New Year's 2003: The Purpose of Life is to Meditate
and Realize the Self

Swamiji: The Self is shining as space, time, and causation, as well as without space, time, and causation. Close your eyes, inside gently whispering your own name: Amaram Hum Madhuram Hum Amaram Hum Madhuram Hum Amaram Hum Madhuram Hum Amaram Hum Madhuram Hum…[the mantra becoming quieter and quieter, leading to the stillness of meditation]

…Why does a human being want to live long and give blessings to others to live long? Everyone says, "The first of January 2003 has come, so Happy New Year." How can it be a happy new year, when you don’t know the Truth?! [laughter] Tomorrow, you will again be upset. …Why is it that you become happy only when you wish someone a happy new year? It’s another day. Why is it that you have to become happy today? Because you are conditioned to think that "At least on the first of January 2003, I’ll get up and say to my friends, I wish you a Happy New Year—although I have no happiness." [laughter] That is where a human being can plan to know himself as the one who is always eternally the same—as it is. That is the mahaan Aatma [infinite Self]. We say the mahaan Aatma is not a human being. A president, husband, brother, sister, father, and mother are not human beings. What is a human being? You have to understand this. A human being is the waking state. And in the waking state, he is the I. I is the ego. The moment the I came in the waking state, it is the ego. If you have to know the Self, you have to go beyond the waking state—which you cannot go. In the waking state, you’ll be just the same. So we meditate.

You have seen meditation. At the beginning of satsang, first things first, we meditated. That’s why I could speak. Because you are able to understand what I stand for. I stand for meditation. And you do it. I like to share with you because you understand meditation and you do meditation. The result, for those who have done it, is that they are able to realize what is in meditation. In meditation, your mind and senses are not. Your organs of action, your hands and feet, are not moving. In meditation, your I also is not. In meditation, sleep, dream, and the waking state are not. What is that state? That is not to be described. The moment you describe it, you will call it the Aatma, the Self, the Knower—you’ll come onto the mind. Therefore, it is not easy for a human being to get there. They say it takes incarnation after incarnation. Even gods and goddesses have been waiting to become human beings and come on earth to be like you, who understand meditation. You should know that the purpose of life is to meditate and realize the Self. …

You are That. But That has become this. So we have to celebrate the knowledge every moment. Or if there is no time, then at least on one day, on new year’s day. …I decided that this would be a very unique new years. First of all, we are celebrating it in the day time; it’s not after twelve in the night, when we are shivering. Second, we have already given the new year’s message so many times, again and again saying the same thing—either about peace, or love, or joy, or this, or that. But the main thing is that every year you can know this message, you can give this message, and you can deal with this one message: the Self alone is. Some of your neighbours will say, "Then, what about the world?" You’ll become quiet. The Self alone is. That’s it. And that is unique. It’s name is Shyam. … It has no symptom, no form. You cannot compare it with any known thing. It is unique. Jai Jai Amaram Jai Madhuram. Jai Jai Madhuram Jai Amaram. Thank you.

SATSANG EXCERPTS, JANUARY 5, 2003

YOU ARE THAT SELF WHICH NEVER CHANGES

This is a new year. As in the spring season the sap begins to ooze out and every tree slowly fills with leaves, flowers, and, later on, fruit, so this is the beginning of the new year and the sap of time has started. As human beings, we are to be cautious that this is a new year. The past is not the new year: we are supposed to begin with the new year. The new year means new leaves, new flowers, and the whole new show of the year. You are the only plant, or tree of life, that has not to start with the past year. A person is not supposed to pay attention to whatever happened up to this time. Today is a new day, and you are supposed to pay attention to your own sap, or essence-reality, to your true nature.

Up to this time, everyone was thinking that he had relations: body relations, legal relations, general relations, just relations, unjust relations, friends, and acquaintances. If this is a new year and we really want to begin with it, then can’t we start with everything new? It is as if nothing had happened until today. Then, what is happening today? Let us sing the glory of today. Our true nature is immortal and blissful, which means unborn, invisible, undying, forever, and pure. If we begin with this every day, then everything is going to be taken care of. This spring, leaves and flowers will come and we will deal with them. But in the new year, at least we do not have to worry about the past. … Those things which we talk about are unending; they will continue. When there is no solution, why seek a solution? Do your things. There is no solution to vrittis; they will keep coming. There is no solution to forms; they will keep manifesting and being destroyed. It is the new year. If it is the new year 2003, then nothing of the year 2002 should be spoken about. Just that. Guru means forever new year. …

Languages and sounds differ, but that from where the sound of any language arises is the same. They may be the sounds of the language of a bird, an animal, or a variety of human beings, but they are all just leaves of a tree. You do not consider sounds to be leaves or a tree. Whatever you consider, that is your life and those are your changes. You know that changes exist in time and space, and you have become very, very aware that for these many years, from your very birth right up to this time, you have tried to become only one, yet you could not remain one. You have seen changes after changes. Everything is changing. We talk about changes. Why is it not a new point, a new time, a new year, or a new day where we should bring in the Self that never changes?

We do not say that the Self is everything that changes. I am very clear with you that this idea that "The Self is everywhere—every time, space, and situation, birth and death, defeat and victory, this country and that country" is not the meaning of the Self. How shall I draw your attention again and again to this? It doesn’t matter whether it is a new year or a new day, but you must come to know that the Self is not that which changes. It should not be compared with anything that changes. Only then will you have peace, awareness, and no trouble whatsoever. You are that Self which never changes. You can write this down in your heart or mind, or wherever any cell of understanding begins. Whenever you say "Self," there is no such thing as my self, or your self, or this self, or that self.

Everyone is always wishing to be free. Whether it is new years, any festival day, any birthday, or any day, each person wants to be at peace. If this is your ambition and desire, then you must be that. And if you are that, then you can easily understand and realize it, either by yourself or from me. In this year, 2003, you can understand this. If you have not become at peace in the year 2001 or 2002, then you are not going to become peaceful in the year 3001. Then just know that Swamiji talks about that Self which never changes. He says that you are Pure, Free, and Forever. That never changes.

But when you talk, you bring in anything and everything that changes. Guruji listens to it. He has no problem at all in listening to you, because expression, the mouth, words, and style are all that which is changing. But Guruji is established in the realization of knowing that you are that which never changes. He knows that your body came, fine. He has eyes and he sees it. But, at the same time, he sees the Unchanging. The Unchanging was in the chair, and the Unchanging will still be when you occupy the chair. That space of Unchanging is not going to be changed. Just this. The rest of it are speeches and talks. This is our expression as human beings.

It is a new year. People say "Resolve!" Again and again, they say to make a new year’s resolution. I expect you, who are fully grown up and aware, to make the new year’s resolution that the Self is unchanging and cannot be compared with anything that happens. So don’t apply the science of the Self to everything that changes—to your wars and battles, to your home and family, to your birth and death, to your leaves, flowers, and fruit, to your eating, drinking, and sleeping. All these things are just human. And you are Divine. The Divine is unchanging. How many times have you grasped this fact that the Self is that which cannot be compared to anything that changes? As it is the new year, I thought to say only that which should get honed, to get that home. …