Question: I meditate regularly to get some peace. Once I am done with meditation, peace is not there. Sometimes while meditating also, there is not peace. What should I?
Sri Prabhuji: The moment you say “I want peace”, it means peace is an object to be got. Peace is not an object to get. So, who is saying “I want peace”? The one who is telling this is basically ego. Ego can never be peaceful. Peace is there when there is no ego. So, “I want peace” is impossible to achieve.
Mind which is seeking peace is seeking peace as an object. It’s an achievement for mine. Peace is not an Achievement. So, it should go from “I want peace” to “I am peace”. If I am peace then it means my nature is peace. I can’t get it from outside.
Until you realize I am peace, ego will keep running behind peace. Peace is basically absence of agitation of mind. Atma doesn’t want peace. Atma is peace. Peace is present where there is no mind. Mind is always restless. Getting temporary peace is manolaya. Some temporary peace. This is due to stopping of mind temporarily.
But, for being in peace permanently, manonasha should happen. That is ignorance should be dropped. When ignorance is dropped, you realize I am the atma only. So, you have center in atma and not in body mind and intellect.
You have to say “I am atma” and observe the ego from that point. Only then mind will be peaceful. An example of this can be learnt from life of Buddha.
Buddha wanted to achieve liberation. He struggled hard with 6 years. He did different practices and meditation. He stopped eating food and his body started becoming weak. Then one day he decided that he is straining his body too hard. He decided not to seek, not to become anything, not to tru hard for anything, not to achieve anything. At this point, he achieved liberation.
The moment you say I want to do something, the mind is running. Mind gets strength when it has something to do. The mind always wants to achieve something whereas self doesn’t require that.
There is a practice in Zen Buddhism called Jay zen. It means to sit. Simply sit. Not do anything. Not watch thought. Not control anything. Just sit.
Liberation is not an achievement. It cannot be achieved. You can achieve anything in life except liberation. It’s your nature. Liberation is basically recognition that I don’t need to do anything and I am already free. As long as doership is there, meditation is required. It’s for dropping the doership.
Doership means some achievement is involved. There is inactivity, activity and un-activity. Un-activity is beyond activity and inactivity. Activity is done with body, mind and intellect. Inactivity is also done with same. Un-Activity is Saksi i.e., Non judgmental. You need to be un-active and not active or inactive. Simply being is liberation. You don’t need to close your eyes for that.
How do I do liberation without getting anything?
There is a step by step method for this:
Dasoham
Soham
Koham
Naaham
These are the four steps. In reality, you don’t have to do anything for liberation. It’s just an illusion of body mind. Just stop the identification of I thought with body mind and intellect. Since this is not happening, a 4-step mechanism is provided.
Our mind is always outwards focused to achieve something.
Part 3 Answer:
Koham and Naaham
Dasoham for external level. At mind level, use Soham. Then go back from mind by asking “Who am I?”. Then you realize Soham also does not exist.
At Soham level there is oneness. At Koham level, there is enquiry. At Naaham level, there is nothing. There is no duality. It’s advaita.
Soham is a practice. Practice of being in oneness with universe. At Koham, you are enquiring everything. You understand “I” is unchanging. You don’t have to find anything new. You are already the unchanging “I”. Now, when you understand this, what should you do? Nothing.
So far, everything involved action. Now, it’s un-action. You don’t have to do anything. “I” is not bound by anything. The real I has not changed anything.
At Koham, you enquire about this. At Naaham level, you understand deeply that “I am not the body. I am not the mind. I am not the intellect.”
Take a stand from “I am Shiva”. You have nothing to do. Nowhere to do. No action to do.