The Natural State

As some of you have already noticed, this meeting is the most important encounter for you, even though we are dealing with something unusual, which we call the Natural State. Although it is your Natural State, it is rather unusual. It is quite paradoxical. How can something so natural be unusual? Nevertheless, we are also dealing with a fact: you cannot easily find a human being who is entirely happy. Real Happiness is still a rare thing. A fulfilled and self-realized human being is the one who is living in his/her Natural State, which means knowing the Truth about oneself, no longer living in the illusion. Illusion is commonplace. Non-illusion is the Natural State. Your job here is to discover the Truth about Yourself.

We are calling True State as your Natural State, which is this Consciousness present without effort. There is no need for anything special, no acquisition for This to be present. This Naturalness is free from all and any influence of the mind, from all forms of conditioning. Thus, it is something easy to be intellectually understood; but, paradoxically, it is something difficult to be experienced, due to all this set of conditioning, ideas, beliefs, because of all this programming of fear and desire.

When we use the term “Natural State,” we are talking about this present Consciousness, clear, pure, free from fear and desire. "Natural State" is just another expression, a set of words, but it is not the Truth. It is not the State itself. At this very moment, there is this State, which is Consciousness, speaking and listening. Therefore, this phenomenon of speaking and listening appears within that Consciousness, which is this State. So, we are facing something simple, natural, but the mind has made it complex and difficult to perceive.

You exist as Consciousness! As Consciousness, you are prior to this common state of the mind. You are prior to thoughts and feelings, perceptions and emotions. You are prior to birth itself. After all, what is birth but an idea?

When you wake up in the morning, you have no idea of the Truth about You. The idea that comes in the morning is that you are alive to live another day, but while you are sleeping, in deep sleep, there is no idea of being alive or dead. Consciousness has no idea about itself. Only thought formulates these ideas. As Consciousness, you are neither alive nor dead. You are this Reality prior to any idea. In the morning, the thought "I" appears and, with it, the world. Isn’t it? So there come duties, obligations, sense of responsibility, and all this notion of desire and fear.

The Sages from all times say just one thing: you will never realize the Truth. It cannot be obtained. It cannot be found and will never be known. Truth is your Real Nature, and all you need to do is to get rid of the illusion about who you think you are. This is prior to the mind, to the idea "world," and the idea "I am alive and I am inside the body." So, You are where you need to be, but you do not know it. You never stopped being What You Are, but you just do not know it.

Thus, this is not the result of an adventure or an achievement in this so called “spiritual world.” Self-realization, as we call it, is the direct realization of what is present, here and now. So, everything else will be resolved, the whole illusion disappears, and as illusion disappears, Truth is already present. You are This! You are Freedom, Happiness, Wisdom and Love itself! You cannot lose your True Nature.

There are only thoughts, experiences and objects arising in Consciousness. There are thoughts but not the "thinker." There are actions but not the "author," the "doer" of these actions. This is your Real Nature. So, we are talking about something Natural, not something special. You carry this sense of separation and this illusion of thinking, doing, feeling; that is, the illusion of being someone. Although rare, some people are realizing the Truth of what is Natural, the Truth of their own Being; and this discovery is fascinating.

Therefore, Enlightenment is not a matter in the future, or something that has been lost in the past and now it was necessary to regain it. You will not become enlightened tomorrow, because "tomorrow" is only an imagination, another idea of the thought itself about future. You are your own Home! You are not walking towards It. It is already present, because You are here and now. So, you're already at home. As I said, this is somewhat paradoxical.

However, in the mind it is like this: what is present is like it wasn’t, and what is not present is like it was. You fell into a trap set up by illusion, by the movement of thought, which we call mind. Because of being in that trap, you see yourself in the past, in the present, or in the future. However, You are already the Timeless and Natural Truth, here and now. You were never born and you will not die, because you do not exist as a separate entity. If you want to know more about It, you cannot. Either you are This or you will never know anything about It! You are THAT when you awaken!

This is my work with you in Satsang: to show you your Natural State of Meditation. This is the only access you have to Yourself, the only door to this Home that is Yourself. This is a door that opens from inside, giving you access to Yourself. This talk here is not the work itself, because it happens when you are with me in Satsang, and only then all that you are listening here makes perfect sense. It is when you can access yourself and enter through that door, in this Silence, before this Presence, this Grace, this Power.

Online meeting transcription, originally held on May 19th, 2019. Online meetings every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 pm Local Time: Brazil BRT, except during retreat periods. For more information about Paltalk app and how to participate, please access: http://mestregualberto.com

Your whole heart into This!

Once again, you all are welcome to this meeting, here, via Paltalk! These meetings are always a unique moment, a perfect time for celebration. That is how all these moments of True investigation are. We meet each other in Satsang for this investigation.

There is something much greater than someone doing this investigation. There is something here much bigger than that. Every time we meet each other, we treat about it. It seems that we investigate this in order to get rid of something, to get rid of this illusion, this sense of a separate "me," and thereby to get rid of this connection with suffering, with despair, with the misery of the ego. This may appear to be like this, but, in fact, this is only an idea.

If this "separate I" is trying to accomplish something by itself, if it is trying to attain Self-realization, this liberation, through investigation, it cannot be real. Whatever this "separate I," this "illusory me," tries to do, it will always further strengthen the sense of an author, of someone doing something, and here is the illusion. Investigation does not have this purpose. It is not someone's investigation, not a separate entity trying to do something.

The curious thing is that it is only this separate entity that wants to get rid of the sense of separation. This nuisance, this suffering, this misery creates it. So, all this separate entity (this illusion of a present entity creating the suffering, this very own burden of the sense of separation, this misery always looking for something, even trying to get rid of all this, the so-called spiritual quest) is doing is about keeping that veil, strengthening that veil.

Every effort is in this direction. Every effort further strengthens this veil. The simplest thing is the most difficult one for this illusion of the I, the me, the person, because the simplest thing is to stop searching, to stop all this movement of trying to find it.

The ego has been trying to find this Happiness, this Peace, this Freedom. It tried in worldly things, and now it is trying in so-called spiritual things. It tried in materialism, and now it is trying in spiritualism or spirituality. All this search movement the egoic mind has, all this sense of someone present in pursuit of happiness, is hiding Happiness itself. The search for peace is hiding Peace itself. The search for freedom is hiding Freedom.

Sooner or later, you will have to give up on the search, will have to give up all the ego’s effort to realize the end of the ego. This endless pursuit through spiritual practices, as well as readings of books and spirituality studies, only put you further away from this Truth - the Truth of your Essential Nature, your Real Nature.

Spiritual practices, the study of spirituality, the quest for spirituality has many ramifications. There are searches, practices and readings for all tastes. This goes from religious doctrines to the study of Advaita. All this is just a great illusion - this illusion of searching. The very "I," that very sense of separation, strengthens itself, becoming more and more refined, more purified, more spiritual.

Some of you here, in this room, have experienced it, while others are still going through, are not tired of spirituality yet. Although tired of the pursuit of material achievements, you are now seeking for spiritual achievements. None of this is real. Before, used to be a materialistic “I” there, now there is a spiritualistic “I” instead. There was an "I" there that knew nothing about spirituality, now there is an "I" there that knows a lot about spirituality, even able to teach it, for so many books, so many lectures, so many teachings this “I” got.

I'm repeating this here: this attempt of the “I” to accomplish something by itself will strengthen it, either in worldly life or in spiritual life. This is the very veil that hides the reality of the ever present Truth but not allowed to flourish, to bloom, to manifest. Sooner or later, you have to get rid of all this, of your whole spirituality. You will have to get rid of the very own pursuit of the end of suffering by spiritual practices, because, deep down, you want to replace this misery, this pain, this suffering for something spiritual, and this is still the veil that covers this Reality, this Truth, this Grace of true Happiness, of true Love, of God's Present Truth, of Present Wisdom.

It sounds very strange, doesn’t it?

Ego is tireless in its quest; and here it is about the end of the search, complete emptying of all the content, both material and spiritual. You're always carrying a new practice, a new book, a new instruction, believing that any new idea will bring you closer to that, but you do not know what it is, the mind does not know what it is. This is beyond your knowledge, beyond the mind. This is present when you are not present, when the mind is not there, when the quest or this search for getting rid of suffering is not present.

There is no suffering only when there is no illusion, but not when you try to accomplish it by seeking the end of suffering. Only the end of this illusion represents the end of suffering, not by the search of the end of suffering. There is only Happiness when there is the end of this illusion - the illusion of finding Happiness in materialism or spiritualism. Happiness is the Nature of Truth. It is when there is no search - neither the search for the end of suffering nor the pursuit of happiness. This is the very veil that covers this Truth from the absence of suffering, the Real Happiness.

Are you following this?

I'm saying you cannot achieve this, you're just messing this up. All your effort is just to mess it up. This has to be under the care of the Grace, under the care of God, under the care of this Presence. This presence is the Guru, the Consciousness, God, the Truth. In other words, while this "separate I" is being considered real, it is inevitable that it will keep trying to get rid of suffering, to find happiness, to get rid of the mind.

The mind trying to get rid of itself, the "I" trying to get rid of the "I" ... can you notice the trick? Unhappiness trying to find happiness, conflict trying to find peace. All that the conflict does is to produce more conflict. All that unhappiness does is to produce more misery. All that the mind does is within the very own mind. It is only reinforcing the mind itself. My Guru, Ramana, my Master, used to say that this is like the thief dressed as a policeman trying to arrest the thief.

Perhaps, at this point of the meeting, you may ask: So, what to do?

I can assure you that there is a moment when you clearly realize, by investigation, that you are going in circles. This moment can be seen, at first, as hopeless. However, in fact, this is your big chance to give up, to stop this effort. This effort is this illusion trying to get rid of the illusion. It is the "I" trying to get rid of the "I." It is the mind trying to get rid of the mind. At this moment, surrender and abandonment happen. That's when the Grace can take over, the Presence can take over, God can take over, the Guru can take over.

This is the moment when you realize the importance of what is of utmost importance. God is the only thing that matters! The Guru is this one thing, the Truth, the Presence of Grace! At this point, at this stage, at this moment, suffering can no longer maintain itself, the illusion of separateness can no longer keep itself, the ego can no longer sustain itself - the ego in its search, in its pursuit ...

So, a window is opened immediately. Then, this window loses importance and a large gate is opened, much higher than that window. It is a gate with two side doors which are opened in pairs. This is a call of God, of Grace, of this Presence. So, you stop everything, you give up, you do not resist, you surrender. Then, the real work, for the first time, begins to happen, because you are no longer there, because there is no more this willingness to try to do this alone through your skills, techniques, capabilities ...

Participant: Master, at the final minutes, could you clarify us what Self-inquiry is?

Master: Self-inquiry means, basically, doubting about yourself, completely doubting about absolutely any power or skill/ability you may have – which actually is only the movement of the mind itself. All power or ability/capability is still the ego, from the own egoic mind. So, the expression "Who Am I" or "What am I" is not a question to find an answer. It is an exclamation, not a question.

A waiver of exclamation, of non-resistance. It means being quiet, effortlessly, without any movement, a complete surrender to this Grace, to this Presence, to this Truth that is the Self. I mean your Real Nature, your Divine Nature. The Presence of this Grace makes it bloom, awaken. This Self-inquiry means your whole heart into This, your whole life into that exclamation! It is not a mere intellectual question, verbal one. It is not a formula that is repeated like a mantra ...

The difficulty that you feel here, at this moment, is that you do expect me to give you a formula, that I do exactly what the books are doing to you, for you - they are giving  you formulas.

Truth is something very alive, very real. What is not alive might be found at some point; what is alive is moving... A body wrapped in swaddling is a mummy, and you can find it, you find that body wrapped in swaddling. Truth is not a coiled body in bands. Truth is not wrapped in words, in knowledge, in practices, experiences, techniques ... Truth is not a wrapped body with this whole thing. Truth is something alive! Truth is alive. You realize it! It is your True Nature! That's your Real Nature, which is beyond mind, beyond the known, beyond knowledge, words, spiritual practices, techniques ...

Okay, guys! Let’s stop here! Therefore, the invitation continues: personally, we can investigate this better, ok!?

Namaste!

*Online meeting transcription, originally held on June 20, 2016- First published in Portuguese on June 22, 2016 - Online meetings every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 pm (Local Time: Brazil BRT), except during Retreat periods. For more information about Paltalk app and how to participate, please access: http://mestregualberto.com

You do not need a special skill

Welcome to Satsang! Here, we have once more the opportunity to turn ourselves to the most important thing, to this recognition of What we are. This is our subject in these encounters.

The word Satsang is a Sanskrit word for “encounter with the Truth,” which is the encounter with Silence, with Peace, with Freedom, with the Happiness of our own Being. Something that is present at this moment, here and now! The most certain thing is What we are! The only certainty you have is that You are present! No thought can affirm or deny this. This is the essential Reality being pointed within these encounters: your Being is undeniable. All the Sages from all times have been pointing out exactly this.

This Reality is not something you can make happen or something you can give up from. The Divine Reality, the Truth, is not something like this. You will never obtain or lose This, because This is the True Consciousness present, That what You are. You are Consciousness prior to the mind, to the body and to every sensorial experience, to every feeling and emotion of any kind. It is not about “arriving at home,” but about knowing you “had never left it,” that this sensation of separation and detachment from God is only a concept, an idea, a belief, a formulation of the thought.

Therefore, this belief is something present because of the lack of self-investigation. The mind has been creating this self-limitation, and thereby it is being subjugated to itself. This is like the illusion of a prisoner in an imaginary prison. To convince him that he just believes that he exists in an imaginary prison is not an easy thing. To prove to him there is no prison or prisoner is not easy. So our challenge here, despite being simple, is not easy. Showing you the Truth of this Silence, of this Intelligence, of this Presence, of this Divine Reality, is like bringing you out of a state of sleep, of dream.

Notice that when you sleep and dream, whatever element within the dream is not able to wake you up. While you dream, someone inside your dream may say, “You are dreaming!” However, you are not going to believe in someone inside your dream telling that you are dreaming! For you, the dream is something that seems to be very real, and all the characters inside it are also part of this supposed reality. The dream is very convincing while it is happening; even though you find yourself doing completely strange and impossible things, you hardly doubt it is not real.

Thus, there is this power of enchantment in the dream. Is it not so? The dream is this prison, and the present entity within the dream experience is the imaginary prisoner. Is it clearer now? My job is to show you what you call “life,” this whole experience of living as a separate entity within this “life,” is only a dream for a supposed entity present, which lives this experience as if it were real.

Therefore, for an element to show you that all this is just a dream, this element cannot be within the dream anymore and must have the freedom to infiltrate this dream experience. This is the Master’s job. The one in India they call Guru. He was also, apparently, dreaming in a similar way to you, believing that he was a prisoner; but he escaped from this "prison." In other words, He Awakened and realized the whole game! The Guru, the Master, is the one who has realized this illusion. Do you follow the beauty of it? So, the opportunity to be here is something unique, remarkable, matchless! As this Realization reaches your heart, you are touched by something greater than the mind. The mind cannot recognize It, because it is part of the dream. There is something inside you that is not confined, limited within the mind. This “something” is prior to the mind. It is your Real State, your Natural State, your Home. In fact, you have never left this Home, because You are this Home!

The good news is you do not need a special skill. Realization of God is not a result of a fantastic and extraordinary skill, which would come after a great development achieved through spiritual experiences. A spiritualized person, in fact, is in a much more complicated condition. It is simpler for a “common person” stop being a “person” than for a “special person” to abdicate, to give up all knowledge, experience and power he/she has acquired throughout his/her trajectory of spirituality. So if you are not spiritual, be grateful in your heart, because God has saved you from this!

“Evolved” people take a lot of work. People who have evolved, who know, who have experienced, who have had deep experiences, are on a very great egoic journey. Here, the matter is to find out simplicity, naturalness, become like a child. Jesus one day said, "Whoever does not become like one of these little children will by no means enter the Kingdom of Heaven." The Kingdom of Heaven is the Kingdom of Consciousness, Truth, Naturalness, Happiness, Intelligence and Love! So, here, all spirituality is of no use. In fact, it is a disservice to you. You are holding everything you believe, have lived and experienced, taking it for real.

None of these are steps. None of these achievements represent real steps. If this appears to be steps, in fact, they are steps of impediment. The recognition of Truth is the simple Awakening of the Comprehension that every experience, with its experiencer, is an illusion; that none of these apparitions - thoughts, sensations, perceptions, experiences - give reality to the experiencer, the thinker, the accomplisher. There is no one present! In other words, everything you think about yourself is not real. Everything you think, feel or believe to have experienced, or imagine still being able to experience, is part of that dream, of that illusion of an entity present and separate from Reality.

How is that for you?

You are this Reality beyond this dream, this belief, this illusion, beyond all these ideas you have about yourself. The Liberation of all suffering is the Liberation of the illusion of a sense of an "I" present here and now.

*Online meeting transcription, originally held on May 22^nd, 2019 - First published in Portuguese on June 20^th, 2019 - Online meetings every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 pm (Local Time: Brazil BRT), except during Retreat periods. For more information about Paltalk app and how to participate, please access: http://mestregualberto.com