What Is A Ring To The Gold?

… You are on the level of understanding where you understand the meaning of the word “existence” in the same way that you understand that the carpet, chair, body, earth, mountain, relations, and the power of the senses exist. So when you hear that “the world does not exist,” you remain on this same level with which you were knowing the meaning of existence. Whereas he [“English” Jonty] has expressed his realization of the meaning of the existence of the ring: the ring does not exist, gold exists. So the ring is a form. As long as he did not understand that gold exists, for him the ring was a separate something, a form, and gold was separate. In the same way, as long as you have not understood that the Self exists, Existence exists, then for you, the world is a form.

Some people are so fixed that someone exists. If I tell such a person that they never exist, he cannot understand. Why? He has not worked to expand or unfold the purity of intellect, which is there. How did Jonty understand? He is also an intellectual, mental, or human being. How did he understand that form does not exist? If that awareness has come, then he will understand that England does not exist. But for someone else, the world exists, England exists, her mother exists, and her brother does not exist. So what do we do? We accept this. When you know that your brother does not exist, your mother exists, that you yourself exist, I say, “Yes.” You are on the same level of understanding that the ring exists. So Jonty is right, I give this example of the ring and gold very often, just to let Dikpal know, because for Dikpal and others the ring also exists. I don’t know if the ring exists for him now or not?

Dikpal: No way.

Swamiji: Thank you. Then he’s free. … Let me know, is a ring chocolate? Wood? Cloth? A friend? Mommy? Daddy? A husband? A wife? What is a ring to the gold? Gold exists. That is where it is not known to you that the Self exists. For you, the world exists and the Self does not exist. It is totally opposite. When I’m saying that the world does not exist, it means that you should be opened to understand, “Oh my goodness, where is my intellect?” I say to you that the wave does not exist, ocean water exists. That you understand, because ocean water is visible. It has proof, for after some time, the wave is not. Then you know, “Oh yeah, it was water.” …

Like “Jonty,” his name, does not exist. He can understand this. It was not there. But he will not understand that the body does not exist. That’s called bad intellect. Now, I have to accept it. Bad intellect does not mean that it does not exist. It exists—whether bad or good, it doesn’t matter. I say bad because you do not get the point with the same intellect. When with the same intellect you get the point—that you are the Self, Pure Free Forever—then it is called good intellect, or it is not the type of intellect that it used to be.

That is where a human being is. So we sometimes use other words. We say, “Check your I. Does I exist?” It’s not that I want you to answer like small children in school. I want you to use your intellect. Because you have it. And you are sure that the intellect is—the mind is, the intellect is, I am, all that. Then I say, “Suppose you say your I exists.” You answer, “Well, I feel it.” Then I remain quiet—because I also feel it. You also feel it. Everyone feels it. That means you depend on your feelings. That is what you are taught: “Express your feelings. Express your feelings. What do you feel now? What do you feel now?” In every situation, you are asked, “What do you feel now?”

You have understood my point, whatever I was saying. If you have understood, then I will not say that you will understand. So wherever the problem is, it does not exist. Why? The problem would exist if you exist. You do not exist. That is where we use this point of existence and non-existence—for you, those who are totally fixed and unrealized—so that they should at least immediately get opened that, “My goodness, I’m worried about my car having an accident. The car does not exist. So what accident of what?” …

This is where you will know that if the body does not exist, then you will never worry about you. Otherwise, when you’re hungry and it’s a little late for your breakfast, you’re upset. You’re uptight about everything. You will remain uptight. You cannot have any peace, because for you, every problem exists. A problem means that your intellect does not understand: then it’s a problem. And you will reach a point that understands every-thing: because “thing” is not there, so why should it not understand? But that will happen only if you are on that level. If there are things and forms and this and this, then there is Jonty.

The intellect is either a good intellect or a bad intellect. But we do not use the words “good” and “bad,” we speak of intellect. We say you have the best intellect. Whenever I have to say you are not yet fully grown up, then I say you have the best intellect. [Laughter.] Why? You cause suffering to you. … Every type of person is there. Those people who have the sharpest intellect make themselves miserable. See the words: I said they have the sharpest intellect but they make themselves miserable; they must be the most stupid. [Laughter.] But I’m using the words “sharp intellect,” because I have to keep you in the Space—in the same state, wherever you are. So it is being done. People are being educated, but they can’t get the point made by elders. Such as if it is said, “The boss never exists,” then you keep working in the office or anywhere but you know, “Boss or no boss, who bothers? The boss never exists.” So far as work is concerned, you have to do it, because of activity.

In this way, now try to grasp your standard of understanding. I’ll speak of your vision, or the sight of your eyes. You are closing your eyes, but I’ll say “In your sight, the whole world exists.” The person who has a good intellect will understand. In this way I’ll say, “In the seed, the whole tree exists.” This you can understand, because many times you have seen a seed. Many times you have sowed a seed and a plant came, a tree came, a big tree came, so you can understand this. But in that small seed, how can such a big tree exist? Therefore I say things, but if you have no ability to get the real meaning of my words, then whatever words I’m using (because they are to be used), that you will understand, and according to that understanding, you will work.

But I understand that you need liberation. You need freedom—from all kinds of sickness and suffering. Now if this is so, then you will never be liberated if you are dependent on your I. So what do I say now? I’m saying that “I” should not be treated as there. Then you will never be dependent. But you call I the mind, then whatever the mind thinks but it doesn’t happen, the next moment…! Such persons are there that when whatever they decide doesn’t happen, then and there they feel bad.

That’s why we say to study. If you know the functioning of the mind as well as of things and forms, that’s called vairaagya. … But you do not get the real meaning of the word vairaagya, although the word is very useful. For you call it renunciation. Now, if you only use this meaning, you can never apply it. A big apple came to me from Manu. He felt good, I felt good, and whoever gave it to him felt good. Now it is sitting here. Someone will say, “He cannot eat this big apple, especially when he does not have his dentures; even if he has them, he cannot crush it. But why does he have the apple? Why does he not part with it? Why is it that he can’t renounce it—why didn’t he then and there, when Manu brought it? Why could he not give it back to him? So, he’s attached.” And I’ll know it and say, “Yes, I’m attached.” Why? I’m not dependent on your thinking. And I’m not dependent on my thinking.

Dikpal’s question sometimes is, “Swamiji, I have a mind, you have a mind, everyone has a mind, and you do well with the mind. What kind of mind is this that you have?” Then I have to concoct some word for him, so I say, “I have a mind, you have a mind, everyone has a mind, but my mind is Guru mind.” Then he’ll say, “Whatever he does, I’ll also do like that.” But it doesn’t work. So what kind of mind is that which I’m hinting at? It’s only Pure Consciousness—which has millions of rays of the power of thinking. But it is free. Even though the whole world with varieties of things exists in it, but vision is free. A human being does not understand this. He says, “Suppose the world exists in vision, then vision should be upset at every step—when things go bad and things go.” That is called a not advanced intellect.

So the point that Jonty brought in clearly conveys that today he has understood that form does not exist. Then, what exists? In the case of a ring, the ring-form does not exist, gold exists. But when for you gold is form, then you cannot say that gold does not exist. Whenever gold will come, you’ll grab it. This is where the meaning of form and no form is. So we use many styles of digging something from your own brilliance. …

There is one criterion. Any time you feel upset, treat it bad intellect has come. It’s very simple. If you know you have realized the Self, then no problem of being upset will come. Because the knowledge, the Self, is such it is not even a dream; it’s not even the waking state, let alone deep sleep. And a human being has the capacity or power to one day understand this. But before he understands, he gets sick, cancer, a disease, or somebody’s knee is a problem, like Shaarda’s and Turiya’s, or Aatma’s back, or Manoraama’s hands. Examples are there, but you don’t think you have anything to do with them. Why is it that when something happens to your body, then that something has to do with you? When you know form does not exist, it’s any kind. When your tape recorder has no battery, you’re not upset. You go to the other room, bring the battery, and once again you are ready. … When you close your eyes, only then you come to know “The whole world exists in me.” If it exists in me and you come to know this, then why are you very dear to you and the world becomes non-dear to you? Your intellect will be even. …

I’m not meant to make you listen so that you should execute the words I say. I just talk, thinking you do not exist. [Laughter.] But she [Osnat] does not know this, so she says, “I want to listen to you.” Because she is convinced that I exist. That is the problem. … Your ears listen to me, and my mouth speaks to your ears. Where is the question of I—I, a disciple and I, a Guru? But you cannot leave your I. So you have to make some relation. That is the world. People in the world live life dependant on the I with which they should relate. So it should be a relative I. I is your relation. And that relationship is with your body. The body and I are related together—not only related, I says “The body is me.” And the body says, “Yes, I is the body.” They got like that. It’s called attachment. And it is based on ignorance. If ignorance remains, then knowledge cannot work.

Have you not seen your eyes? In the night, they have capability or strength enough not to see anything. But when the sun comes, where does this strength go away. [He snaps his fingers.] So when knowledge comes, where is your previous ignorance? That’s why you say a shift took place. A shift took place, but you think, “A shift took place in me” So again, the I is there. So many times a shift took place, but I’m just the same. [Laughter.] …

It’s very easy to be free: that which binds you, give it up. That’s all. Binding is a power. If binding power is powerful as against the power of your freedom, then you are doomed. So we are all seeking—in a very big way through all scriptures, and knowledge, and time and space—only one thing: you want to attain the power of freedom as against the power of bondage. This cannot be explained and it makes no sense. Then we speak of the mind: mind is the power that makes you miserable, that binds you, because you are identified. The senses are powerful that they bind you. But the main thing is a human being is like this. In him the power is such that it is binding him so powerfully to be human. And he wishes that he should use the power of freedom that should say “You have never been human.” That is the thing. If that has not yet come, then you have to patch up. … We just make you aware. Awareness is power. At that time, when the power of freedom comes, you are alright. But when the power of freedom goes away and sneakily the power of mind, intellect, or ego comes, then again you are cribbed.

Sometimes when you hear, it clicks to you. When it clicks to you, you are sure. Perhaps you write it down, saying “I’ll use this.” But the next moment, the shop is closed and you don’t get it; not only it’s closed, mangos or not available anywhere, the season is closed. [Laughter.] So in the world of people, that is there. When we say “the world,” you immediately think, “other than me.” Anything that is other than you is heavy on you. But if you know Me alone is, then neither are you heavy on you, nor is anyone heavy on you, because you are the Pure Being. Pure Being is Pure Free Forever, Amaram Hum Madhuram Hum.

Daily you use these words as a mantr, but you think that mantr is a fashion, that perhaps “I am disciple of some Guru, he has given me mantr, and that will work.” It’s not like a needle that you can use on a thorn. Mantr has no form. Mantr means releasing power, the power that fights against your power of bondage. If it is more powerful, then bondage-power cannot do anything. … Purification of the mind is the target. You think this means the mind should remain just the same and you should wash it. It’s not like that. Purification of the mind is that the mind does not exist. Its presence is not there—existence or non-existence will confuse you. Mind’s presence is not there. The moment the mind comes, then identification comes. …You ask, “What should I do when the mind arises?” Now in me is that the mind never exists. It’s not there. It never arises. But you’re convinced the mind arises. So I’ll give you the means how not to let it arise. What do I say? Whenever the mind arises, just begin to repeat Amaram Hum Madhuram Hum. The mind will get away. …

I said to Krishna, “You have understood this Research Finding. Read it a thousand times.” It was an exaggeration. She will never read it a thousand times. But I mean, “Read it a couple of times more.” [Laughter.] That is why many people say that “Swamiji says so many things, but what should I do?” … “What does Swamiji say that I can execute?” This is what we are taught in school, that “Give me one thing, I’ll follow it.” But there is no such thing as one thing. If you ask the ocean, “Give me one cup of water, I can grasp it,” it cannot. For forty years I have been saying that you are not even born. I have been speaking. And you say that I should say one thing. I never say one thing. So she had the RF. I said that anything that clicks to you, read it. …

Bert: … It appears to me that when you speak, something is opening up. If it’s not happening in the words, then where is it?

Swamiji: We do not ask the flower how you are getting opened up. It just opens. You cannot say how. It got opened. It is its nature. The same is with human beings. A human being has to hear, and he gets opened. But he’s such a big flower that keeps opening, keeps opening, keeps opening. He’s never satisfied unless it is fully opened. Till then, have patience. Practice. A man is praying to God, “Please give me patience, give me patience. But hurry up.” … A human being has the possibility and potentiality that “I can be better.” … Why should I remain a human being? Why should I not own the whole universe as mine? Why should I only be a son? I should be one with the whole universe. That is where Bert says, “When you talk, something happens.” …