The Spiritual Process

Ok, so another subject is about this “I am not the body”. What does this mean “I am not the body?” “I am not the body?” means I am not the body complex, the body-mind complex, individuality, individual. What does this mean to be an individual? Well to be an individual means different identity, having a body, a physical body and mind. And this takes to interaction with other bodies, other minds, the need of satisfaction of the bodily needs, of emotional needs, mental needs. Motion begins. “I am not the body”. Most times this is used as a kind of a reminder, a mantra, in normal life and it can be used like this for you to remember that you’re not the body, nor the mind. But this has a specific purpose: This is like, this is a challenge and like all teachings it is about SEEING, not just about mentally knowing, or being convinced about it. It is about seeing. And for you to see this, here it’s, there it starts. At every moment efforts are being put forth to satisfy ALL these needs. Most of them you don’t even know, you don’t even see them, you don’t even understand it, because you ‘re not questioning them.

So they just appear to be normal, but they are really unseen. You see, this “I am not the body”, so let’s see it! Let’s see it for real. So there are the physical needs, the emotional needs, mental needs, all of this. You see, the body is wanting always food, shelter, it wants to interact with other bodies, to reproduce and all these impulses they are at the basis of human life. But if you are not the body, so why are you attending all these needs? So as the urges arise for you to invest into all these quests, into all these needs, then the reminder should be there! “I am not the body” and then you give up. So all these struggles about acceptance, about self-importance, about all of this - as the reminder comes “I am not the body” - should be dropped. And as you start to go against all these natural currents, you will see that these are not that natural and that resistance from the what you call environment, will be there intensely. With this “I am not the body” every seeker does what he can with this, what it is possible for him. But these days “I am not the body” is being used as a way to maintain sleep, you see? Because well, “I am not the body” spiritually speaking, so: “I am not the body nor the mind, so what is meditation for? – No need to meditate!” True, true, but you have to keep in mind that the meditation is the LAST thing that you have to let go. The last thing that you have to let go. And let go is an important expression. Because you only let go that which you are attached to.

And meditation comes in a way to DETACH you from everything else. For you that ever tried meditation, you will notice that there is a not so apparent conflict, but there is a conflict with meditation and daily life, daily activities. The more you want to intensify the meditation practice, the more it comes into conflict with your daily activities. You have to reduce them, but to reduce the activities, you have to let go the ones. If you increase the daily activities, you cannot increase meditation, it will decrease. There is a conflict. So meditation is the last thing you let go. And I mean real meditation. You can meditate for forty years looking for something, putting your mind into a goal, a technique, and it will take you nowhere. It takes you somewhere, you see, it takes you to frustration. This frustration is very important because this opens doors in you. But not the frustration only in meditation because if you went for this meditation for forty years and you have no other interests left, nowhere else to return to, then this frustration will open the doors that couldn’t be seen. But if you still hold interest, if you are doing this meditation for a better life, then you will give up this tool and you pick up a new one. Or a no tool, like nowadays is fashion. But still the same purpose, feeding the same illusion. So EVERYTHING ELSE is dropped before meditation is dropped.

And meditation will be dropped by Guidance alone, not by anything else. But the distaste for life, a distaste for these experiences has to be there. Or else – meditation continues, silence continues, stillness continues. So “I am not the body, so no need for meditation” - yes – correct, but before this, for this to be really correct, the “no need for” has to be in the majority, at least the majority if not all levels of your life. And those who are left, it is about the need of knowing Who you are, knowing Truth, knowing God. Nothing else, nothing else.. If these needs are still there in another way. So the food is there, the need to rest is there, the need to have comfort is there, the need to be accepted, to be loved, to be happy it is there, so why shouldn’t be meditation be there also. If you cannot remove these needs, why should this meditation taken away from? “But I am not the body, why should I meditate?” If you’re not the body, what is the problem with the meditation then? I will speak about meditation in another audio. But if you’re not the body, nor the mind, what is the problem of meditation if everything else is there? No problem. So let’s see if you can sit straight, still, let’s see if there is STILLNESS in the body, stillness in the mind, stillness at the emotional level, if there is SILENCE in all of this.

And if there’s silence or if there isn’t this silence, let’s see if there is disturbances at these levels, important disturbances. What does this means “important disturbances”? Disturbances that disturb Silence, your Silence, your Peace. As you sit in this Silence, in Silence, sensations will arise, physical sensations, pain, emotional pain, mental pain. If this is important enough, for you to become agitated, for you to move your posture, then this “I am not the body” is not really there, it’s just a mental concept! At every moment this teaching “I am not the body” is challenging you to SEE for yourself and to cut all investments into all these INFINITE needs. They are really infinite. And they are always arising. This is not about looking at life and let it flow because it is flowing your time. And in THIS plane Time is the most precious, more precious value, holding. So at all times this “I am not the body” is challenging you. “Oh, I’m hungry, I want to eat! And I want to eat this kind of food, that kind of food, this specific food and I want some sweets also! This sweet, that sweet.” But wait! “I am not the body”, so just let it go! If I cannot let it go completely, if something has to be eaten, then well, this “I am not the body” is not that… I still have some things to do about this, because this belief “I am not the body” is not strong yet. So that means that “ I AM the body is strong.” So I have to continue to try and try.

So if I am not able to let go this, so let me eat only what comes to me, only what comes to me in a natural way, I will not go after food. You understand, how this “I am not the body” is? So I’m walking and I meet a nice woman or a nice man and I’m talking. And now these desires to be closer to be more intimate, they are arising. And the needs to be accepted, to be loved are arising. But wait! “I am not the body” , so what the hell I am doing here? Why am I pursuing these needs, to this body in front of my body? And you drop them and you cut these investments and you go back to Silence, and you go back to Silence again. “I am not the body”, so I have to go and do this and do that. – No I don’t! “I am not the body” If this is firm, the whole world will tremble in front of your feet, because it cannot make you engaged anymore. It doesn’t hold power anymore. But for this “I am not the body” you will have to go FAAAR beyond in your strength….. And as you assert “I am not the body”, stillness will increase, because there is nothing else to do. If you still have many things to do, it doesn’t matter if you’re forcing stillness or not, there will be no Stillness. Sitting in meditation for example and these ‘I have to do’s’ will start coming and some you question, others you don’t.

What is the difference? Well you question those that are difficult and you don’t those that are precious. So I’m not the body was never there, to entertain you. But it is inviting you to see who you REALLY are. Not just as a random sentence, as a mantra, but for you to see. If you’re satisfying all your bodily needs, if you’re satisfying all your emotional, if you’re satisfying all your mental needs, you can continue to repeat “I am not the body” but you’re doing nothing, but fooling yourself. If you still have these wants for the improvement of life, the improvement of life is for the body complex alone! Nothing else. It is the body-mind which is the character in the Story. So this life is for him! Not for you! For the body-life, not for you! So I’m not the body, but I still want bodily things. “I am not the body” means nothing. It’s just another tool you’re using for a better dream to keep you in chains. “I am not the body”, so all these dreams, hopes into the better future and all of this timely conceptions fade, they are given up! And what’s left? Silence and Stillness. And when you are free from these investments, from these wants and needs, Silence, Stillness will be there. And then dissolution begins. “I am not the body”…..

If there are questions about these audios, send them! Because from these words, a lot of things can be said. And this is pointless. But if you have specific questions in your path, send them then! Because “I am not the body” or whatever teaching is there can have DIFFERENT, different connotations and it will be used differently for different needs. But you understand how serious this “I am not the body” needs to become? All teachings will induce fire, will create the spiritual fire in you. If they are not creating this, then you’re just twisting, going around them, using them for your own purposes. There is more into every teaching. And the more your Heart will become sincere, the more you’ll unravel this bigger content from each teaching. You’re looking for something and trying to find the clues, but YOU ARE the one you’re looking for! So, everything must take you to yourself beyond of what you see as yourself, into that Silence, into the Presence, your Presence, your Silence. That which observes, that which says “My body, my mind, my emotions, my Soul, my God, everything is mine”- who, who is taking ownership of everything? Who is this I? If it is taking ownership, if it is my body – I’m not the body, if it is my emotion – I’m not emotion, if it is my mind – I’m not the mind, if it is my soul or my God – I’m not the soul or God. I am before all of this. As you sit in Silence, there is something there - Silent Presence. And the tension follows these phenomenons that arise, but if you cut this and you can, if attention moves back from it, arise, it moves back towards Silence again, towards Stillness, towards your Presence. This is the Gate of Freedom. – Stay there! Stay there without going anywhere! Eventually that Gate will open. If you don’t stay there, you will be always looking for that Gate in Illusion. You will find many gates but not the Gate of Freedom. Because this gate you won’t open. – It will be open to you, it will be revealed to you! Ok.

~ Sriman Narayana