THE PROCESS OF DISCUSSION
Sri Vasudeva:
When you’re with me – if ideas come or thoughts come, you can share them. Don’t try to process them too much. It’s nice when, as they come up, let them flow because the discussion group is a process - a process of stimulating your minds. And I see you as the divine too. So no matter what you say, I see it as the divine wanting us to hear this. So when you think something, don’t keep it down. Let it come out because it’s a divine play. The divine is trying to bring messages through all of you into the space. So don’t hold it back.
COMMITMENT
Student:
What should one do if there’s a deep feeling of commitment there but the commitment is inconsistent?
Sri Vasudeva:
There is a deep feeling of commitment but it’s not extended to your entire being. So some part of you is committed. It’s saying that’s the deepest part of you is committed but that has not really been extended to every part of your being.
And one of the things I’d say too is that when your body and mind become habituated to a certain lifestyle for years, then it’s part of the chemistry of the body. It becomes part of the chemistry of the body. The mind and the body work together in keeping this habit very powerful within us as mental patterns and as pathways or circuits in the nervous system that are chemically triggered.
When you have an intention deep inside it doesn’t necessarily mean that suddenly your mind will comply and your body will comply. So you really need to work through this intention, through the levels of mind and through the body level to bring about this feeling of being “in every fiber of your being.” So it takes quite a process of discipline to bring this intention into every level of your being. You need to drill the mind with it and you need to get it down to the level of your body so your body and mind comply.
Student:
Is that where the laziness and inertia comes from? Is it my body resisting or my mind resisting?
Sri Vasudeva:
I would say not only your body but your mind because the mind is also caught up. Mind and body work like good friends so they both can hold you back or they both can carry you forward.
Student:
It feels quite painful though to try and push past that.
Sri Vasudeva:
Yes, but what I would say is that you really need to develop the willpower to do that and this is a good place to do that. Now you’re forty days with us and you’re in an intense sort of energy environment where everybody is working towards spiritual upliftment so the energy of the space has it. So really begin to work through that. Make a plan for yourself, hold firm to it, talk to people about it, be inspired by them, inspire yourself by asking yourself, “Why do I believe in this? Why do I want this?” and continue to contemplate and to hold it very dear to you why you want to do this. What is the reason for it and then use the willpower to go after it. This is the environment where it can become possible. Right so thank you for sharing that so honestly.
RECOGNIZING THE OPPORTUNITIES
Student:
The first part of this morning’s message which really stayed with me was where you said, “So you have that marvelous opportunity as a student to seek out the opportunities, recognize them and use them to full advantage.”
I especially like the part about recognizing the opportunities. I think that is really important because sometimes you don’t realize how many opportunities are given to you because they just go away. You don’t recognize them so I think it’s really important to feel the spark or the intuition that says, “This is important. Pay attention to it.”
Sri Vasudeva:
I’m really glad you mentioned that because that’s one of the reasons I used the word “recognize” there because many times opportunities are given to us, for example, when someone says, “Come on, let us go to the gym,” or “There’s a class down the road. Let’s go practice some yoga.” This is life reaching out to you and there lies an opportunity. But you say, “Oh no, next month I’ll do that. I know that’s good but next month I’ll do that. ” So here there’s an opportunity missed. A friend is asking you, “Let’s go do this,” and you just let it fly past. Or somebody gives you a book to read and you say, “Oh I know all about that book and I heard about it and this is what the book is.” You didn’t even read it and here a book was coming to you.
Instead of asking the person about the book “What is it? What did you learn from it?” or perusing the different chapters of the book, already you said, “No, no I already heard about that book and I know what’s in that book.” So this is how we miss out on opportunities when they come.”
WHEN YOU GET THE KNOWLEDGE, PROTECT IT!
Student:
You also said, “When you get the knowledge, protect it. When you become aware of something, protect it by giving attention to it.” And I think giving attention is really important because the more attention you give to something, the bigger it gets in your world.
Sri Vasudeva:
Absolutely. That’s very nice. I’m glad that these things stand out for you and you recognize them. That’s very good.
Student:
You also said, “So the student has all the power. Teachers are only there to guide us.” I like the responsibility you give to everybody to really reach out and give themselves the responsibility to do something about it because you can say anything you want but if we don’t do anything with it during our day, nothing will happen. We won’t get closer to enlightenment.
Sri Vasudeva:
Thank you for bringing out these things. And I like when you really look at the subject of the day and try to bring things out of it because sometimes you ask me questions that are a little bit outside of the subject – so it’s nice when you refer to the subject of the day. So thank you for that.
Even the choice of the theme “the Power of the Student” - someone was telling me this morning that when I said “power of the student” it just brought life to them and they thought “Wow, this is something that I can do!” So just the name itself brings a resurgence of energy. ‘The power of the student’ says that the student has some kind of power, not that the student is being given handouts and is fed but the student is someone who has a power in the whole process. The teacher is there to offer something but we have to go with it. The teacher is only giving something for us to use but we have to go with it.
ATTACHMENT AND LETTING GO
Student:
I notice that I feel a kind of fear for losing the incredibly deep personal and emotional connection that I have to my family especially to my daughter, son and grandchildren. I have always felt a very great responsibility for their welfare and a desire to share my love in a very deeply felt manner. Perhaps it is the word “detachment” that worries me. Will you speak about that?”
Sri Vasudeva:
Thank you for sharing that and I think that’s an important question. As a mother, as a wife, as a parent, you feel this great sense of responsibility and therein also lies an attachment. When you are with people for a long time, you feel a sense of responsibility. You need to be careful of attachment and the tendency to not want to let go. So even as children grow older, there’s a tendency to still want to be a part of their affairs or get deeply involved in it or sometimes a controlling influence on a spouse – all based on attachment.
But begin to think that all these are gifts given to you by a Higher Power and the responsibility for this is partly yours but it’s also with a Higher Power. You offer the child the best that you can give but the child has its own journey and your spouse has his own journey. It’s nice to feel a sense of responsibility and a sense of “caring for” but ultimately they have their own journeys. And the universe is taking care of them beyond you. You can’t be everywhere with them, nor can you be in their every thought inside, nor are you part of their entire journey so you need to let go at some point and say, “I’m very happy that I’ve been given this opportunity but these are God’s children - all of them - and I’m going to do so much and then I’m going to let go.” And let these people find their own path, their own journey and just be a friend to them.
But be careful about the attachment. The way of letting go, is letting it go into the greater hands of the Supreme. So for me, that’s where the solution lies. The moment you do that, then the attachment, the control, the fear of losing them would tend to go away.
HOW THE OTHER FEELS WHEN I FEEL THE
SELF CONNECTION WITH THEM
Student:
If I enter the field of Self and feel one with all and with you, how is that experienced by the other soul?”
Sri Vasudeva:
Well first you are having your own experience, you are entering the Self, right? So you are entering the Self and you are feeling all this equality consciousness. What that means is that the other person is going to be feeling so much harmony from you. They’re going to be feeling that they’re a part of you. So it would be you who are producing a new level of harmony with them. They will feel your closeness and your love and your peace and your good will, even more when you are at that level of Self. They will actually feel that you’re part of them. That’s how the feeling will be.
If I were to meet people who are established in the Self, I feel “Wow, they’re like your own. They’re like best friends. They’re like real family.” You can’t describe it. It goes beyond biological connections and every other connection. There’s a feeling of oneness as though they’re part of your own being.
THE ETERNAL STUDENT
Student:
As a self-realized being, do you feel that you are there or can you still learn and evolve at higher levels?
Sri Vasudeva:
Well first I don’t declare or go about saying, “Hey I’m a self-realized being.” I don’t even like to say it. I tell people I’m their best friend. I tell people I just came to remind them of who they are. I never like to say, “Hey I’m a self-realized being and you are an ignorant person.” The word doesn’t “jive” with me as they say.
When you realize Self, you become the most humble person because you realize that you’ve been given a gift of grace so it’s not even that I pulled this gift - of course I worked for it - but I feel very special to be given a gift and with that there is a huge responsibility for serving you. You become chief servant.
And I don’t like to say, “Hey, I’m self-realized!” I think that’s nonsense. What I could say is that I have touched a place inside of me that puts me in connection with everything. I’m happy with saying that. “I’ve touched a space inside that makes me feel as though the whole universe is part of my own being.” I like saying that. If people call that self-realized, that’s fine but of course I am learning. I’m learning every day. I learn how to type properly. I learn more things about the computer. I learn who people are in relationships with them. I learn more about the Earth. I learn more about biology. I learn more about the current affairs of the world. I learn more about things across the world, more about genetics… I keep on learning;
I’m an avid learner, I love to learn. So I’m voracious in learning and I’m learning every day. I’m learning a lot about my world but I have arrived at a place inside where I am so happy and so satisfied and so peaceful that the whole world comes alive with learning for me. So I’m an eternal student and that’s what I would say.
And for me, the whole process of experiencing my deeper Self is a process of freedom and a process of humility and a process of being in touch with everyone. So I am just a chief servant to everybody. I’ve learnt how to master my inner being. So I love when I can say, “I am master of myself but a servant to all.” That’s who I am. So thank you for the question.
THE SPIRITUAL JOURNEY IS PERSONAL
Student:
Sometimes it’s difficult to share with others, how I feel in my spiritual life.
Sri Vasudeva:
One of the things that we’ve been saying is that when it comes to spiritual life, it should be kept personal, I think. And it should only be shared with those who can appreciate it. What is great about this is that you don’t have to speak about it when it comes to spirituality, yet everybody knows that there is something different about you. When you become more spiritual you don’t have to say one word to anybody about spirituality but everybody finds that you are freer, that you are more loving, that you are more peaceful and they are more interested in knowing what happened to you. And you can be conservative in saying what happened to you. You don’t have to share everything. I think spirituality is a private thing and that should be shared only with those who will understand you. That’s why we say, “Don’t cast pearls before swine.”
Even though you don’t share things with people who may not be able to fully appreciate it, the great thing is that people are able to see it. I think it’s more important that they see how you are and feel the difference in what spirituality has done to you and then they begin to believe a little more about the power of spirituality.
KEEPING THE CONNECTION, BEYOND DISTANCE
Sri Vasudeva:
It began with me having to go inside myself to feel the presence of the teacher and then afterwards I maintained that. When I was with the teacher, I’d look to see what was happening inside me because of the teacher’s presence and that was fantastic.
One of the wonderful things that happened to me was that when I came back to Trinidad after the four months in India, I didn’t know how it would be but I had this feeling that I would be able to carry this state with me wherever I went, that the same feeling that I had in the meditation hall in India, or the same feeling that I had when I was singing in India, I was so sure that when I come back to Trinidad that I would have it.
And when I came up and I set up my little room to meditate or to chant, it felt exactly as though I was sitting in India. And that made me feel very happy. I was able to bring the feelings with me. So when I closed my eyes I was actually sitting in the temple in India, energetically. I was sitting there. I could feel when the sun rose and I was chanting. I could feel the calmness of the meditation hall just as if I were sitting in India but I was sitting in Trinidad thousands and thousands of miles away.
And ultimately I felt so close with the teacher, more than any physical presence can bring. I felt that I was going into the heart of the teacher and I was feeling the realms that he felt and that was magical.
So that’s what I am saying. That is the goal of the student - to begin to touch the inner world of the Guide. Where is the Guide coming from? Where is the Guide pointing us to? The Guide is actually pointing us to a space inside of us that the Guide is able to touch – but that space is privy to us. We can touch it too.
USE THE MEMORY, THEN LET IT GO
Student:
Yesterday I spoke of an experience which I had last year with you and there was a remembrance of that experience.
Sri Vasudeva:
A remembrance can stimulate the experience but the remembrance should only be the initial thing because you don’t want to stay only in the memory.
Student:
But remembering makes a feeling come up again.
Sri Vasudeva:
Yes, but when it makes a feeling, then get rid of the image and see if the feeling can stay. So for example, let’s say you see me meditating and that has a profound effect upon you so when you begin your meditation you begin to visualize that my presence is there with you and I’m sitting meditating with you and it begins to give you a lift but afterwards let the image of me disappear and come into the space that you’re in which is greater than the image…but thank you for sharing that.
THE FINAL STEP
Student:
You said that the final step is beyond all knowledge. What is this final step exactly?
Sri Vasudeva:
The final step is the experience of your inner being - the Source being within you. That’s the final step – when you can actually feel the deepest part of you because you are the Source of the universe in expression. Your inner being is a spark of the divine, it’s immortal. So when you come into that awareness you begin to feel, “I have an infinite power inside of me and I can bring power to my thoughts infinitely. I can open my heart to love infinitely. I can recharge this body using my energy body, my thought power, my breathing, my loving energy. I can recharge this physical body. So you begin to feel this infinite power inside of you to do anything.
It’s manifesting through the teacher to inspire you to come into your own power. So when I say “the ultimate is beyond knowledge” it’s because it’s more than thinking. “Well you know, the teacher says there is a Source within me. Well I know there is a Source within me. I can see it, or I have a sense of feeling it. There must be some kind of power inside of me. I know there is something greater inside of me.” But have you really experienced it in fullness? So the knowledge part of it is that you know it intellectually. And I say that knowledge has power because it gives you the desire to want to go further.
But when you’ve actually reached there, you realize that it’s beyond all the ideas that you had of it, that it’s really an indescribable place and all the descriptions pale in significance. But those who have found it, have no words to describe it. They may use poetry but it’s beyond words. They may say it’s sweet. What is it? Sweet like sugar? Sweet like a fruit? What is sweet like? You can’t describe it because it’s not any of those things we know as sweet. And that’s why we call that state “that”. We say it’s “that”. So that’s why I would say it’s beyond knowledge. But I like the idea of “we pull out the best from the teachers based on our desire.”
THE VALUE OF DISCIPLINE
Student:
I’ve heard you speak many, many times and I’ve gained a great knowledge listening to you and I don’t think I’ve ever heard you speak without using the word “discipline” and how important it is to maintain it in our daily lives and how closely connected it is to enlightenment. And once we reach a certain stage of enlightenment, the desire to be more enlightened takes place with the discipline and it becomes part of life. But without the discipline enlightenment to me is very vague and we can’t reach it.
Sri Vasudeva:
Yes that’s good sharing. I do believe that because the tendency of the mind is to be undisciplined, the tendency of the body is to be undisciplined. So if you want to go deeper, you have to challenge the body and mind to become disciplined so that you can manage them. That’s why I always speak about discipline.
And I said that when you’re spiritually awakened you need to protect that and the best way to protect that is really to be disciplined. Discipline is like creating a fence around it because when you’re disciplined, you’re saying, “No, I don’t want anything that’s going to disturb this. I’m going to do everything to support this.” That’s discipline. So that’s like putting a fence around it and protecting it as it grows.
And the other part of what you said, which I like very much, is that when you reach a certain stage, the desire then naturally becomes greater for more awareness. So the discipline actually is a different kind of discipline. The discipline then turns into love. The discipline becomes natural. You want to get up in the morning or you want to exercise or you want to meditate or you want to practice the principles and then the discipline becomes different. I always believe that’s how discipline should be – inspired by love and joy. So that’s an extremely good point.
SRI VASUDEVA CONSCIOUSNESS - IT IS POSSIBLE
Student:
The message this was really very powerful again this morning. I always have the feeling that you are personally talking to me but I think everyone has this feeling. And I like being a student, a student of life - coming across through so many hardships but also enjoyments. I like that very much. We were talking about commitment and I’m also a teacher so I’m teaching two groups. I feel a very strong commitment to you, in talking about you, talking on behalf of you - then the Sri Vasudeva Energy comes spontaneously. So that’s a very nice experience.
Sometimes I ask myself, would I be in the place of Sri Sri Vasudeva and have this life or have the life of just being a student? Finally the answer was “no” because I feel very deeply that this is my life’s mission - to be a student and even in the studentship you are also Sri Vasudeva as you have also told us. So I’m happy with this life.
Sri Vasudeva:
That’s very, very profound. That shows humility and I spoke about humility in the process. Don’t ever think you’ve arrived because then you lose. When you think you’ve achieved, then you may not necessarily have achieved. Life needs to take you there. So being the student and enjoying the role of the student and saying that even in a student you can align yourself to the teacher and you can feel the Energy of the teacher when you’re teaching and you can see that life is also showing you grace.
And I always believe that we should be humble in our posture towards enlightenment and even when we feel that we have arrived there, the feeling of humility, not the idea that “I have arrived” but the feeling that “I have touched something very deep that puts me in touch with everything” – that is the Sri Vasudeva Consciousness.
But I would be really happy if you think that you can achieve it in this lifetime because it means that I have done a good job in inspiring you. So don’t be afraid to say that too if you think you can achieve it. I know you’re being humble in doing that but I am also very happy when someone says, “Guruji you make me feel that I can touch this in this lifetime.” That makes me happy because I do believe we should all feel that way, because if we do, it will take us there. I am not in any state of consciousness that is not possible for you and my presence in the world is to make you believe that it’s possible for you and also make you feel how it feels to be in that state. So when you’re with me you get that feeling of what it feels like to be in that state. And so I’m bringing you to the possibility. And certainly, certainly all of us can reach that state.
I’ve been blessed at the age of twenty-four to have touched that inner space but I certainly believe that we can all touch it and I’m really happy when you resonate with the idea that “Yes I can touch it! I can touch it! I can touch it!” So you will. I’m sure you will. And your humility is also very beautiful to see, so thank you for that.
And thank you for sharing what you’ve learned from me in the different countries, and your remembrance of me and your words of me – I’m very happy that you do that. Thank you.
THE VALUE OF SPIRITUAL COMPANY
Student:
We were reflecting on your talk this morning and we made an action list of the aspects of the power we have as students. “I am responsible for my own learning process.” “I can be aware of the impact of my actions and I can reflect on them every day.” We made a list of about twenty different aspects but I think it can be ahundred more. We said we will each take one, and speak about what we have learnt and keep each other aware of it
Sri Vasudeva:
I like that and you see how spiritual company becomes powerful, where you can talk and share ideas because when you discuss something, you are able to see it even better and just expressing it gives you more faith in what you are saying. And so talking about it and talking about it with someone who will understand and share your enthusiasm, makes the power greater, the inspiration greater in both people. That’s nice.
SET THE GOAL OF ENLIGHTENMENT
Student:
It seems like a long way away to get into your state but it’s like training to run a mile. You can’t run a mile and say, “Well I’m not expecting to be able to run a mile ever.” If you don’t set the goal as possible then you’re never going to get there.
Sri Vasudeva:
That’s good. That’s good and I think it’s important to also have as a goal, self-enlightenment or self-realization. I think it’s important to have as a goal touching that inner space and believing in the possibility that it will happen.
USE THIS LIFETIME TO THE FULLEST
Student:
What struck me most in this morning’s talk is that we have just one lifetime to make the maximum use of.
Sri Vasudeva:
Thank you for sharing that. I couldn’t help but say that life is only a matter of moments in time and that we need to make use of every opportunity we have. That’s what I have been doing with my life. I know the value of my life is what I bring to my world. So my desire to live longer and to live healthier is not for me but for how much I can help my world. I think “How much I can help my world?” because the eating and the drinking and the sleeping in this dimension is nothing that is so super. The only thing that is super for me is “How can I wake up souls to become more aware of who they are?” That’s very exciting for me and that’s why I travel so much or I work so much with people. That’s the only joy that I have in this dimension. That’s how I measure my life. How much work can I do for all of these people everywhere? So that’s my desire to live and my desire to take care of me.
THE VIEW FROM ABOVE
Student:
When someone reaches the higher awareness, does the world of pleasure and pain, aging and disease and misery and death take on a different dimension?
Sri Vasudeva:
Yes and that’s a good thing. It takes on a different dimension, yes, but nevertheless you’re still aware of its limitations. So it’s just that you see differently. Now you accept it and now you work with it and you’re not bothered by it and that’s the only dimension it takes. So you still know the body’s going to grow old but you begin to treat it a little nicer. You treat it with compassion. And you still know it’s going to die so you make every moment that you live in it, valuable. So you look at the opportunities. You don’t see the glass half-empty. You don’t think “Well the body’s going to die,” but you think of “Oh I have so many moments with the body.”
So you see everything in a positive light and there is a great degree of acceptance of things as they are. But it is not that everything becomes glorious. You see the world for what it is and you live in the awareness of accepting the limitations and working with them and being able to work with them in a different way than before.
KNOWLEDGE BEYOND KNOWLEDGE
Student:
This morning you spoke about knowledge eventually leading to freedom. What is the most powerful way to use the knowledge that you share with us, not only in the mental field but in the sphere of experience?
Sri Vasudeva:
Well that’s what I’ve been teaching every day and that’s why I bring you to the meditation – so you can actually begin to bring that knowledge into a different level and use the knowledge that you have to follow its path and to go into the experience which is beyond knowledge. When you have the experience, then it’s difficult to describe that in terms of knowledge. So I would say that everything that you do in the way of trying to experience the things that I say, through the meditation or through your relationships with the world – doing things to experience the higher, the deeper part of you –that is what you do with the knowledge that you have. You utilize it to go into the realm of experience. That’s the next step of knowledge that is beyond knowledge.
SHOULD I TELEPHONE THE GURU?
Student:
Sometimes I ask myself what might be a reason to call you on the telephone, knowing that all the answers are inside me. Nevertheless I still decide to call you.
Sri Vasudeva:
Well, of course I have a human form, you can relate to my personality, you can become inspired, it can give you a moment of inspiration and sometimes clarification. If you’re having doubt or confusion about something, I may help you to clarify in a few minutes, what might have taken you days or weeks. So that is the value. I can help you to clarify something in a moment, make a decision in a moment when it’s difficult for you, and to give you inspiration. “Yes it’s possible let’s keep on going.” That would be the value of talking with me, or being around me.
Student:
Sometimes, because I’m caught up in many daily activities, I forget to go in my inner space and meditate but in this forty day period, I feel a force drawing me from inside. I feel that it is a gift that I receive from all the teachers I have met or dreamt of in my life. Thank you Guruji from the deepest part of my heart.
Sri Vasudeva:
It’s really a different kind of energy and I do believe that there are masters in the other realm who are guiding our forty days and who are supporting our forty days. I firmly believe that, because that’s how I felt during my forty days and certainly there is a lot of support during this period. For me it’s a period of grace. So thank you for sharing that.
AN INNER PULL
Student:
This morning as I drove to work after listening to your message and thinking of it, I felt an intellectual knowing at some level and then felt a pull.
Sri Vasudeva:
That’s very nice because it means that your deeper Self is resonating with it. If you feel an inner knowing that’s a great step - your belief comes naturally. “Yes I believe this is the right thing. I know this is right,” and then it leads into the next step of wanting to maintain it and to manifest it, which is the “inner pull” you talk about. So that’s very nice. I’m glad that you shared that resonance and that feeling of what I was saying. Thank you.
THE ESSENCE OF THE GURU-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP
Student:
What is the essence of the Guru-student relationship which makes the example of the Guru so important in the student’s practice?
Sri Vasudeva:
The Guru brings something from a space inside that refreshes us, that inspires us, that is coming from such a depth inside beyond the different bodies. It’s coming from the deepest part of us and that certainly is wonderful to see when it’s manifesting. When we see that degree of love or that degree of peace or that degree of intuitive wisdom, it’s admirable just to observe that. Even when I see people manifesting that, I’m inspired. I love to listen and I’m saying “Wow! They are saying this as I would say it,” or “I can feel that they are centered in the Self” and that gives me power when I hear people speak from that space. So I think that’s the essence of the Guru-disciple relationship or Guru-student relationship – when we can touch that space, when we feel just like the Guru in doing things. And I believe even the Guru is inspired by that.
FROM ONE TEACHER TO ANOTHER
Student:
As a teacher myself, I wonder how you don’t get frustrated with us students.
Sri Vasudeva:
You mean as a school teacher right, in an establishment where you work for money right? And where you’re forced to –
Student:
Not everyone applies what…
Sri Vasudeva:
No, no you’re in a different environment. You’re in an environment where you cannot choose the students you have, nor are the students naturally pulled to you. This is a forced relationship between you…and you have to treat with them intellectually. So it’s not about it being a whole spiritual journey and you can bring in spiritual principles because you’re a public school teacher. So that’s a different kind of environment. That’s a mix of students who come to you. Some want to learn, some don’t want to learn and some are indifferent. So that’s what you have to deal with and they all have different issues from their homes. Some do not even want to come to school, so it makes it very difficult. And even though you have the intention to want to help, it can be very difficult in that situation. So you have to begin by creating discipline at lower levels and that itself is an investment in energy and at the end of the day you can be tired after all of this. So you have to become spiritually refreshed at the end of the day or recharge yourself to begin to go into a class like that. So it’s a whole different ball game.
Student:
I can identify with what they’re saying - how hard life is out there sometimes. But I do know that I often can feel your presence or if I think about you, I don’t have to call. I don’t always feel I need to call because I can really feel what you might say or how you might be supporting me. Often when I really need support, I can feel it.
DISCIPLINING THE BODY VS LOVING THE BODY
Student:
You say “no questions are foolish” – so I do have a question. I brought my own pillow for sitting in other years and I didn’t do that this year and I found myself uncomfortable in my sitting position. I’m sure this is an issue many people have - that first you need to sit comfortably. So I wonder how much discipline is needed when you’re body’s going. “Ouch.”
Sri Vasudeva:
No, no, no. You need to be more comfortable. You need to be comfortable so you need to be sitting on a chair. If you can’t sit on the floor then you need to sit on a chair but you need to find a comfortable posture otherwise the body will be distracted. So give attention to the body and how you sit.
Student:
I guess my question was about loving your body and disciplining it as well because you need to sit erect.
Sri Vasudeva:
Well discipline with love and care, not with indiscretion. Don’t discipline to satisfy your own ego drive or punish your body. You want to discipline out of love and caring. That’s a different story.
APPRECIATING TEH SACRED ENERGY OF THIS SPACE
Student:
The first day here as a student, Guruji, is a very interesting day because there are thoughts like “What am I doing here?” But today I had the experience that it was the group that actually who brought me to a higher level.
Sri Vasudeva:
I’m pleased to hear that. The group has been co-creating a wonderful level of energy. The meditations have been simply beautiful every day.
Student:
I want to say something about the energy here because this morning I left to do some shopping in the grocery shop and I came back so frustrated because I felt the energy from the outside world. I don’t know what happened but I was so pleased to get back here and feel the energy again.
Sri Vasudeva:
Thank you for appreciating the value and the energy of this space.
Student:
The last time I was here in 2005 I had a great time. There was so much singing and laughter and doing the dishes, all together. This time it’s so different because there is such a silence and a quietness and I had to adjust. Everything is calm wherever you go. And all of us – we feel such a oneness together. It gives peace of mind and body. That’s really nice.
Student:
When I go out for shopping at home, I feel very uncomfortable and when I’m going out for shopping here I feel the Energy, the same Energy that’s here in the ashram. How is that possible?
Sri Vasudeva:
That’s very nice so it must be that when you’re going out shopping, you’re going out with some people from here. So that adds to the Energy.
Student:
No, I go with my mom and she’s also involved in Blue Star.
Sri Vasudeva:
But your mom might be having a tough day, right? She will have some tough days too. But you’re here and you’re recharged during the day by the environment and then you’re going out and you’re going out in safe company and then you’re going only in certain places and coming back so you can be in a protective kind of space. But it’s good that you bring another slant to this in that she went out and she was stressed out but you went out but you were able to maintain something. So that says the two are possible.
Sri Vasudeva:
It’s been a wonderful session and I love speaking about the student because I think the students have responsibility and power. We can make things happen. When we learn things we can put it into practice and we can create the desire to learn more and go after it. I am a student. I learn every day and I love to learn. And I love to speak with masters of different types. If I want to learn about exercise, there is an exercise master. If I want to learn about typing, there is a typing master. There are masters everywhere and there are masters for everything that we learn. So be a good student and learn as much as you can because learning is a lifelong process. You’re going to continue to learn. Even when you become free in the body spiritually there is still lots of learning all around you. So we always learn.
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