doing that today on my I on my calculator and it kept coming up error error error error. Cannot be fathomed by this but by this of course. So feel that, understand that, most importantly enjoy, understand and uh let that joy come into your heart.
So thank you very much and good night.