The Essence of the Ancient Teachings
May 29, 2013 Hong Kong, China

Today is full moon, Buddha Poornima. Today is the day when Buddha was born, and he got enlightened on the same day.

Are you all feeling at home? Formalities keep us at a distant level, and satsang means an intimate sitting together. Feel free, feel at home, absolutely relaxed, no formalities.

What we think as life is a tiny bit of the true reality. Every phenomenon here is covered in a subtle world, a subtle plane that has more power than the gross.
Today, even the scientists have proved this, and they have come to the same conclusion. The phenomenon of the world, of what we see, is like a prerecorded CD. Everything has a deeper significance in the subtle world, and all of us have subtle bodies.
There’s a gross body, then there’s a subtle body, and beyond the subtle is the causal body, and then the phenomena of the world that we think as reality.

One of the great professors of Physics, Professor D’Hoore from Germany, he came to the Bangalore ashram and said a very interesting thing. He said, ‘Gurudev, I studied matter for 45 years only to find out it doesn’t exist! So today, when I give a speech, people think I’m speaking about Buddhism or some Eastern philosophy because I say that matter doesn’t exist, what exist are only waves.’
What we think as matter is really not matter. Matter is nothing but waves, energy. Quantum physics says that this whole universe is nothing but a wave function.
So, Professor D’Hoore said that matter doesn’t exist, what we see doesn’t really exist!

If you see your own body, the whole body can be packed into a small box. Everything in your body can be compressed. There is only that much solid in this body, the rest is all hollow and empty space.
If you put a piece of skin under the microscope, it will look like a mosquito net. There is a lot of empty space. Nearly 60 per cent of our body is made up of the water element, 15 per cent is air element, and among the rest, 90 per cent is space element. So, our body has more space than anything else. Your mind is all space, like the akasha (sky).

Lord Buddha said the same thing, ‘Everything is nothing!’
Your body is nothing, your mind is nothing, what you see is nothing, I am nothing, you are nothing! The real thing is, everything is just vibrations, just waves. The whole universe is just waves.
In the ancient text of Ashtavakra Gita, it is said, ‘Taranga fena budbuda’. The whole universe is like an ocean, and every individual is like a wave in the ocean; waves rise and subside. Similarly, all these bodies have risen for all these years, 80 years or 90 years, and then they go back to the ocean. Again they rise, and they go back.
The universe is continuing for billions of years, and this life of 60 years, 80 years, or 100 years, is nothing. It is like a wave in the ocean.

For so many years, these waves have been rising and going back into the same water.

When you wake up and realize, this is all nothing, everything is nothing, you smile, and that is what is called nirvana!
What is nirvana? Nirvana means, everything is nothing! When you realize this, such freedom comes. This is the essence of the ancient teachings. This is what Tao is, this is what Vedanta is, and this is what Lord Buddha’s teachings are.

Today being Buddha Poornima, I’d like to tell you a little bit about Lord Buddha’s life. When Lord Buddha saw the suffering in the world, he said, ‘Life has no meaning. If you have to become old, and you have to die, then what is the point in living!’
When he encountered a sick man, a dead man and an ascetic. He left his palace and sat in meditation for many years.
After he attained enlightenment, for seven days he didn’t say a word. The angels and gods of the subtle world got worried. They said that after a long time Buddha has come on the planet, why isn’t he speaking anything?
Buddha said, ‘Anyway, the people who know, they know, and those who do not know, even by my speaking, will not understand. They are so busy making money, making relationships work, fighting, eating and sleeping that with my telling, nothing will get into their minds.’
So he kept silence for seven days, and then all the Gods and angels argued with Buddha saying that there are some people who are on the borderline. If you just tell them, they will get it! There are people who have some idea, and who really want to know, for them you must speak. Then Lord Buddha stated speaking from that day; the seventh day.

On the seventh day, after the full moon, Lord Buddha started speaking and all he said was, ‘All this is nothing!’
Adi Shankara also said the same thing, ‘What you see is all illusion, this is maya.’
Maya means that which can be measured, and which can be changed. Whatever changes is maya. Doesn’t everything change around you?

Lord Buddha said, ‘Everything is nothing.’
What Adi Shankara said is slightly different. He said, ‘This is all the complete Brahman, it is all one.’
Everything is based on energy, on one divinity. What we see is all like a dream.

I want you to immediately experience one thing. Wake up and see till this moment, till you came here, whatever has happened in your life for the last 30 years, 50 years, is it not like a dream?
Take your mind forward and backward, this is the fast forward and rewinding of the mind. Learn to operate your own machine.
Now fast forward it. You’re sitting here, you will go back home, have your dinner and sleep. Tomorrow you will wake up, brush your teeth, and get on with your work. The next day will roll, the third day will roll and June will come. Then July, August, September, and the New Year party will happen. It’s all gone! All the days will be gone. Is it not like a dream? Could this be a dream, me standing and talking to you? How do you know it is a reality? It could be a dream.

The present could be a dream, question the present. The future is like a dream. If you can manage to shift your attention and see this reality, you will see something above this. There is something above and beyond this, which remains, which is so beautiful, that is self, that is truth. And you can gain such incredible strength, incredible energy, incredible love and beauty in your life out of it (Self) that nothing whatsoever can shake it. What do you need to do? You need to simply wake up, and turn the switch on. Turn this switch off, and turn the other one on.
Do you know these 3D hologram pictures, where in every angle you see something else? Have you seen such pictures? This is what you need to do. From one angle you see the world of diversity and its complications, from another angle you see a different world, much different from what you see here. We should have the ability to switch on and off, have both. That is what spirituality is, that is what peace is.

For a moment, wake up and see, this is all a dream, and discard everything. Immediately you get connected to the universal power, the Brahman, the Om, the truth that you are made up of!

So, these are different dimensions of life that we live in.
When you have to work with people, don’t use this philosophy, i.e., everything is nothing. You will not be able to do your business! However keep this in mind, everything is nothing. This gives you inner strength, intuitive ability, happiness, contentment, love and compassion.
This is another mode. So change the modes, and when you come back from your day to day life, act on that!
Questions & Answers

What can I do for you, just tell me, and I will do it!

Sri Sri: Be happy and spread happiness.
I want you to go deep in knowledge, and be one of those who are a giver to the world; one who radiates happiness, knowledge and wisdom. This is what I want you to do.
Among the billions of people on the planet, even if a few radiate wisdom, love and happiness, you can heal this planet. It is a much needed healing.
You are very precious to this planet, at this time. Get into the seva team, and so some service.


How does one control the mind?

Sri Sri: Why do you want to control the mind?
The mind always goes where it finds more happiness and more joy. Let it go!
You will find that real joy is not outside, it is inside. The mind will go everywhere outside, and when it doesn’t find joy, it will finally go in, spontaneously.
Where there is love, you don’t need to try to control the mind. Where there is interest, you don’t need to control the mind. Do you have to make an effort to love your child? No! Love for children is so spontaneous, so natural.
In the same way, when everything appears empty, the mind will go to that higher knowledge, wisdom, and energy. It is quite natural.


How can the mind and the heart think the same way?

Sri Sri: The heart doesn’t think my dear, it only feels! The mind only thinks, it doesn’t feel. Both are essential. Keep them in their place. Do your business with your mind, and live your life with your heart.


How to accept a person or a spouse as they are?

Sri Sri: I have no experience in this! I think you can turn around and find many who can give a lot of advice. Ask them and see which one works for you!

This is where Vedanta comes into the practical side of life. You will see the whole past is gone, it is like a dream, finished. At least now, be enthusiastic! This moment!
It is up to you to create enthusiasm every moment in your life. How can you do it? You can’t do it if you are holding onto the past. You must simply kick the past. Let go of it.
Okay, yesterday they made a mistake, never mind. Some pleasant things happen, some unpleasant things happen, some good things happen, some bad things happen. Throw them all!

Right now, your job is to create positive energy and enthusiasm in the atmosphere, and see that there is more love in the family. Can we all do this? This is living in wisdom!
Once in six months or a year, if you want to complain, sit and complain for an hour and then forget about it. But don’t do it every day.
I don’t ask you to be goody-goody things all the time. Life is a combination of everything, sometimes fights, anger, and joy. Life should have multi-colors; you should have all colors in life, no need to have one uniform.
However, you should be able to snap out of all this little flickering of the mind, and this knowledge will help you. Everyday wake up and say, ‘Shivoham, I am the consciousness, pure and beautiful.’

So, today for Buddha Poornima, take this beautiful message with you, ‘Everything is nothing.’
‘Appa Deepo Bhava’, which means, be a light unto yourself. You are light. So go back home happily and just before going to sleep, remember all these knowledge points. It is good to bring it to your conscious memory a couple of times.
Next two days also, if you recollect this knowledge, it will stay longer with you.

There are two things. One is shravana, which means listening. The other is manana, which means bringing the knowledge to your mind, your conscious attention a few times. Both are important and will help a lot.
What you need to remember is that, everything is nothing, it is all a dream. The past is a dream, future is a dream, now, present is a dream; the world is of dream nature. And you are light onto yourself.
I have no experience in this! I think you can turn around and find many who can give a lot of advice. Ask them and see which one works for you!

This is where Vedanta comes into the practical side of life. You will see the whole past is gone, it is like a dream, finished. At least now, be enthusiastic! This moment!
It is up to you to create enthusiasm every moment in your life. How can you do it? You can’t do it if you are holding onto the past. You must simply kick the past. Let go of it.
Okay, yesterday they made a mistake, never mind. Some pleasant things happen, some unpleasant things happen, some good things happen, some bad things happen. Throw them all!

Right now, your job is to create positive energy and enthusiasm in the atmosphere, and see that there is more love in the family. Can we all do this? This is living in wisdom!
Once in six months or a year, if you want to complain, sit and complain for an hour and then forget about it. But don’t do it every day.
I don’t ask you to be goody-goody things all the time. Life is a combination of everything, sometimes fights, anger, and joy. Life should have multi-colors; you should have all colors in life, no need to have one uniform.
However, you should be able to snap out of all this little flickering of the mind, and this knowledge will help you. Everyday wake up and say, ‘Shivoham, I am the consciousness, pure and beautiful.’

So, today for Buddha Poornima, take this beautiful message with you, ‘Everything is nothing.’
‘Appa Deepo Bhava’, which means, be a light unto yourself. You are light. So go back home happily and just before going to sleep, remember all these knowledge points. It is good to bring it to your conscious memory a couple of times.
Next two days also, if you recollect this knowledge, it will stay longer with you.

There are two things. One is shravana, which means listening. The other is manana, which means bringing the knowledge to your mind, your conscious attention a few times. Both are important and will help a lot.
What you need to remember is that, everything is nothing, it is all a dream. The past is a dream, future is a dream, now, present is a dream; the world is of dream nature. And you are light onto yourself.

http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/what-sri-sri-said-today