What can we do as individuals in the face of inhuman violence, terrorism?"

Bhagvan:

We wake up to another day’s revenge, retribution and rancor. The violence and brutality that surrounds us is the result of the destructive effect of fragmentation – one individual against another, one group against another, religiously, socially, culturally and economically. We are brothers and sisters, children of the same mother, inheritors of the same collective destiny. What we do to another, we do to ourselves. Why then do we behave as though we are inhuman warring tribal factions? How can we hunt or kill another? Is not the experience of pain same for all? Do not all living beings dread fear? How then can we perpetrate violence and pain on another? Will we today take the time to teach our children that division in any name whether sacred or secular is a crime? Will we tell them that we are human beings and not labels that divide us? Will we in this moment of crisis mould their young minds to be citizens of the world and not narrow bigots?

Ideological differences are at the root of the violence that is robbing sanity and endangering survival. When we become concerned with our own individual survival, with the survival of our group, our belief, we are being divisive and threaten the actual survival of the whole.

Let us have a deeper insight into truth. The violence and conflict we are witnessing is a dramatization of the unspeakable inner violence of humanity. We are not individuals, separate. What happens to us happens to all of humanity, all of life. Physically we might live isolated in our secluded homes, screening our domestic violence from the eyes of the world but psychologically we are inseparable from the whole of mankind. The poisonous fumes of our inner turbulence seep through the collective consciousness of humanity. The violence within us, between parents and children, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters and at work is the very source of danger and destruction.

Let each one of us respond with a sense of immediacy. Let all of us, the atheist and the God fearing, the peasant at the plough and the mother beside the cradle, the office goer and the laborer, let us all own responsibility for what is happening around us. What ‘can’ we do as individuals now? What ‘must’ we as individuals do now?

How can each of us be content to see some heroes and professionals sacrificing their lives to protect the safety of others while we remain passive onlookers watching the drama of terror unfold right in front of our eyes? The specialists, whether from the armed forces or the political systems can alleviate the pain of the moment. They can remove the symptom but the cause of the violence lies simmering within our consciousness. It lurks as conflict, suppressed anger, divisiveness and spite within every one of us. Until this issue is addressed, violence would continue to unfold in the world’s nations in one name or the other. The real solution therefore is to turn our attention inward, can we recognize the violence within and give way to peace. Even if 10 million among us who belong to a nation of 1 billion will get into peace, violence will subside. If 10 millions will move into a higher state of consciousness, a state of total inner non-violence, peace and wellbeing would be possible. Though the causes of violence would continue to exist, they will not translate into acts of violence. We are the triggers of violence or peace. We cannot return to business as usual without steering away from our own inner strife.

The destiny of every human being known and unknown is tied up with us. In the crucible of terror that surrounds us, let us recast ourselves into a new generation of human beings. Let us move from the dark night of division towards the dawn of co-operation and Oneness. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

Q: Bhagavan, why doesn't the mind stay concentrated on one thing?
What should I do if it has to stay put at one point?

Bhagavan:

"See, the mind, breath and kundalini form a triangle. If you tamper with one you'll be tampering the other two. Suppose the breath is not constant or steady, the mind also will not be constant and
steady.

Similarly if the kundalini is vibrating too much, then also the mind will be unstable. Kundalini will start vibrating depending on the temperature, air pressure, depending on the kind of people around, depending on the food you've eaten, the clothes you are wearing - so many factors.

So as the kundalini is vibrating, the mind also becomes unsteady and becomes unfocused. So also is breath. In fact breath is a crucial element and most people do not even know how to breathe. That's why I often say that, children must be taught in school as to how to really breathe.

When this is done, you'll actually find that the mind becomes steadied. Without setting right these two things the mind will be very very shaky. And of course if you are not able to do these things, you can very well ask me inside and I will steady it. And you'll have a very focused mind. It's not very difficult to achieve."

Q. What is surrender? How to surrender?

Bhagavan:

"When we use the word surrender what we mean is that you should understand that this mind cannot really help you and that you have to get beyond the mind. If you let go of the mind, that letting go is what we call, surrender. You must realize that the human mind is limited and there is no use wasting your time with the mind. It is only going to create obstacles for you.

If you can see that, the mind would stop interfering. If that happens, then we say you have surrendered. That is all. It is not some kind of slavish surrender. It is never used in that sense. God would not like you to surrender like a slave. He is after all your friend. So, when we use the word surrender it means putting aside the mind, knowing its limitations.

You discover surrender when you feel you are helpless. When you feel you are totally helpless you will discover surrender. That is when Grace comes pouring. Imagine that you are struck on the railway line and the train rushing at you, then you will certainly surrender! Many people have surrendered to me like that. Most people surrender only in dire moments. That is why miracles too happen only in those moments."

Q: Bhagavan, the kind of thoughts I have, the kind of feelings I have, are they all designed by God? Is God putting those thoughts inside me? Is God putting desire into me? Is God putting violence into me?

Bhagavan:

"All these thoughts come from the thought sphere. The thought sphere is as old as man and every single thought of every being that has ever been on this planet, is recorded there and it is still there. These thoughts are flowing into and out of you. What thoughts are flowing inside you and what thoughts are flowing out of you depends on your health condition, the place in which you are staying, the people around you and many other factors.

It is like tuning into a television channel. There are so many channels there and you could tune in to any channel. If you tune into a channel called negative thoughts, you will be getting so many negative thoughts. If you tune into a channel called violent thoughts, you will be getting those thoughts.

Once you get this insight that you are not your thoughts, and these thoughts are not yours, then strangely you will find that you tune into a channel which is broadcasting silence and you receive that silence. Otherwise you would be getting these thoughts and they are as old as man.

They are not your thoughts. Some body could have had fear ten thousand years ago as he was being been chased by a tiger. That thought could now enter you. It would not be fear of the tiger but it would be fear of the share market. But the same fear comes into you like that. Once you realize that your thoughts are not your thoughts, you could actually see how they are coming, how they are flowing through you and then you become very detached. That is how you could be free of these things."

Q: Bhagavan, how do we accept things?

Bhagavan:

"See, the mind is a very good businessman. It naturally does what is profitable to it. What is not profitable to it, it does not do. When you do not accept something, the first thing is, it's a fact that it is there.

You cannot wish it away. By fighting with it, you are creating a lot of conflict. By conflict there is a lot of dissipation of energy. When energy is being lost you become unhappy and also you become a failure. On the other hand, if you accept what ever is there, there is no conflict. No conflict means there is no wastage of energy.When energy is still, there is no movement of energy as wastage. That becomes joy and happiness. It leads to greater success. If you can see this whole process, then naturally you'll accept because it is a better choice for you. You cannot do unprofitable things. Somehow you are imagining that if you fight with it, it is good. Therefore you fight with it.

When you observe that fighting is not profitable, the mind naturally will drop it. You must see how all the fighting is not profitable to you then it's all over. It is very simple but because you are not used to this observation, the situation is going to be difficult.

But once you learn it, it is as easy as breathing but, until then, it looks "Oh! how am I going to do it ?". It takes some effort and understanding. Still it will be difficult but, I am there! If you know how to ask me, I can make you actually do it."

Q. Bhagavan, I suffer with a lot of negative thoughts, what should I do about them?

Bhagavan:

"According to the natural principle,there is nothing you could do about them, except to become more observant, to become more aware that they are there. If you try to fight with them or to push them out, they will become powerful. All fights with negative thoughts must be avoided.

The more you fight, the stronger they become. The only way is to realize that they are there and then accept them. Just accept the truth. Because the truth is that, they are there. How could you deny that? By accepting them, they become weaker. As they become weaker, they have a chance that they would slowly fade out. So, please try to avoid all fight, all struggle with negative emotions.

And as you gradually go into it, you will realize that they are not your negative emotions but, they are just there in the thought sphere and it so happens that your brain is picking them up. They are not your negative thoughts, that is why we say - They are just thoughts, like that building is there, they are there.

They are not your thoughts but humanity's thoughts. And you will soon become free of them. This is the process that takes place in the courses at the Oneness University. Through our Deekshas here it becomes a very tangible experience to you and you no more identify with the thoughts as your thoughts. The present negativity that is within you ceases thereafter."

Q: Why does the mind always go towards negative thoughts and negative things?

Bhagavan:

"You live in a world where the whole system is so structured. See, your negative thoughts are not your thoughts. That’s the fundamental teaching of the Dharma. So, like in TV depending onthe channel you are switching on, you attract certain programs.

In this thought sphere there are also both negative and positive programs. Depending on the way your chakras are aligned, you start attracting negative thoughts. If the channel is changed, you start attracting positive thoughts.

So, you are not really responsible for that, as you tend to blame your self. As I told you, you are like a robot, a computer. You are being programmed continuously from the thought sphere or the earth’s magnetic field. So, if you do certain kind of dhyanas (practices), we can realign the chakras, whereby it will automatically turn into positive thoughts.

One terrible thing is the media of today. In the newspaper and magazines they must also publish positive things. But everywhere they talk only about accidents, murder, looting, cheating. The whole thing is negative. As these inputs are going into you, the chakras acquire a specific kind of alignment. Thereafter you start turning only to the negative things in the thought sphere. That is the problem with our society. You must talk more positive things. You must have newspapers where there will be separate pages only for positive things or TV channels where they will be allotted only for positive news. If that goes on, the chakras will be realigned.

That’s why you must speak positively to children and not allow them to see all kinds of TV programs, newspapers and magazines. Because that is a part of the problem."