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Brahman

A discourse on the indescribable nature of Brahman and the path to realization.

"The physical eyes cannot see it, nor can any indriyas know it; even our intellect cannot grasp what the Supreme is or how the Supreme is."

"Therefore, through meditation and sādhanā, we must come to another body, to some other level of consciousness where we can understand."

The speaker explains the limitations of senses, mind, and intellect in comprehending the formless Brahman, using analogies like the taste of butter. He details how constant physical consciousness binds us and asserts that the purpose of spiritual practice (sādhanā) is to transcend this state and attain astral consciousness to facilitate true understanding. The talk concludes with reflections on divine Śakti as the source of speech and the need to follow spiritual guidance even when it seems illogical.

Recording location: Czech Republic, Strilky, Summer seminar

The Supreme One is omniscient and omnipresent. That Brahman is everywhere, yet it cannot be realized or seen through this physical body. The physical eyes cannot see it, nor can any indriyas know it; even our intellect cannot grasp what the Supreme is or how the Supreme is. We can only listen about it and gaze upon it, but to know exactly what Brahman is remains difficult to express or describe through words. It is like knowing the taste of butter. You cannot describe exactly what the taste of butter is. We know how it tastes; we know it is something fatty, a little sour, a little milky. But to have the exact taste of butter, you have to eat it. Similarly, we have to become one with that Brahman. Thus, the ṛṣis said that these indriyas—meaning the senses, including mind and intellect—cannot understand it. Furthermore, it is explained that Brahman cannot be described by words, but that power which speaks in the words, that is Brahman. This means not the physical sound or resonance, but the power upon which that physical sound is made or spoken. For the word we speak is still connected with prakṛti, with nature. This voice, this sound, is only understood by us and by creatures on this planet; they have sound and language in that particular way. It belongs to this prakṛtic world—prakṛtic meaning natural. In this natural world, whatever your bāṇī, your words, your voice, try to speak and express, you will still understand only in the prakṛtic way. But what is beyond this? About which tattva do your words wish to tell us? What sādhanā is done about that? In reality, there is no form. When there is no form, you cannot touch it, smell it, grasp it, see it, or measure it. How then are you to explain it? You can go through and through. Having no form is like space having no form. What our intellect tries to speak, we must somehow focus on some object. We need a screen to project our film. Similarly, we need an object to project our thoughts. Even when we say "the formless," as soon as I say it, your intellect is already imagining a form for the formless—how it could be, what we cannot touch, smell, see, or measure, whether in length, kilograms, or age in yugas. Yet already we are measuring Him, and it is not that one. Therefore, through meditation and sādhanā, we must come to another body, to some other level of consciousness where we can understand. It is not complicated at all, yet it is very complicated. For us it is very complicated, but for those who have realized, for them it is not at all complicated. Only through this means of sādhanā do we transfer our consciousness to a higher level. We come above our physical consciousness. In our case, 99.90% of the time, we have physical consciousness. If you cannot sleep well one night, the next day you complain. If someone is snoring a little at night, the next day you complain. If eating is not good, you will complain. We are very much attached to the body. So it is our body that keeps us far away from Brahman. When we are meditating, we feel our body; we cannot sit straight. We have to change our posture; we feel pain in the knees and hip joints. Our back aches; we are thirsty; we are hungry—many, many things. This means 99.90% of the time, we are only physical; material awareness of our consciousness is there. Now, how can you think that you will realize Brahman? So the purpose of sādhanā, the purpose of anuṣṭhāna, is this: to overcome and transmit your physical consciousness into the astral consciousness, and then see what will happen. When you come to the astral consciousness, then the Master will speak there. Again, it is good that you have astral consciousness, but you can do nothing without physical consciousness. You must have physical consciousness because experiences and karmas, the deeds, are connected with physical bodies. And when you come to the physical level, it is said that is not correct. You cannot experience that Supreme One. So we have to maintain, we have to find the way, and that you will find through sādhanā, through mantras. Therefore, it is said that Parabrahman, which you are trying to express, my dear, is not in any form. That Parabrahman tattva is beyond your language or your speech. About Him, only this much we can tell: that just a little part of His power, His Śakti, allows your words to get light in them. It means the power of your speech, the light of your speech, what you are talking, is a very tiny, tiny part of His divine Śakti, and through Him, through His Śakti, you can speak. Otherwise, you have no Śakti to speak at all. Therefore, in your speech, you should know who is the knower, who is inspiring that knowing, who is doing, and what is the purpose of it. Who is saying in your words? Who is speaking now in me, that I shall try to tell you about Brahman? He must be sitting there. So it is said to be the will of God. This means when I am talking, it is God talking; when I am working, God is working. And if I am not talking and not working, then God is also not working and not talking; He also has rest and holidays. When I have mauna, it means He has mauna. So how far do we compare what actions are done by us and what actions are done by Him? If we speak bad or good, it is said that you cannot talk without that power of light of His. This is the dilemma, a big dilemma, that many times people do not understand. But it is like this: you have to understand, we have to find the way through, and the way is sometimes complicated. Yesterday I gave you an example: follow the road sign. The indication: you know that Prague is to the west, and the road sign is indicating to the east. If you follow that road sign, you will come to Prague. You are driving towards the east, though Prague is west, but that indication will lead you ultimately to Prague. So we have to follow those rules which the ṛṣi has given to us, whether you understand them or not. Recording location: Czech Republic, Strilky, Summer seminar

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt, what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

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