Satsang with Mooji
[Questioner] I usually get what I want, actually,
and when I get it I don't want it anymore.
I'm always yearning for something else.
[Mooji] It's the habit of wanting. It's completely useless.
[Q.] I'm tired of it. I don't know how to stop this.
The journey from Person to Presence
[Mooji] Something is on the mind, something is coming up.
In India, when it's intense, intensely personal ...
And nothing can trouble you except if you personalise it.
If there is no identity, it has no power.
You have to 'spray your scent' on whatever it is to empower it.
Do you understand what I mean by this?
So as soon as something like this is very, very strong ...
What does it mean 'strong'? It means that this thing,
whatever it is, a fear or something, like what you speak about, desire ...
Why should you look at it like this?
Because as long as it is there and virile,
it has the power to hold the beingness hostage.
Do you understand what I mean by this?
It means that when it flairs up,
all the blood is going there, all the attention is going there.
You are trying to manage
and so you are not available, you are not free.
In India, it's called a vasana, this energy.
It's intense personal identification with some kind of modified thought.
In this case, it could be a dream projection, 'I need to be happy.
I'm looking for Mr. Man who is going to make me happy.'
You create a story and it has grown over time
and now it is has become almost like an obsession.
Now you cannot turn it off.
Let's start with this. So you find it already.
Why is this so appealing? That's the first question.
And then keep quiet with this question.
Don't ask two, three or four questions.
'Why is this so appealing?' Take a look. Keep quiet.
Hold the question and it will become clear.
Because something is promising that
I will be very happy and complete forever.
It is a big, big promise. 'Forever!'
'This man, this baby, me, sunset, forever!' [laughter]
So, you have identified, 'This is the dream.
This is the campaign, the advertisement.'
Now you find who is buying this. Who is buying this?
Keep quiet again and see. Hold the picture, 'This baby, prince',
and see who is drawing so much attachment from this.
See if you can locate and find, identify.
Just keep quiet.
See if you can find the one who is saying, 'Me, who has this life'.
See if you can actually find it. Don't imagine it.
If you imagine then you are fantasising. Don't fantasise.
Look and see. Where is this really holding power?
Who am I? Look.
And in this intensity of the inward turned attention,
something begins to open up, a sort of space,
and this question, you cannot hold it anymore.
The question is also dissolving,
it's like something is washing out all these pictures.
You are again in your natural presence,
unassociated consciousness, this field. Stay there.
Then something might feel, 'Oh, great! Wow, this feels good!'
Don't identify even with that.
Until you are seeing, it's only here like space,
outside space, inside space, there's no difference.
There is no outside or inside.
There is a feeling of existence but it's not about anything.
So, this is one aspect of the inquiry for you to do.
Don't have any aim. You are only looking to see what is clear.
What is it? What is the picture that keeps coming back?
What is the pull of this picture?
The pull is a promise, or fear, or whatever. Identify this first.
And then the second question is who is suffering it? Or who is desiring?
Or who is finding it appealing?
Then focus here. Just hold the question.
Don't chatter, don't procrastinate,
don't evaluate, don't interpret, just hold the question.
Identify who is in the picture. Who is this?
See if you can see, but don't fantasise.
Don't imagine, just see if there's something apart from imagination.
Is there an actuality of a 'me', an entity, that is buying this?
With that inwardly turned attention, see what is happening.
You will start to feel again that this space is coming now.
It will burn all of this noise, take all of it out.
It's combing out all this noise.
Then only you are here now,
but you are only here as presence, not as a person.
This the journey from person to presence. Only presence.
And in this presence, for the first time, perhaps,
you are experiencing yourself 'without'.
You've been thinking of yourself 'with',
'I need a 'with'. I need to be holding the hand of something.
I have to be in association with something.'
Now you are simply in presence, there's only presence
and it does not need a man and a baby to be happy.
There is a natural joy, not a storified joy.
A natural joy is here. Each time you can bring ...
When you have done this, then you can invite any other desire to come.
Say, come now, come all of you!
Bring your cousins and aunties, and everything, desires,
and see if they can hold your attention
when only your presence is shining by itself.
See if anything can attract you.
This you will come to know.
You will not be panicking.
It can come. These can come any time,
take them into the room, your own private room of inquiry.
Start by identifying what is the big deal.
What is it that is so engaging? Is it a desire? Is it a fear?
Is it a fear of rejection? Is it a fear of being alone?
What is it?
Is it a desire to be attractive? Or is it a desire for family?
Is it for money? Is it for security?
Is it a fear of dying? What is it? Identify the thing
and then try and identify the one who will suffer it. Look.
This is one of the stages of inquiry.
Nothing can disturb you unless you make it personal.
The person always perceives personally, whereas presence only perceives.
Watch but don't panic or identify.
Remember: you are the formless being.
Remain here - totally empty and free!