by Gurani Anjali
Seeking truth is part of our life and part of the journey of life. We are all travelers. We are moving on. It is part of our life to seek the truth. A question may arise, “What is the truth?” Would you like to know what the truth is? It takes many years to find the truth. You are very fortunate to have someone in your life to tell you about it. But, even after I tell you, you will have difficulty. This is the nature of life. At different levels of consciousness, everyone sees and feels differently. Not everyone is in the same place at the same time; therefore, there is the need for continuous purification.
What is the truth? The truth is non-duality. The truth is that which is constant, which does not change. There is no second to it; it is always. Anything that is subject to change is an illusion, a non-truth. It’s moving, it’s changing and, therefore, it must not be clung to. That which does not change is the truth. Go and find that one. Where will you find it? How is it going to be shown to you and at what moment? This is the great mystery; this will be your surprise.
What does not change is the truth. It is forever, and always with you. It is already with you. But you have to find it. You have to seek it. Why do we have to seek it? Some arrogant individual will say, “If I already have it, why should I have to worry?” It is the fool who speaks that way. But the seeker of the truth will seek the truth, and even though the sage may say, “You already have it. It’s already there,” the seeker of the truth will say, “Thank you for showing me, for telling me about it. Now I must seek it, I must find it, I have much cleansing to do, I am riddled with kleshas (afflictions). I have ignorance, I have asmita (I-am-ness), I have raga (attraction), dvesa (aversion), abhinivesha (clinging to life). I am suffering from clinging to the illusions of life. I must seek.” So the seeker of truth will say, “Show me, show me, show me.” In the Upanishads so many lessons are taught on how to find the truth. It is everywhere. Truth is constant and because of it, everything is constantly changing.
We must go with the changes. We are not to stifle anything, must not cling to anything, especially things that are changing. We must go towards it. Once you find the truth, you won’t stop talking about it. You will become quite a chatterbox. You think you talk too much now? Wait… You’ll talk to flowers. You’ll talk to insects. You’ll talk to everything, because everything is seeking the truth. Every plant, if put near the window, will turn towards the light. Even plants are turning towards the light of life; the light of continuity, of existence, knowledge and bliss. Everything that is moving is always moving to the light.
All of society is in such an upheaval. Just listen to the news or watch the television to see what’s going on. If you look in the newspaper, don’t get discouraged and don’t be alarmed. Know your place. You’re a seeker of truth. Don’t worry about what’s going on in society. Don’t let it affect your life. Know that you are a seeker. That’s all you have to know. You are here in this life for a short time, so prepare your life so that you may enter another dimension that is quite different from this. There are a lot of things going on in the world. Climatic changes are occurring, lots of storms, tornadoes and hurricanes. Don’t let it alarm you. Stay perfectly still with yourself. Take a deep breath and hold on to the truth, hold on to that which does not change; be still and know that. This is the first thing you have to remember in all difficult circumstances: get into your breath and be still, be quiet, avoid anxiety. Because you are human, know that you will experience pain and suffering from time to time. But if you know how to swim, you will come back up again. Rise with the wave of circumstance and come up again.
There are a lot of influences: technology, politics, all kinds of affairs that are going on right now. We cannot do much about them. If you are a politician, you can do something in politics. If you are in high tech, you can do something there. If you’re a doctor, you can do something in medicine. But you are an individual who is seeking the truth. Be content with that so that others will see you and have the peace that you have. Everyone is influencing everyone, and you too, in your own time and your own place, influence the lives around you.
The young people in today’s society are very confused because they don’t know how to live in society. They don’t have a dharma (duty, law, right order). Relationships must have a meaning. Without the meaning and the purpose in relationship, relationship becomes insignificant, useless. There is no need for relationship if there is no purpose. And if there is no purpose for relationship, there is no need. There has to be a meaning in relationship. If you’re a man, live as a man. If you’re a woman, live as a woman. Let the movement of life move through you so that you can continue this great world, so that you can support it. There are many young people who are suffering. All of you, who are seekers of truth, stand up and show yourself, allow yourself to be strong and don’t allow people to manipulate you.
In life we constantly seek experience outside ourselves, outside our existence. We look to other humans and they are always showing us. What do you think they are showing us? Their attachments, their asmita (I-am-ness). They’re always saying, “Here, I baked a cake.” “Here, look at my dress.” “Here, I can play the violin.” “Here, look at me.” “Look at me.” “Look at me.” Humans are always showing off the kleshas (afflictions). When will humans stop wanting to show off, and just live?
In the beginning when individuals are being purified, they need to show what they are doing so that the other may say, “Well done, very good, continue.” Humans need to support and to give support, to say, “You’re doing wonderful. Great! Continue.” If it is pleasant, one will tell the other, “What you are doing is wonderful” We need the encouragement while there is cleansing taking place. Once the cleansing has taken place, and is completed, then we will sit still. The individual will not need support, encouragement. But, as long as one has the kleshas (afflictions), one needs support. The kleshas are the afflictions of life, ignorance, I am-ness, attraction, repulsion and clinging to life. As long as one is caught up in them, one needs support from the other. We need to tell each other, “Very good, oh, you did wonderful!” Therefore, we are called always to offer, to give. In the giving you will be giving up your ignorance, your I-am-ness, your ego, your attraction and your repulsion. You’ll be giving them up. Giving is a very important thing to do. Giving! Bake a cake, bake some cookies, give your shirt away. Give your money away. Keep giving, keep giving. In the giving there is the taking on of a cleansing process, which is not readily visible, but is occurring, nevertheless; and the jiva (individual) moving through life is being cleansed
Cleansing comes through action. Action that is full of offering and giving. We are to encourage each other to keep giving. Don’t get tired of giving. Eventually, a time will come when you will not seek any praise. You will reach a beautiful state of detachment known as vairagyam (dispassion) wherein you will be giving just like the sun. Everything grows under the sun. Everything lives, the good, the bad, the indifferent, the ugly, and the beautiful, everything. The sun shines. You will reach that beautiful state where you will have that power that comes through giving. Power lies in the hands of the giver. A person that does not give will always suffer, will always have pain, will always have tremendous anxiety and hopelessness. We don’t want to suffer; we all want to be happy. We want to enjoy what we have. How can we enjoy if we have the impurities of ignorance, attraction, repulsion and clinging to life (avidya, raga, dvesa, abhinivesha)? How can we enjoy? We cannot. So for all of us to enjoy, we have to work together, support each other, allow each other to come up. Allow someone to come up by bringing them up. Seek knowledge and understanding.
The Yogi does not just want approval of good works. The Yogi wants to know the truth for himself, in himself. Therefore, svadyaya (self-study) is important, watching your intentions, your motives, your behavior, your attitude, and reading the great texts on liberation. The great texts give so much inspiration. The Yogi does not rely on someone saying, “Well done, you did a good job.” The Yogi does not settle with hope. “I hope I’ll be all right.” The Yogi wants to know, period! Therefore the Yogi is an individual who studies and watches constantly. Constant vigil is the rule. Watching! Not watching other people’s attitudes, but one’s own attitude. Watch your motives. Why are you doing what you are doing? Ask yourself, “Why am I doing this?” The Yogi is constantly questioning his or her own actions. Therefore, the Yogi seeks the truth and is not satisfied with somebody else saying, “You’re wonderful,” or “You’re no good.” The Yogi stands alone in the night, in the early morning and throughout the day. Alone with others, with the job, with the family, with associations, with relationships. The Yogi stands alone, with everything, like the flame that flickers not, like a burning ember that is burning hot and is ready to ignite the moment it comes close to the fire of knowledge, wisdom and understanding. This knowledge comes through self-study, through worshipping the great sages, from walking in their footsteps, from seeking like they sought. The Yogi is a very powerful being.
The kleshas, the five afflictions of life, have to be attenuated. Doing so will allow you to see the truth that is purusha (pure consciousness). Purusha is always waiting, waiting for you to be free, waiting for you not to take, but to give. Give in the performance of living, never clinging. A person is always in bondage because the jiva (individual) is filled with him or herself, the jiva (the individual) is filled with kleshas. So we find that purusha seems to be in bondage. We need to become free. When there is freedom, you will find that everything around you will start to become quiet. The things that are disturbing you will still disturb you because there is always the other who has a lot of afflictions, but they won’t affect you as much. The degree of suffering will lessen, but the suffering continues to be, because there is suffering in the world. So as we get purified in life, we are to make sure that we are purifying all those around us through our behavior, through how we live.
Many people in this world want to have a lot of fun. You cannot have fun unless you know how to make fun. How do you have fun? When one feels joy and contentment in the heart, one can bring about the excitement of the spirit into this world. One can create a stimulation beyond all stimulation. One can show through one’s own life, the ecstasy which is beyond cultural fun and having a good time. It is an ecstasy that lasts day in and day out, constantly. That kind of fun is worth waiting for. In my life, I’ve experienced many kinds of foods, been here and there, been with all kinds of people, looking at this and looking at that. Seen all that. Done all that. It’s exciting to find out what is in this world, to go on excursions, mountain climbing, hiking. Do all those things that are wonderful to do. But it doesn’t last long. You have to be able to sit down in meditation and climb the mountains. Being on the mountain top while you’re in meditation, that’s a wonderful thing. To drink warm water and experience it as icy cold water that’s a wonderful thing. To experience ecstasy is to be beyond time and beyond what is experienced in society. Let’s have a good time. Let’s laugh, let’s go here, let’s go there, exhaust the mind, tire the body, empty your bank account. It gives you no sleep, plenty of fatigue. It doesn’t last long. So seek that which is forever. Om shanti.