Teachings for Awakening
These 199 teachings are preserved from a set of teachings Sri Bhagavan gave weekly from September 19, 2010 to 2014. These teachings were designed for three purposes. One, to help people to better understand if they were Awakened or not. Two, if they were not Awakened to help them Awaken. And three, to help those that were Awakened to grow deeper into their Transformation, a prelude to Enlightenment and ultimately to God-Realization.
To utilize these teachings please read and meditate upon them. Simply witness if they are true or not in your life. If they feel like your truth then be with that truth. If they do not feel like your truth then witness and be with the awareness that they are not your truth. It is not necessary to try to change yourself, just see the truth of yourself and be with that. Then receive blessings in any way that is practical for you.
1 By being grateful for all that has happened and to the people involved in one's life, one enters the spiritual path.
2 Fear is the greatest obstacle on the spiritual path; confront your fears.
3 See yourself in others, see others in you.
4 Be Yourself.
5 When stepping back from your own mind occurs, there is an understanding of all things.
6 When judgment stops of its own accord, there is oneness with all that is.
7 The awakened one, acts without doing anything, this cannot be practiced.
8 The Awakened One is empty and therefore capable. One should not try to empty one's self.
9 The Awakened One is detached from all things, and hence, is one with everything. Detachment when practiced leads to indifference which is not detachment.
10 The Awakened One sees the world as himself or herself. The Awakened One loves and cares for the world as one's self. To the Awakened One all things are perfect as they are.
11 The Awakened One remains unmoving, and action arises by its self. The Awakened One allows things to come and go like clouds in the sky. The Awakened One sustains all beings without trying to.
12 The Awakened One is open to everything and everything falls into place.
13 The Awakened One is one with that which was there before the universe was born. It is the one which is eternally present, the unborn and the undying, one without a beginning and an end, ever unchanging, solitary, empty, infinite, blissful, the eternal 'I'.
14 The Awakened One remains unmoving till perfect action arises by itself. The Awakened One is free of all views and concepts; is One with the what is.
15 The Awakened One journeys without journeying.
16 The Awakened One is open to all people and all situations and flows with them.
17 The Awakened One sees the world emerging from the void; therefore accept the world as it is. As the Awakened One accepts the world as it is, the Awakened One is established in the primal Self.
18 The Awakened One has no will and no illusions. The Awakened One merely dwells in reality.
19 The Awakened One does not try to change the world. It is perfect and sacred to the Awakened One.
20 The Awakened One sees things as they are, and doesn't try to control or shape them. The Awakened One doesn't try to convince others. The Awakened One knows that what is to happen will happen; and what is not to happen will not happen; and that the universe is forever out of control.
21 The Awakened One has no fixed plans and no destination. The Awakened One accepts oneself; and the world accepts the Awakened One. The Awakened One knows oneself; and hence has wisdom. The Awakened One has no conflict with oneself; and hence has true power. The Awakened One embraces death; for there is no death for the Awakened One.
22 The Awakened One knows that there is nothing to learn; what is needed is only to unlearn.
23 The Awakened One achieves nothing; for there is nothing to be achieved. The Awakened One understands nothing; for there is nothing to be understood. The Awakened One knows nothing; for there is nothing to be known.
24 The Awakened One does not perceive anything as good or bad; or as right or wrong; and hence has no preferences; and therefore does not try to change the way things are.
25 The Awakened One neither suppresses nor ignores, neither resists nor justifies what is there, inside or outside; but merely is aware of the what is.
26 The Awakened One does nothing; but leaves nothing undone; for all things are happening all the time around and through the Awakened One.
27 Thoughts are subtle, divisive and elusive; and an expression of the self. They wander as they like. They create judgement and a troubled and disturbed mind. They prevent Awareness from happening. The unawakened must learn to direct, to control and to quieten thoughts by ruling over them. The Awakened One has moved beyond judgement, for he has gone beyond thought;
28 When One is not Awakened, One must not behave like one. When One is Awakened, One practices nothing. One is just Awake. To be Awake is not a means to an end. To be Awake is an end in itself. When One is not Awake, One must practice goodness. Where there is no goodness, One must practice virtue. Where there is no virtue, One must practice ritual conditioning.
29 The Awakened One has no sense of being and doing. The Awakened One has no vision or goal in mind. There is just doing. The Awakened One is humble, and does not practice humility. The unawakened has a sense of being and doing, and therefore must have a vision or goal in mind. The unawakened must practice humility.
30 The Awakened One sees the imperfect as perfect in itself; and hence rejoices in the way things are. The un-awakened one sees imperfection everywhere; and hence he is unhappy and dissatisfied with the way things are. The un-awakened one must therefore work to change things. This too is perfect for the Awakened One.
31 The Awakened One has nothing to defend and therefore does nothing to feel secure. The unawakened one has a lot to defend and therefore must do things to feel secure.
32 The Awakened One does not know or understand, but sees. The unawakened one knows and understands, but does not see.
33 The Awakened One is constantly unlearning and therefore continuously unburdened, lives in freedom. The unawakened one is constantly learning and therefore continuously burdened and does not know what freedom is and hence what living is.
34 The Awakened One allows things to happen their own way. The unawakened one tries to make things happen one's own way.
35 The Awakened One has no mind. The unawakened one has a mind. The Awakened One having no mind works with the mind of others. The unawakened one having a mind struggles with the mind of others.
36 The Awakened One whether does or does not do, does not try. The unawakened one whether does or does not do, does try.
37 The Awakened One lives in the mystery that life is. The unawakened one tries to understand what life is.
38 The Awakened One sees the many as the One. The unawakened one sees the One as the many.
39 The Awakened One is one with the what is. The unawakened one is one with the what should be.
40 The Awakened One is virtuous. The unawakened one practices virtue.
41 The Awakened One experiences all the time. The unawakened one dreams all the time.
42 The Awakened One has no cause for His joy, and therefore nothing affects His joy. The unawakened one knows pleasure or pain, dependent on all that is happening.
43 The Awakened One experiences freedom because of the absence of choice and hope. The unawakened one experiences freedom in the presence of choice and hope.
44 The Awakened One owns things, but does not end up being owned by them. The unawakened one owns things and ends up being owned by them.
45 The Awakened One is ready to die. The unawakened one is not ready to die.
46 The Awakened One experiences nothing but consciousness, for there is only consciousness. The unawakened one tries to understand consciousness.
47 The Awakened One makes use of conditioning. The unawakened one is made use of by conditioning.
48 The Awakened One knows no fear. The unawakened one knows nothing but fear.
49 The Awakened One knows no attachment. The unawakened one knows nothing but attachment.
50 The Awakened One is what one is. The unawakened one is what one is not.
51 The Awakened One has realized that there is nobody to be awakened. The unawakened one is waiting for somebody to be awakened.
52 The Awakened One experiences without the experiencer. The unawakened one experiences with the experiencer.
53 The Awakened One is happy for no reason. The unawakened one is happy for some reason.
54 The Awakened One acts without possessing, interfering or expecting anything. The unawakened one does the opposite.
55 The Awakened One sees everything as perfect. The unawakened one sees everything as imperfect.
56 The Awakened One has no problem with wealth - for wealth is not the problem. The unawakened has problem with wealth - for the sense of possession is the problem.
57 The Awakened One does not think about one's actions. The unawakened one thinks about one's actions.
58 The Awakened One is balanced. The unawakened one is out of balance.
59 The Awakened One cannot cling to good and bad. The unawakened one has to cling to good and bad.
60 The Awakened One looks inside oneself. The unawakened one looks outside oneself.
61 The Awakened One has no preferences. The unawakened one has preferences.
62 The Awakened One never expects results. The unawakened one always expects results.
63 The Awakened One does not try to impose one's will. The unawakened one tries to impose one's will.
64 The Awakened One knows that the world governs itself. The unawakened one thinks that the world must be governed.
65 The Awakened One witnesses things happen. The unawakened one tries to make things happen.
66 The Awakened One experiences freedom from one's own ideas. The unawakened one is caught up in one's own ideas.
67 The Awakened One allows destiny to be created. The unawakened one tries to create destiny.
68 The Awakened One is not afraid of the truth. The unawakened one is afraid of the truth.
69 The Awakened One has nothing to oppose.
70 The Awakened One lives in humility. The unawakened one cultivates humility.
71 The Awakened One responds to circumstances. The unawakened one creates circumstances.
72 The Awakened One does not seek greatness. The unawakened one seeks greatness.
73 The Awakened One follows the flow of events. The unawakened one resists the flow of events.
74 The Awakened One sees everything set in eternity. The unawakened one sees everything set in the immediate.
75 The Awakened One does not know. The unawakened one knows.
76 The Awakened One does not compete or compare. The unawakened one competes and compares.
77 The Awakened One arises from the heart. The unawakened one arises from the head.
78 The Awakened One is free of all knowing. The unawakened one is caught up in knowing.
79 The Awakened One trusts oneself. The unawakened one trusts others.
80 The Awakened One is connected to everything. The unawakened one is not connected to anything.
81 The Awakened One knows that there is nothing to learn. The unawakened one is constantly learning.
82 The Awakened One does not try to control the future. The unawakened one tries to control the future.
83 The Awakened One is flexible. The unawakened one is inflexible.
84 The Awakened One is transparent. The unawakened one is not transparent.
85 The Awakened One does not blame others. The unawakened blames others.
86 The Awakened One lives in the moment. The unawakened one lives in the past or the future.
87 The Awakened One responds from the heart. The unawakened one reacts from the head.
88 The Awakened One has but does not possess. The unawakened one possesses what one has.
89 The Awakened One lives. The unawakened one exists.
90 The Awakened One makes use of his mind. The unawakened one is made use of by his mind.
91 The Awakened One listens. The unawakened one reacts.
92 The Awakened One is free. The unawakened one tries to be free.
93 The Awakened One has no freedom to choose. The unawakened one has freedom to choose.
94 The Awakened One has thoughts. The unawakened one has an illusory thinker also.
95 The Awakened One acts from non-self centeredness. The unawakened one acts from self centeredness.
96 The Awakened One stays with the what is. The unawakened one keeps moving away from the what is.
97 The Awakened One sees the many as the One. The unawakened one sees the One as the many.
98 The Awakened One sees no person; only personalities. The unawakened one sees a person with personalities.
99 The Awakened One sees the seer as the seen. The unawakened one sees the seer and the seen as not the same.
100 The Awakened One stays with the what is. The unawakened one keeps moving away from the what is.
101 The Awakened One suffers, therefore there is no suffering. The unawakened one moves away from the suffering, therefore there is suffering.
102 The Awakened One sees the problem. The unawakened one creates the problem.
103 The Awakened One sees everything as a happening. The unawakened one sees everything as made to happen.
104 The Awakened One wonders at life. The unawakened one finds life ordinary.
105 The Awakened One finds everything complete and perfect. The unawakened one finds everything incomplete and imperfect.
106 The Awakened One responds. The unawakened one reacts.
107 The Awakened One does not identify oneself with ones thoughts. The unawakened one identifies oneself with ones thoughts.
108 The Awakened One experiences reality as it is. The unawakened one experiences reality through images.
109 The Awakened One flows with life. The unawakened one struggles with life.
110 The Awakened One sees life as a miracle. The unawakened one looks for a miracle in life.
111 The Awakened One has no answers. The unawakened one is full of answers.
112 The Awakened One is virtuous by nature. The unawakened one practices virtue.
113 The Awakened One sees everything as connected to everything else. The unawakened one sees everything as unconnected to everything else.
114 The Awakened One does everything out of joy. The unawakened one does everything for pleasure.
115 The Awakened One listens. The unawakened one interprets.
116 The Awakened One is free of all images about oneself. The unawakened one is full of images about oneself.
117 The Awakened One knows that nothing can be known. The unawakened one tries to know everything.
118 The Awakened One flows with life. The unawakened one struggles with life.
119 The Awakened One is free of the past. The unawakened one is a prisoner of the past.
120 The Awakened One perceives everything as perfect. The unawakened one perceives everything in terms of pain and pleasure.
121 The Awakened One feels helpless. The unawakened one feels desperate.
122 The Awakened One does not crave. The unawakened one keeps on craving.
123 The Awakened One does not move into self pity. The unawakened one wallows in self pity.
124 The Awakened One has no question about oneself. The unawakened one is full of questions about oneself.
125 The Awakened One experiences the stillness of energy. The unawakened one experiences the wastage of energy.
126 The Awakened One has no fundamental questions. The unawakened one has fundamental questions.
127 The Awakened One cares for others. The unawakened one cares for oneself.
128 The Awakened One does not get hurt, therefore there is nothing to forgive. The unawakened one gets hurt, therefore tries to forgive.
129 The Awakened One knows that nothing is permanent. The unawakened one seeks permanence.
130 The Awakened One has no conflict. The unawakened one is in conflict.
131 The Awakened One naturally becomes significant. The unawakened one craves for significance.
132 The Awakened One is naturally responsible. The unawakened one is afraid of responsibility.
133 The Awakened One experiences unconditional love and unconditional joy. The unawakened one experiences conditional love and conditional joy.
134 The Awakened One has a still mind. The unawakened one has a restless mind.
135 The Awakened One has nothing personal. The unawakened one takes everything personally.
136 The Awakened One sees awareness as an end in itself. The unawakened one sees awareness as a means to an end.
137 The Awakened One is free of the mind. The unawakened one is a prisoner of the mind.
138 The Awakened One lives in the mystery that life is. The unawakened one tries to understand what life is.
139 The Awakened One experiences no freedom of choice. The unawakened one experiences freedom of choice.
140 The Awakened One is detached. The unawakened one is indifferent.
141 The Awakened One's mind is disengaged. The unawakened one's mind is engaged.
142 The Awakened One is controlled by the senses. The unawakened one is controlled by the mind.
143 The Awakened One lives in the present. The unawakened one lives in the past or future.
144 The Awakened One constantly dies to the past. The unawakened one constantly lives to the past.
145 The Awakened One does not resist the what is. The unawakened one resists the what is.
146 The Awakened One is concerned about others. The unawakened one is concerned about oneself.
147 The Awakened One makes use of knowledge. The unawakened one is made use of by knowledge.
148 The Awakened One knows no resistance. The unawakened one is full of resistance.
149 The Awakened One stays with the "what is". The unawakened one tries to stay with the "what is".
150 The Awakened One has no inner dialogue. The unawakened one gets involved with the inner dialogue.
151 The Awakened One sees the observer and the observed as one. The unawakened one sees the observer and the observed as different.
152 The Awakened One lives the teachings. The unawakened one tries to understand the teachings.
153 The Awakened One is non-judgmental. The unawakened one is judgmental.
154 The Awakened One is a friend of oneself. The unawakened one is one's own enemy.
155 The Awakened One knows no self-pity. The unawakened one wallows in self-pity.
156 The Awakened One acts. The unawakened one reacts.
157 The Awakened One has no views. The unawakened one is full of views.
158 The Awakened One follows the Divine will. The unawakened one follows his own will.
159 The Awakened One has natural values. The unawakened one has cultivated values.
160 The Awakened One experiences no division as the inner and the outer. The unawakened one experiences a division as the inner and the outer.
161 The Awakened One sees the world as family. The unawakened one sees the world as separate individuals.
162 The Awakened One sees grace everywhere. The unawakened one searches for grace.
163 The Awakened One is what One is. The unawakened one tries to be what one is not.
164 The Awakened One listens. The unawakened one hears.
165 The Awakened One does not have fundamental questions. The unawakened one has fundamental questions.
166 The Awakened One is free of all views. The unawakened one is full of views.
167 The Awakened One stays with the what is without effort. The unawakened one tries to stay with the what is.
168 The Awakened One responds from the present. The unawakened one reacts from the past.
169 The Awakened One does not judge, and hence has love. The unawakened one judges, and hence has no love.
170 The Awakened One is secure and makes everyone secure. The unawakened one is insecure and makes everyone insecure.
171 The Awakened One does not take a position. The unawakened one takes a position.
172 The Awakened One is affected but not disturbed. The unawakened one is not affected but disturbed.
173 The Awakened One does without doing.
174 For the Awakened One the ordinary is extraordinary.
175 Real freedom is not freedom from something but freedom with something.
176 Acceptance is not an act, but a happening.
177 Forgiveness is to realize that there is nothing to forgive.
178 Unconditional love is unconditionally accepting oneself as one is.
179 Awakening experiences do not make an awakened one.
180 The awakened one is active externally and passive internally.
181 For the awakened one the problem is with oneself and not with the other.
182 The Awakened One knows there is no such thing as ultimate truth.
183 Being with the 'what is' is meditation.
184 Being with the 'what is' is to be spiritual.
185 Moving away from the 'what is' is suffering.
186 The Awakened One makes use of the world. The unawakened one is made use of by the world.
187 There is a crowd inside you creating a lot of noise; listening to that noise is meditation.
188 Under the heat of attention, the inner dialogue undergoes a transformation.
189 The inability to pay total attention is the root of discontent.
190 Becoming aware of one's resistance is the process of transformation.
191 Freedom is not in the transformation of the 'what is'. It is in witnessing the 'what is'.
192 Meditation happens in the absence of the meditator.
193 Any movement away from the 'what is' is 'suffering'.
194 The Awakened One has a bird's eye view of everything.
195 The root of all problems is getting emotionally stuck.
196 As you keep helping others, your heart flowers.
197 The Awakened One does not indulge in daydreaming.
198 The more one realizes, there is nothing wrong with the world and that everything is wrong with oneself, then one grows in oneness.
199 To postpone is yet another trick of the mind's continual need to survive. To postpone is the height of hypocricy. To postpone is to be denied of freedom forever.