Disciples:

Master, will the world really end on December 21st 2012?

Master:

Why do you bother your head over such a thing? The body is after all, a temporary vehicle or garment that you put on. How can the world end when it does not even exist in the first place?

Disciples:

But everyone is saying that the world will end on December 21st. Some have even started stocking up food fearing that there will be a huge calamity that is going to hit the world Master.

Master:

A spiritual aspirant should never be swayed by what others talk. A true aspirant will only be focused within, not without. Why be moved by other people’s folly? Don’t be like the lemmings. One jumps off a cliff and you’ll have the rest follow as well. Remain fixated on the spiritual goal. If the world was meant to end, it will end no matter what precautionary steps you may take.

Disciples:

But if we know that the world is going to end on this particular date, we will know that death is nearing. So, at least we can make the best use of our remaining time.

Master:

My dearest child, we are all supposed to make the best use of our time regardless of whether the world is going to end or not. Existing on the ego-plane, time is precious. Every second counts! Just because the world is not going to end, everyone wanders around aimlessly, doing useless things because people take time for granted. If the world really is going to end, what will you do then? Spend more time with your family and friends now? Why didn't you before? Start appreciating the beauty around you now? Why didn't you before? After all, if the world is going to end now, everything will turn to ash. You wouldn't even be there to witness it anyway. So what is the point of dwelling on this idea?

Disciples:

I just wanted to know from you Master if the Mayan prediction is true.

Master:

The Mayans were just very skilled astronomers. The Mayan calendar is a circle. Everything in life is a cycle. There is neither a beginning nor an end. According to the Gregorian calendar, everyone says that January is the beginning of the year and December is the end. But aren’t all these set by man himself? Why can the year not begin in March or August instead? Why can February not be November and October not be July? Man attaches too much value to external signs and labels. Due to Maya (illusion), he reads too much into something that is futile and forgets his true nature.

Disciples:

Some say that the calendar may also signify a strong vibrational shift. What do you think about that Master?

Master:

Only those who are below the mind pay much attention to external factors such as astrology, astronomy or even time. Those who are below the mind will be affected by these external influences. He is enslaved by his mind and senses, and must therefore physically experience the very thing he believes in. The man who is beyond the mind is beyond time and space. He knows that the only force that exists is I AM, and that is God. Aham Brahmasmi. He always was, is and will always be. There is no such thing as ‘shifts’ for the awakened man.

Disciples:

So does this mean that those who believe that there is going to be a vibrational shift will experience such?

Master:

They will experience physical sensations as they believe it to be so. After all, the world is vibrational in nature. But they will be experiencing these experiences as a limited individual on the ego-level. An awakened man does not confine himself to a limited experience. He does not define himself as a limited being who is bound to his experiences in his flesh. The awakened man is beyond mind, space and time. He realises that the only Truth is I AM and he abides by it. Tat Twam Aasi. Thou Art That. This realisation can only come to him when he is detached from his mind and senses.

Disciples:

What about calamity then? Can man attract large scale calamity with his mind? With so many believing that the world will end, can the minds of these people create a huge catastrophe that will perhaps wipe out a huge population of the earth?

Master:

Yes. Why not? Anything can happen within a blink of an eye. Life is after all only a multi-faceted dream. You think the world exists, but it does not. It is only a mere projection of the mind. Just as you can be walking on the street during your night dreams and flying the next second, so can the world be peaceful and rocked with catastrophe in the next moment. It’s just a dream that seems real. The mind plays the best games possible, including tricking you into believing that you exist. The individual ego that believes it exists is in fact the product of the Mind, which can also in turn influence the arrangement of the Universal Mind. Existence is nothing but Mind. So be weary of what you think and dwell upon. A man by the name of Walter Lord wrote a book many years ago titled “A Night to Remember”. In his book, he spoke of a great Atlantic liner of 800 feet long. She was triple screw and could carry a capacity of 3000 passengers. As this liner was unsinkable, she carried very few lifeboats and she could make 24 knots. The author wrote about how the ship was filled up with rich people one night and sank on an iceberg in the Atlantic. 14 years later, in real life, the White Star Line built a ship which was also 800 feet long, triple screw, could make 24 knots and could also carry 3000 passengers. One night, the ship was also filled up with rich people (most of the wealthiest people in Europe were sailing that ship that night) and she too sank on an iceberg! So you see. This fictional ship conceived by the author, who unknowingly lined up his thoughts for the creation of future events, materialised anyway with the exact same characteristics as he had conceived in his mind! So yes. A huge catastrophe could take place in this world if there are enough people who believe in it.

Disciple:

Is there any way to counter other people’s thoughts then Master?

Master:

You will only experience that which you believe to be true. There is no need to counter other people’s thoughts. You will experience exactly what you believe in. You will not experience in the flesh the experiences that which do not resonate with your thoughts. At the end of the day, divinity shines in its full glory when the veil of Maya (illusion) is removed.

The feeling of vengeance is borne out of ignorance; the idea that you are a victim of other people's actions and your circumstances. What good is vengeance for? All the negative thoughts that you hold towards another will only harm you instead.

Remember, one can never escape the law of karma whether it is created by thoughts, words or actions. Those who have "harmed" you in any way at all have already punished themselves by their own thoughts. As a man thinketh, so is he. When they give out negative thoughts, they can only draw negative circumstances into their lives. Similarly, when you, in wanting to take vengeance, emit such negative vibrations, you can only draw back the equivalent results. You do not harm another more than you harm yourself in wanting to take vengeance.

All your experiences were drawn to you by your own mind. Therefore, to change your circumstances, change your mindset!

If you simply cannot release the idea of wanting to take vengeance against another who has "harmed" you in some ways, then the best vengeance is to live the best life you can! Be as happy as you can! Those who put you down are vibrating at a negative thought-frequency and can therefore not stand the sight of other people's happiness. Vibrating at such a negative frequency, how far can they go in life? To be angry and sad over their actions is to give them the gold medal for having successfully ruined your life. Why let others sculpt your life for you?

So, go out and be happy! Forget all that they have ever done to you. Forgive and forget. They have already punished themselves. Vibrating at such a negative frequency, how far can they go in life? They are miserable people, which is why they try to make other people's lives miserable too. There is no need to pity them, but be compassionate and understand that the reason behind their actions is due to ignorance. When the day comes that they too realise that their thoughts and actions will define their lives, they too will begin to change for the better. After all, who does not want to experience happiness and fulfillment? Enjoy your Sunday!

Today is Deepavali day. A holy Deepavali to all of you. Now tell me, what is Deepavali? Deepavali is known to be the festival of lights. People regard this day as the day of victory of good over evil. Define for me what is “good” and what is “bad”? These are just labels produced by the mind. In fact, one cannot exist without the other. In this world of duality, where there is good, there must also be bad because for the human mind to comprehend the good, he or she must first know what is bad. Similarly, to know happiness, one must also be acquainted with sadness. This is what we call the existence of duality, which does not reflect man’s true innate nature of the Self. Man must therefore ascend this world of duality to experience his divine state of Sat, Chit and Ananda. To grasp this Truth, the mind must first know how to discriminate the illusion that it has projected itself first.

People celebrate Deepavali with new clothes, gifts, food and all. It has become some sort of a New Year celebration for many Indians around the world today, but is that really the message behind the celebration of Deepavali? What is this festival of lights that we are talking about here? Does it refer to the lamps we light at the side of the street or in front of our houses? All these are again mere projections of the mind. The true light lies within! Although many spiritual aspirants speak of lighting the lamp within, my question is how can you light any light within when you are verily light itself? To say that you would like to light the lamp within would defy the fact that you are the Divine light that pervades the entire universe. You simply cannot light something that already is. This ‘Light’ is the Great White Spirit that is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. We are referring to this ocean of ‘Light’ of the Great White Spirit.

People say they are doing this and that in order to achieve Moksha (or liberation), but the Great White Spirit is never bound. So, what liberation are you seeking for? It is just your limited ego and mind that perceive that there is something for you to work towards to in order to secure a fruit. From this ego-level of existence, no doubt liberation is important, but if you by allowing yourself to just be, you cannot be anyone or anything whom you are not! Just be and you will realise that you are not this limited physical body but the Great White Spirit itself.

There is no light for you to light within. Light is ever present even before the creation of your individual soul. The individual soul is made up of the same light that the table is created of. Even your house is made up of the same light. The entire cosmos is nothing but this divine ‘Light’. It is the mind that is responsible for differentiating the forms of matter. We see matter existing as different forms due to the different vibratory rates or frequencies interpreted by the mind. However, essentially, the underlying source is the same whether it is an animal, plant, man or even this bottle here. The Source of these manifestations does not differ for each form.

Therefore, release your ego-vision and just be. Let the Divine Light shine through you.

Disciple:

But Master, how do we let the light shine? Sometimes we think that we are already allowing the light to shine, but it may actually not be so?

Master: The Divine Light is shining regardless of whether you consciously know it or not. It is shining all the time and this is something that you cannot fight. You only think this Light does not exist because of the limited mind and ego. It is the mind that makes you see as if you and the light are separate but the Light is your very essence. How can you be separate from it? The Light is you and you are the Light. You just are. You are not what you think you see. We all may appear to the five senses as being different, but the underlying Source is one and the same! It gives no regards to your physical appearances. Only the five senses perceive that there is space and matter. As I have mentioned earlier, only the differences in the vibratory rates make the mind perceive things as being different and separate from each other but in fact, there is only one all-pervasive energy and that is the Divine Light of the Great White Spirit. The Bible states that man is made in the image of God. Even the Bhagavad Gita says that that God made himself into the many so that he can know Himself! You are! Tat Twam Aasi! (Thou Art That!) There is neither you nor me. Nothing exists except that one potent force. So, which part of the universe that is not part of you? There is nothing and nowhere which you are not. You are everything, yet you are nothing. You are that all-pervasive force that scriptures proclaim as God.

So, people say Deepavali is the day of victory of good over evil. There is no such thing as good and bad. Both qualities of good and bad are just the interpretations of the mind. In fact, both are God. Everything just is. This is the state of being – God. What victory do you seek to gain? Victory was already yours even before you were born. It already is. God is described as being omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent. The very word “omnipotent” suggests infinite power and since you are part of this all-pervasive field of divinity, how can victory not be yours? It must have already therefore been granted even before existence itself.

However, if we are speaking in terms of this ego-level of existence, victory can be sought but you will not find it from without, but within. Only from the Source can you obtain true victory. Relying on circumstances will not grant you victory.

Disciple:

Does this refer to attachment, Master?

Master:

No, it is not exactly attachment but delusion. But yes, you can say that it is partly one’s attachment to the senses that makes man think whatever he perceives with his five senses as being real and conclusive. If the mind is the cause of your circumstances and experiences, how can one gain victory by relying on his or her circumstances then? If you were to rely on your mind that created the havoc in the first place, to turn your attention to your surrounding circumstances, expecting to find a solution to your problem is nothing but foolishness. Since you cannot find the peace and the solution ‘out there’, then what you must do is to turn within. So what is true victory? The true victory lies within. You are the powerhouse of infinite wisdom and there is nothing that is impossible unto you. No problem is ever too big for the Great White Spirit to solve if only you would seek within. So turn within today. All the solutions and answers you ever seek for are all in you and not in the projections of your mind!

Today, we are going to talk about living. If we want to live, we will first need to learn how to die. That is the Truth. A lot of people who live their life think that life is eternal. Of course, life is really eternal in the spiritual sense, but in terms of one’s physical existence, everything will still one day come to an end. There is nothing eternal except what we call God or the Great White Spirit. Before you can understand and appreciate this privilege given to you called Life, you must first learn how to die. Know that nothing lasts forever. So, you will have to appreciate every single moment that you have been given in life.

Let me explain why I say that we must learn to die. Interpret my words fourth-dimensionally. In this world of duality, it is one state or the other – alive or dead. For example, when you give life to an ideal, its counterpart is sentenced to death. Let’s say the ideal is to be wealthy. When you have imbued your subconscious mind with the ideal of being wealthy, then the ideal of poverty simply cannot be part of your attention too.

So, if you want to experience the ideal of being wealthy on this third-dimensional plane, you must sentence to death the idea of poverty in your mind. Similarly, if you want to tread on the path of spirituality to realise the God within you, all desires for worldly material pursuit will also eventually die down. This does not mean that you will have to give up the needs to sustain the physical body. Of course it will be necessary to satisfy the basic necessities such as shelter, food, water and clothes. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But do not cast yourself in misery and suffer for running after material pursuits that are not even going to go with you into the grave when you are buried 6-feet underground (The Master’s joke: That is if you do get buried. If the body is cremated, the ashes will be spread all over the place, isn’t it? Not a trace of you can be seen by the naked eye.)

So, what is this thing called material or worldly desires that people will even resort to murder to satisfy them? Do they last? They don’t! Do they offer you happiness? They don’t! Many people have this misconception thinking that when they get something, only then they will be very happy. Do you notice how many of you would say: “Oh dear Lord (or God or even Santa Clause – whatever you wish to call), please give me this or that. If you give this or that to me, I will be very happy!” Happiness should not be subjective! It should be a state that you live at all times. Why put a clause that only when you get a particular object, you will be happy? In other words, you are postponing happiness! Why postpone happiness when you can be happy now? Happiness is in the NOW; it is living in the present moment and not postponing it to a later date. When you do that, happiness will never come and you will never ever be happy because desires are never-ending. They continuously build up. There is no ceiling of desires. So, if you continue saying that you will only be happy when you get this or that, you will never ever be happy in your whole lifetime because for every single desire, you are already repeating to yourself: “If I get this, I WILL be very happy” In other words, you are not going to be happy until you have it! And this is not only for one desire – it is for all desires.

Man is very strange. Instead of taking the power to be responsible for his life and say that he is going to be happy now, he always chooses to reaffirm in his mind that he will only be happy at a later time. That is the reason for rebirths. People reincarnate again because there are so many unfulfilled desires. When you plant the seed in the divine garden of your mind (thoughts), inevitably the seed must grow. It is just a matter of time.

We talk about karma all the time. It is especially popular in the Asian culture. But, what is karma really? The general idea is that karma is when you have done something bad to another that you will eventually reap the negative fruit after that. To most people, karma is generally something negative. But the Truth is, karma can also be positive. Karma is not only limited to what you do unto others or yourself physically, but also mentally. You are in fact, committing karma at all times. To think of something is karma. When you think about hitting a mosquito, even that is karma! When you think about being poor, that is karma. You are exercising karma at all times. In fact, karma simply means “action”. It can be physical actions, or even mental actions. When you think good or bad about people, situations or even yourself, it is exercising karma. What you sow is what you will reap. You cannot possibly plant a mango seed and expect a papaya tree to grow out of it. Many people do not play their parts well in life but expect heaven to rain on them. They expect to be showered with diamonds but they do not work for them. How do you expect to have a good life when you keep dwelling on the bad? You cannot expect to have all your needs fulfilled when you keep focusing on lack. You cannot expect to have wonderful friends to surround you when you keep focusing on your enemies. What you pay attention to in your life is what comes into your experience! That is why I said earlier, to live, you must first learn how to die! There is no other way than this.

If you want to fly a plane but you have fear for flying, so what must die? Your fear for flying must die. It must be removed before you can actually find courage to step into the plane to fly it. Remember this: where is there room for fear when you are the infinite Being that pervades the entire Universe? Why be afraid? Nothing is impossible unto you so long you believe in it. People are afraid of height because their physical senses perceive the gap between where they are and the plane. They think that they are separated by space between the sky and the ground. But a wise one knows that there is only One infinite energy that pervades the entire Universe. Therefore, the energy that is present in the form of a plane is also present in you and also any space perceived by the five senses. There is only ONE Source, an energy differentiated into many forms, which includes space visible to the naked eye. Therefore, it is only illusion that creates fear.

Life is so precious. Man is born to realise the ultimate goal, the reality of the Self. There is nothing more important than knowing the Self because man’s misery is due to ignorance. All conflicts, unrest, jealousy, hatred and anger are due to people seeing differences between each other. Man even fights with himself when he says that he is not good enough for this or that, what more with his brothers and sisters who are seemingly separate from him? How could you be not good enough for anything when you are all there is – all knowledge and wisdom lie within You? The Bible states that man is made in the image of God. How can man be useless then when God is deemed the Almighty? Isn’t it hypocrisy then to claim that God is Almighty while man is nothing?

Only when you have finally learned to accept that life is merely momentary and you must make the most out of it, you will do what is necessary. You will not do the things that you think will bring you pleasure but those that you believe will serve the purpose of giving the feeling of fulfilment Ask yourself what you will do if you know that you will leave the physical frame tomorrow and live every day to its fullest. Man often takes things for granted. He always thinks there is still time, especially when he is young.

“I am young, so there is still plenty of time. I’ll do this tomorrow.” – That’s what all procrastinators think! But you know what? When tomorrow comes, you will still think that you have time, and put the task off for another ‘tomorrow’. Work then starts to pile up and in the end, nothing gets done! We find very few dynamic individuals these days. Majority of the people are complacent because they take time for granted.

Sure, from the spiritual perspective, there is no such thing as time because time is not linear. Nevertheless, man is entrapped in a physical body and exists as a physical identity on this objective plane. One is therefore still governed by this thing called ‘time’! So why waste time? Time is precious. Do not ever take things for granted. All that you are supposed to do today should be completed today, and not to be put off till tomorrow. Imagine if you have 10 tasks to do today, completing only one of them will give you an additional 9 tasks for tomorrow. This totals up to 19 tasks for tomorrow. Why the unnecessary headache?

Man also often finds himself facing dilemma when it comes to making decisions because he has so many options. These options include unimportant things. So ask yourself, if you had only limited time left to live (which we all do), what will you do? Your decision will be based on what you deem to be important, and not that which will grant you temporary happiness. If you had only one more day to live in this body, I doubt that taking a walk down to the ice cream stall to satisfy your senses will be deemed an important task. Because you know that time is limited, you begin to start living. So start living because our physical timeframe for each life is limited. Make full use out of it out of the remaining time that you have left to live. Only those who take life for granted will complain about how terrible life is for them, ignorant that there are many who wish to live a little longer but do not have the chance.

So, fill the day with things that are meaningful. Do the things that make you feel good and fulfilled. Life is not about merely making yourself happy, but making other people’s lives happy too. When you leave the body, you would not want to leave with regrets. Do you think you are going to turn back and say you have lived a fulfilled life when you have only lived for yourself? What pride is there? People will remember you by the name you leave behind based on the service that you have rendered to them.

Let us move on to the trinity of Goddesses – Lakshmi, Saraswaty and Durga. Again, most people separate them as three different forms. In reality, they are one and the same. The different forms are only symbolic of different aspects of life. Lakshmi is known as the Goddess of Wealth. True wealth does not refer to mere paper that people have attributed monetary value to, but spiritual wealth. Spiritual wealth symbolises contentment.

You are the all-pervasive one that permeates the entire universe – Brahman. What else do you crave for when everything is within you, belongs to you and IS YOU? You already ARE.

The second popular form of the Goddess is Saraswaty. She is known as the Goddess of wisdom or knowledge. Most people pray to this form in hope that their intellectual capacity to retain bookish knowledge be expanded.

Students want to score high grades and to whom do they turn to? That’s right, Saraswaty Devi. In fact, Goddess Saraswaty’s title is not as the Goddess of wisdom means much more than helping her devotees retain bookish knowledge. She denotes spiritual wisdom that one must live from in their everyday life. Only with wisdom can one be void of misery and attain liberation from Maya (illusion).

The third form is Goddess Durga. She is the symbol of strength. Those who crave for status and power turn to her, seeking Her blessings to gain worldly recognition. But what the Goddess truly is, is the representation of spiritual strength. When you have set your mind to do something, proceed with it. Exercise your willpower that has been gifted to you at birth. If one lacks willpower, there is not much vigour to continue living a purposeful life. Spiritual strength is within you.

Do not be mistaken that physical strength is the one responsible in sustaining the body. In fact, any strength comes from the life force within. Harness spiritual strength, and physical strength will follow. That is why when someone ‘dies’, the body is left lifeless because the life force has already left the physical frame. Without this life force, what strength does the physical body have left? This proves that strength is not gained from the physical body but is actually derived from the soul. Therefore, nourish your subtle body first as it will directly influence the condition of your physical frame. Everything starts from the subtle world before it manifests on this objective plane. Diseases are merely the result of a sick mind.

Actually elephants are very intelligent animals. That is why there is a phrase saying that an elephant never forgets. Why do you think Ganesha is depicted as a symbol of an elephant? That is because, an elephant never forgets. The message is not only applicable to mundane matters, but also to the true nature of the Self.

So, everyone should be like Ganesha. He symbolizes Intelligence – Higher Intelligence. He is the representation of our Intellect. That is to say, you are to invoke your Intellect to live the wisdom of not forgetting the higher Self. This is the significance of Ganesh.

Also, why do you think that Ganesh is depicted as half man and half animal? It is the representation of duality. While man exists in the body, he is still governed by some animal instincts for survival. Ganesh is depicted as half man and half animal to give the best representation of achieving balance between both.

The final goal is still to let Atma (Great White Spirit) shine through you with all its luster. Only Atma is permanent while the rest are just fleeting. Man is still sleeping. People go to work, return home, eat, bathe, sleep and repeat the same cycle again every single day. This is the world of the sleeping man. I am not saying that you should not go through these processes. Everyone has to go through these processes somehow in this world today that is governed by only by monetary value. But one must be clear whether they are allowing these daily ‘chores’ to control their lives, which result in misery, or if they are the ones who are in control of them – doing these things because they feel that it is righteous in their heart. To be the slave or the master of life is the ultimate question that man must ask himself.

Do not be the slave of your daily chores. Do not be the slave of your desire. Release them and turn within. Enquire within yourself what purpose you should set for yourself in life. When you do the work of Spirit (what is prompted from within), everything will fall into place. It’s like flowing with the course of the river. This river is Spirit. When you fight against the current, you are bound to be exhausted. Even if you were to walk beside a river, you will only be able to walk at a particular speed. If however you immerse yourself in the water and just release any resistance, following the flow of the river within you, the current of the water will bring you further than what you can cover by foot walking beside it. So, release all tension and listen within. Let this course of the river within you guide you. You will never go wrong.

Sometimes, you may question if you are on the right path when you see others moving towards a different direction. You feel alone and wonder if you are making a mistake for going down this path that you have chosen. Ask yourself, does it feel right? If it does, then it is only righteous that you tread down this path. If you fight the course of the river of Spirit, its current is so strong that somehow, it will push you back there again. So why fight it? You can resist for awhile, but what must be fulfilled, must be fulfilled. Just let go now and listen to the inner promptings of the Self. Do the work of Spirit and you will be amazed how many people will come your way to help you fulfil the mission you came back here to accomplish. When you live by the principle of the Self, somehow you will never go wrong. You will have the necessary vigour and stamina to lead a fulfilled and purposeful life. Seeing your example, people will begin to question, “How come he or she is able to do this or that whereas I cannot?” They will begin to seek the secret that you seem to keep, only to find out later that there is actually no secret at all. Eventually, the sleeping man will realise that he has been dreaming his entire life into being all the while but was merely unaware of this. The awakened man does the work of Spirit to light this fire of wisdom within his brothers who are still yet to awake to this Truth.

(The Master hands the Holy Vedas to disciples)

It is tradition that people always pray to Ganesh first before any prayer. The spiritual significance of this demonstrates the importance of invoking the Intellect before proceeding with any task. When you use your Intellect to live your life, you will always remember of your true nature. Ganesh is also said to be the ‘remover of obstacles’. When you know the true nature of the Self, you will realise that your Intellect is the one responsible in governing your mind. Where is there room for obstacles then?

When you turn to Higher Intelligence (otherwise known as divine wisdom), you shall rid from yourself all desires because you will know that “I AM I”. Nothing is impossible to God, the infinite, all-pervasive and all-powerful Great White Spirit, which is none other than the Self. Thus, there is no goal ever too big to realise in life. You can fulfill any mission that you have set for yourself and there will be nothing that can come your way to stop you from realizing it because it already IS.

Therefore, before you assume any task, let the Intellect be your guide. Let it be your friend. In fact, the Intellect is neither the guide nor a friend. There will be one day when you have risen to realise that the Intellect is none other than you. There is no separation. In this world of duality, people explain the mind and Intellect as though they are separate from them. The Truth is, the mind and Higher Intelligence is all-pervasive just like the Self. Neither the mind nor the Intellect is a mere faculty.

The mind perceives that objects are separate from each other and there is space in between each object. It is in fact, a mere trick of the mind. Under a certain microscopic instrument, you will be able to see that both ‘space’ and your body are made from the same Source – energy. There is no difference between the object perceived and you. That is why in the Buddhist Heart Sutra, it asks you to “know that form does not differ from space and space does not differ from form. Form is in fact, space, and space is in fact, form.”

So awaken and know your true nature! You are not merely a being encapsulated within flesh. You are not here to merely sleep, eat and work. You are here to realise this Truth. You may take days, months, years, or even many births to realise the Truth, but one day, you must still realise this. Eventually, everyone has to reach this destination.

(The Master chants the Vedas to end the session)

Disciple:

Master, I have an issue that needs clarification. What exactly do you mean by "when destiny arrives"? You have quoted this statement many times. I'm preparing this topic for our meditation circle tomorrow in New York. I thought that destiny is in our hands. Why do we then wait for destiny to arrive?

The Master:

All possibilities exist at this point of our existence. Time is not linear in the expansive reality of the Self, but when limited to our physical existence, time seems to appear linear. Destiny is in your hands (when the ego-self still exists). However, from the realm and perspective of the Absolute, destiny just is (the multitude of possibilities). Hence my quote "when destiny arrives" (in relation to the realm that your ego-self recognizes; a selective limited physical reality).

Disciple:

Master, the philosophy is quite deep. I could only understand a little from whatever you have just said. So basically we do not create our destiny, but rather wait for it to come?

The Master:

My dear, what else can we create when the Bible clearly states that "creation is already finished"? All possibilities exist NOW. Time is not linear from the view of the Absolute. But from the view of the finite ego-self, time is linear and Maya (illusion) plays with your mind making you think that you (the ego-self) are the creator of the cascade of life. However, what your ego-self is aware of, IS already existing in the Absolute. This therefore gives rise to the question of the existence of Freewill. Freewill exists when perceived from a finite ego-self, but does not exist at all if perceived from the view of the Absolute. How else can God be omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient if the Absolute did not already know and provide for a particular possibility to exist even before the thought arose in the limited mind of Man? Remember that the Absolute, the Great White Spirit (otherwise known as God), is a state beyond everything (including the mind, intellect and even existence itself). The seeming existence of duality brought about by Maya (illusion) only exists within IT, but to merge with the state of the Absolute would mean the dissolution of everything so that IT does not even know IT exists.

Disciple:

So basically, we do not actually have freewill, which we so believe to possess. If we think that we have freewill, we are just talking from a limited ego-self of existence. We are actually beyond the limited existence of the body. We are the Supreme Being (Atma), and so, any of our physical sensation or experience is just the unfolding of the petals that covers our true identity, the Self. Am I right?

The Master:

That is correct.

Disciple:

This gives me the answer to the big question as to the existence of freewill that lingered in my head for so many years. Thank you for the clarification. If what I understood from what you have just said is correct, Master, then our bodily existence is basically just likened to a machinery receiving orders from within, which includes our so-called desires, sensations and even goals. All are motivated from within. But what I don't understand is, since the inner Self is all good, why is it that some people are compelled to commit 'bad' crimes / mistakes?

The Master:

A very good question. What is "bad" and what is "Good" is the absence of "bad", and "bad" is the absence of "good". Without BAD, you can never know GOOD, and vice versa. They have a relative existence my dear. One simply cannot exist without the other because they complement each other. Furthermore, "bad" and "good" are just terms that Man have come up with to define what suits their bodily practices as being "right" or "wrong". They are merely used to govern a familiar cycle.

For example, vegetarians believe that meat-eating is "bad" and "wrong". However, meat-eating lovers do not define that practice as so. Therefore, I put it to you that "bad" and "good" are just terms that can carry any meaning relative to what resonates to the individual's ego-existence.

The Self just is. All promptings are from within. Life itself is just a divine drama. As scriptures say, Man is made in the image of God. In fact, all beings are sparks of divinity; God. Life as you see it is just a mirage. It is not real, but a dream. When you see a tiger eating the flesh of another animal, why then does Man not say that it is "bad"? Surely you cannot force the tiger to be vegetarian? It is the prompting of the inner instinct that dwells within them to maintain the order of nature.

There is nothing at fault here to explain the existence of such so-called 'brutality' except we can only say that it is the manifestation of different levels of the infinite divine Intelligence that is responsible in governing the way one thinks and behaves. The thinner the veil of Maya (illusion) that impairs the divine vision of Man, the greater the light of the Self emanates from him, and a more meaningful and spiritual life he will lead.

Those who have committed crimes too are sparks of divinity. However, their minds have been heavily clouded by the veil of Maya, which is yet to be unveiled to allow the beauty of the Self to shine forth.

Disciple:

These words are very profound. I cannot easily digest them but I am trying to. Even though I do not entirely understand the lesson, nonetheless, your words resonate very strongly with my heart. I only hear my spirit whispering yes, yes, yes even though my limited ego-self cannot fully comprehend it yet.

The Master:

Nothing that I have said is profound or philosophical. The Law just is. Divinity just is. As I have said earlier, it is the manifestation of different levels of Spirit Intelligence that determines one's level of understanding. As the mind is clear and free from impurity, all these become clear.

What is the most important thing when you are about to do something, or to set yourself a goal? The answer is obviously ‘Willpower’. I believe everyone here has a goal, but have you ever asked yourself what are the elements necessary that drive one to achieve these goals?

You may dream of becoming a successful lawyer or merely to retire and enjoy life, either way, it is still a goal. But ask yourself, how are you actually going to achieve it? Do you have a plan in working towards that target or are you just letting the ideas float around your mind? You see, many people want many things; they talk but it remains a talk-show because they simply do not do it. For example, if your goal is to visit a local store downtown, you will need to get up from the floor right now to prepare yourself in getting there. You can either walk, or prepare the car to reach your destination. These are all steps that are to be taken in order to achieve your goal – to be there at the store.

The store is a physical landmark, which is visible to your 5 senses. It already requires so much of effort in order to reach that destination itself, what more the vision of the life of your dreams, which you cannot really ‘perceive’ at the moment with your physical senses?

The mind is a powerful instrument that can serve you well when you drive it towards positive-thinking. It is the mind that will steer your willpower to persist in the journey of attaining an ideal. Do you know how destructive negative thoughts can then be? When you keep repeating to yourself: “I am not good enough, I am not good enough, I am not good enough…”, you will only limit your vision of yourself to just that. Even if you really are good in the very thing that you do, because of such destructive thoughts, you will fail to see your strength as you only focus on your weaknesses. Therefore, you will then not take the necessary steps to work towards your goal. After all, since you are “not good enough”, why bother?

Therefore, I suggest to all of you that if you have a goal, list out exactly the ideal that you wish to actualise. Do not just say that you have this goal and leave it as that. Specify what exactly that you want in your life. For example, if to be a high-court judge is your goal, then put on that judge robe in your mind’s eye. That is the most natural outcome of having your dream fulfilled. Experience it in your mind as if you were to experience it in the flesh.

Not many people actually take their time to list down the characteristics of what they deem as ‘success’. They merely highlight that they want to be this or that, and then just let it go. Little do they know that somehow, over time, because they cannot see their goal clearly in their minds (memory can be fallible), their dreams slowly vanish into thin air.

This is how most people fail their willpower. They are not serious enough about their goal, so they do not bother pondering the characteristics of their final goal. Remember that willpower never fails anyone. Each and every one of you have this willpower within. Everyone is given the necessary resources in order to succeed in life, but it is up to you as to how you use these resources accompanied with the right techniques. With willpower, you can go wherever you wish to go and do whatever you wish to do in life. It is this inner volition (willpower) that is responsible for all movements in the Universe. Even if one were to lift a finger, it requires willpower to do so.

Everything is possible. What is within has to materialise without. Many owe their destiny to luck instead of having faith that destiny is in their hands. Various religious scriptures have also proclaimed the same thing:

The Bible states: “Whatsoever things ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.”

The Buddhist scripture says: “You are the result of what you have thought.”

Hindu Vedic scripture also says: “Yad Bhavam Tat Bhavati”(As is the feeling, so is the result).

All these refer to the feeling that you embody within you, which must objectify as your surrounding circumstances.

Some of you then may complain about the obstacles you encounter along your path in working towards a goal. Everyone faces obstacles. It is how you overcome these obstacles that are most important. When you possess a strong willpower, it can push you through all the challenges that come your way and you are sure to succeed. If however, you do not possess the sufficient willpower within, you will not be fired up enough to overcome whatsoever challenges that may come your way. Those who fall under this category will just opt to let go of their ideal instead of fighting towards it.

It is vital for one who wants to be the master of his circumstances to know the nature of the mind. The Universal Law is working all the time, but not everyone takes the time to analyse the state of their minds. After having dwelled on unfavourable mental images and when these images objectify as their surrounding reality, they go on and say: “Oh my God, why am I facing this?” or “My luck is down”. They remember not that they were the ones who were responsible for it in the first place. If you dwell in accidents, accidents you will attract. Dwell on thoughts of poverty, poverty is what you get. No one else is to be blamed except yourself! It is due to fallible memory that you have forgotten that you have dwelled in that state to have caused it to come into being. Having made that bed, you must now sleep in it. Stop blaming others or your circumstances or your life.

Once you have defined your goal, work towards it. In order to move from one place to another, you have to step on the accelerator pedal. The car isn’t going to move by just sitting in the car. The same applies to willpower. At the beginning of working towards an ideal, many people are so fired up that they step on the pedal with full force and the car speeds. However, after some time, they just take their foot off the accelerator pedal but still expect the car to move. That is the sign of weak willpower. With that, friction takes over, and the vehicle will come to a halt. Therefore, you must constantly keep yourself in check. Willpower is not a part-time job; it is not a 5-minutes thing. It has to be continuous. You have to maintain that strength in order to attain any goal in life. Persevere until you have reached your destination! That is what we call by exerting your willpower!

Procrastination is by far the worse habit in weakening the willpower. Whatsoever that you need to do, do it now. Putting off your tasks for tomorrow will only ensure failure because when tomorrow comes, your fire of determination would have been dimmed and once again, out of laziness, you will procrastinate again. Finally, you end up doing nothing. For those procrastinators who have deadlines to meet, you may feel the fire of willpower burning towards the last minute because you will work under pressure, knowing that it is compulsory to submit that particular project or else you will be out of your job or fail your examinations. But what about your goals to succeed in life? These have no specific deadlines. Since success can be secured at any stage of your life, one does not feel the push to do whatever that is necessary to achieve it. Therefore, many people put their dreams of success for later. Then, days pass by, weeks pass by, months pass by and finally years pass by, and you realise that you still have not budged in working towards your goal. For those who are already in their middle-age, you then say to yourself, I had this dream but I am now too old to work towards it. So you let the dream melt away and you remain feeling unfulfilled. Although age is never a problem, people constantly use age as an excuse. So do it now! Whatever it is that you want, work towards it now! Do not procrastinate and stop blaming your circumstances! Exercise your willpower to see that your goals come to pass.

Opportunities are abundant. They present themselves everywhere, but you need to be open-minded in order to reach out to them. People are so rigid in their thinking these days. Many are not happy being stuck in a job that they dread so much, but are unable to leave because they lack the necessary willpower to do so. They say: “Oh, I have studied this in University, so I can only remain in this job field.” This is absolute nonsense! I know a person who has a Masters in Engineering opening up a hamburger store. When I asked him whether he feels that his certificate in Engineering is wasted, he replied that he knows for sure that this is his passion, and that his certificate will never go to waste because the theory of Engineering he studied in University can also be applied in his business.

So remember, when you force yourself to do something, you are not going to achieve anything because you will lack the necessary willpower to reach the top. You will need to listen within and ask yourself what exactly that you want and just go for it. Too many questions and the use of logic whether or not a goal is worthy of you cannot benefit you in any way. When you have set yourself a goal, you obviously would have thought that you are worthy of that goal in the first place. You would not have set a goal if the goal did not make you feel good. You set it because when you thought about it, you felt exhilarated and enthusiastic in achieving it. But if you don’t do something to achieve it now, over time, your energy will get depleted and you will cast the entire idea as something unrealistic because you cannot see your progress towards it. So, continue moving. Do something that will bring your dreams to come into being. Take step-by-step. They need not be very major steps, but every small step will bring you closer to your ideal. That is how you strengthen your willpower.

Set yourself small goals and really do it. Whether it is to go for a walk in the evening or to read a chapter of a particular book tonight, do it! If you keep setting goals in your mind, and just end up not doing them, the willpower is severely affected. Imagine the willpower as a friend of yours who is ever ready to help you in all your endeavours. If you keep telling your friend that you will do this or that, but you end up not doing them, over time, your friend will not take your words seriously. The next time you set yourself a big goal, willpower will just cast it aside saying, “It’s the same thing again, he / she will not do it. So why bother?”

Your goal of success will then not be anywhere nearer to you because your willpower itself has already lost its momentum. Someone once said that it takes 7 days to form a good habit, but takes only 1 second to break it. So train your willpower, you must!

So many people have come up to me and started the conversation with: "Oh, how I wish I could ...... (fill in the blank)."

My blunt reply was always, "STOP WISHING! JUST DO IT!"

Their response was always almost the same: "But I can't... I am not like so and so... I don't have the talent / time etc. (whatever it may be, you name it!)"

Instead of harnessing their inner talents and all the resources available out there, they simply choose to dwell on what they think to be the source of their mediocre life. These are merely excuses used to account for their complacency. Saying you wished you were someone else is as good as standing in front of a wishing well, wishing for one million dollars to rain on you!

Face it! You will never be like someone else, at least not entirely! Different people have different likes and dislikes. You may have an inclination towards some interests, which others do not feel the passion for. So find that thing! What makes your heart thump? What is it that really makes you feel complete?

If you want to achieve something, go all the way out to achieve it. Otherwise, don't even say how you "wished" for it to be so, because in reality, you don't! If you are not serious enough to go all the way to achieve something, then you are not really "wishing" deep down for it to materialise. You are just comparing yourself with another individual, feeling that you have fallen short of his / her achievement. You did not really "want" to have that person's life, you are just accustomed to the feeling of self-pity! Be very careful there - this also poses a danger for one to breed the negative qualities of envy and jealousy.

So why all these unnecessary baggage when you can live the life that you really want to? Ask your heart, what is it that you really want to achieve in your life? Write it down, and look at it every day to remind yourself of your goal! Visualise in your mind how your life would be when your goal has already been achieved. And what is more important, don't just sit back and do nothing! Do something every day to bring yourself closer to your goal!

If it is a book that you want to write, do some research to see if other people have written the book already. If you were to write another book that is similar to the others, determine the key areas as to why your book is better than theirs?! If your book is to be 300 pages long, you can complete the book within 1 year if you were to write 1 page per day!

It may be a small step, and it may seem slow, but every step will bring you closer to the Ultimate result! Isn't that better than just sitting around doing things that do not give you the sense of fulfilment of purpose? Taking one step at a time will eventually bring you to the end of the ladder (whichever one you chose to climb), and you will then find another ladder to begin your new adventure. Having done that, you would no longer need to remain in the realm of "wishful thinking" for you would have already achieved what you had wanted to achieve.

So start now! Dream your wildest dreams! Regardless of what others have to say, just do your part, and you will reap exactly what you have sown.

If Man realises that the other people that he meets along the way are but his own reflections, he will not think twice to lend a hand. Man is calculative because of his own ignorance. If he regards all as part of himself, he will see no distinction between the people around him. Just as you would not treat your right arm with more care than your left arm, you will not treat others, whom you know are part of you any differently.

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