08 Apr 2019

Good morning dear friends. 🙏

Consciousness refers to the state of being awake. It is a state like health, even the sickest person is little healthy
otherwise it would die. Similarly all matter is also a little conscious, otherwise it would be out of reach of the soul, and
then Existence would not be a whole, a continuum. Consciousness is also directly related to freedom. Matter can only
exist, that is its only freedom, the minimum consciousness. But the consciousness can grow. The first thing that it can
know is its movement, when consciousness knows it is through awareness. The conscious matter begins to be aware,
of its movement. Consciousness you can say is the inner light, when you begin to see things in that light that is
awareness. They are two aspects of the same thing, the soul. Like the more and more conscious you become, the more
and more you become aware of your inner mechanism, your emotions, your thoughts, and your desires.

Like you used to be angry, very angry but you were never aware of it; now that you go a little deeper through
meditation and become more conscious, you become aware of your own anger, then the doubt arises, is meditation
making me more angry? No, meditation has only made you aware of your emotion, earlier you only used to be angry,
but never saw your anger at that very instant, and you never had a choice. So the only possibility was to go on
becoming more and more angry and grow unconsciously in that direction. But now once you become aware of your
anger, you should be grateful, at least you have a choice, at least you can take a decision. Do you really want to
continue being angry, once you have seen it for yourself, your own anger? You may become angry and even express it
on somebody or something, but your awareness will make you so repentant about it, that you will find not being angry
as a much better option. When you are less conscious, and you do not become aware of your own anger, you
unconsciously derive life on being angry, and so you want it more and more. I am sure some or the other neighbour,
will show this trait of growing in anger, fighting more every time for any _faltu_ issue, parking problem, garbage
collection etc.

In the world, everything is growing, your emotions, your thoughts, and your desires too. If consciousness is not
growing, then emotions, thoughts and desires will grow no doubt, they will be refined too but awareness will not be
there. Then it really doesn’t matter, even if the whole society reaches its zenith, it will be self-destructive, since
consciousness has not grown alongside, and awareness will be missing. See the conditions of the most advanced
nations today, they have touched the apex of human development possible but they have come to a dead end, UK is
struggling with Brexit, the US is caught with the likes of Trump and Spain, one of the biggest empires in recent times
is struggling to keep its political stability and the whole of Europe is infested with immigrant woes. Just like anger,
once you begin to exploit, without consciousness, you will go on exploiting more and more, it will sure make you
richer and advanced but you can only head towards a dead end.

Religion is doing everything that you are doing, only adding the element of consciousness and caring for its growth. A
little niche you will have to make for meditation and allow it to work and make your practice grow like nails, slowly
and steadily. The rest will take care of itself, which will also make your trust grow. Consciousness is nearness to the
soul.

Wish you all a meditative and celebrative day ahead. 🌻

09 Apr 2019
Good morning dear friends. 🙏

रे मन ऐसो कर सन्यासा |
O mind! This is how asceticism is practiced.

Such a beautiful way to begin. How to do _sanyasa_? How to renounce? There is no reference to why? It is certain
that you have to renounce, the only problem is how it is done. This _shabad_ is for the one who has decided to be a
_sanyasi_, for whom seeking the truth has become the top priority, the first and the foremost step has been taken, the
one who is not only thinking to leave everything and go to the Himalayas one day, but is ready right now, is already
stepping out of the house. And it is addressed – O mind! The focus is purely on the mind, the external does not matter;
it is just matter. So it is not addressed – O matter! O body! The body has not to be taken anywhere, it can remain at
home, in the workplace, in the market. The work has to be done with the mind, mind is not only the obstacle but it is
also the way. First you are attached with the body, then you begin to be attached with the mind and body both. As you
grow old, the beauty of the body begins to fade so detachment with the body makes sense but you cannot still detach
just like that, it will keep on holding you tight with all its side effects. The body does not matter but still it should
allow you to focus on the mind, if your body is continuously in pain, then tackling the mind is out of question. So
when the body is not so much of a problem for you, but the mind has definitely become a problem, then if you want to
seek liberation: _sanyasa_.

Wish you all a meditative and celebrative day ahead. 🌻

10 Apr 2019
Good morning dear friends. 🙏

बन से सदन सभै कर समझों, मन में माही उदासा |

Consider your house as the forest, and remain unattached within your mind.

The word उदासा has a very distinct connotation in _Sant_ parlance. It means detachment, withdrawing the senses from
external objects, _vairagya_. Seeking always begins that way, when you realise that something vital is missing in your
life, it is but natural that a kind of sadness will overtake you. You do not want to talk to anybody, you feel like being
alone, shut in a room or run away from everybody to the forest. The _Sants_ say that if you really feel that way, then
you are ready, and at that instant it is essential to know the right way. Let your house, rather your body be the forest.
Your body is your first house so in a way nobody is homeless, that is why God does not feel guilty about not
providing a second home to everyone. Although the masses and the politicians both think that house means a house, a
_makaan_, they have no idea of the body as a house. So the masses always have the desire to own a house, and the
politicians know how to exploit this basic desire, that’s how they make such a lovely couple always at loggerheads
with each other. God has already provided you a house and set you free, now what you do next is your wish, you want
to build a second home, a third mobile home, a fourth farmhouse and so on, is your freewill. But the _Sants_ have a
different understanding, they say your first house is enough, if you feel like going to the forest simply consider your
body as the forest, then there is no need to escape anywhere. You simply carry your forest wherever you go. Then you
can focus on your mind which dwells inside. The mind then needs to be trained, the उदासा has to be kept in the mind,
not outside. The senses in fact have to be directed in, that is what is called ‘प्रत्याहार’ in the _Ashtanga_ tradition. If you
have had enough of the world, up to the point of having attempted suicide, it means you have really experienced life
and found it futile, which actually it is. But since you have freewill you can go on deluding yourself, it is your
existential right. For you nobody else can be blamed, God has to be really clever in that sense to devise freewill to
keep himself free of any responsibility. It is clear that all your misery is entirely your own handiwork. But that is the
glory of being a human, your liberation is your handiwork too, that is the only way one day you will be able to see
yourself as the Supreme Being. So consider your body as the forest, and let your discovery about the futility of the
world take effect in your mind only. Neither is there need to run away to the forest, nor shut yourself in your room for
four days at a stretch seeking sympathy vote from others. Wear the best smile in your visage and shut yourself only for
an hour daily so that nobody can detect, that way at least they will not feel offended. That is how _sanyasa_ is done.

Wish you all a meditative and celebrative day ahead. 🌻