Time and life is such, it comes like a storm and swabs your mind. Let me put it this way: the negativity comes like a storm and takes over your mind and swabs you out. Hasn’t this happened to you? (Many in the audience raise their hands). It does happen. Negativity just comes and takes over your mind.
Just being aware that this is happening itself is a big step. It is like an airplane having the facility to takeoff in spite of all the dark clouds. The airplane pierces through the dark clouds and starts flying above clouds. Do you see what I am saying? We need to put such a mechanism in our mind (of being aware). When negative clouds come and takes over, you should be able to soar high above them.
It is true that there is something in you that never dies, but at least remember: this world is all temporary, and one day it will all vanish.
What helps you to soar above them is wisdom. And what is wisdom? It is knowledge and experience, together. Wisdom is not just knowledge, it is not just experience. It is both – knowledge and experience that this is all temporary, everything and everybody is going to die.
You know, if people only remember that they are going to die, they won’t be greedy, they won’t be jealous, they won’t be angry. Our problem is anger, greed, jealousy, attachment, lust, etc., because we forget that we are going to die! Or we have never put attention on the fact that we are going to die and that all of this is temporary. Nothing is permanent here.
Now if you say, “I will never die”, and if you go to that philosophy, I will tell you, “Okay, it is true that there is something in you that never dies, but at least remember: this world is all temporary, and one day it will all vanish like the dew drops on the grass. Jealousy, anger, greed, none of these will exist!
How much money do you want to enjoy? Even if you get all that money, one day you might have a sudden heart attack and you are gone! Then what will happen to all the money you have stored underneath here and there; or in the banks in Switzerland, Luxembourg or anywhere else? So many people have put money like that and have died, and the banks don’t know who the money belongs to. There are billions in the bank, I was told. They must have earned all that money with so much heartache, pain, greed and jealousy, put it in the bank and then died. And later, it belongs to nobody. Whole life wasted just for some money!
I am not saying that you should empty your bank account tomorrow, but I want you to just take your attention and awareness there (that life is ephemeral). I am not saying you should go and jump off the cliff today and die, no! I am telling you, we are all going to die one day, at least put your attention on that. Then the knowledge of it puts you on right track. It puts you at peace. It will take you out of all the negative clouds that you get sucked into. This is one part, i.e., the knowledge.
The second part is experience. In the past also negative clouds have come to you; even when you were a child. In childhood what happened? You had a toy and another boy or girl came and they broke it, and that’s it, you became so negative. Your parents made you come out of the toy shop before you could get all the toys you wanted, and you got upset. Then you got upset with your friends at school and college. You got upset when you didn’t get the right grades. And you got into such a negative mood with your boyfriend or girlfriend. My goodness! So many times this has happened in your life. Now when you look back at your past experience, you see that it was all nothing. When you see this, it helps you rise above the clouds of negativity. This is life's experience.
We are all going to die one day. When you put your attention on this, it puts you at peace. It takes you out of the negativity that you get sucked into.
Another way is remembering the experience of inner peace and tranquility because recollection of that experience gives you again the same experience.
Many of you must have experienced this that when you are very upset, suddenly you start doing short kriya. This is because the mind wants to go back to that state of tranquility which you experience after kriya, So when the mind is disturbed, it knows that rhythmic breathing will get you out of negativity, and you do get back to that state of tranquility.
So, experience and knowledge, both can take you out of the cloud of negativity.
When you are under the influence of a negative cloud, you will find everybody is wrong. You will find mistakes in the best person. You will find fault with everybody including yourself. First you will blame others, you will say, “This person is wrong, that person is wrong”, because you don’t see your fault. And if you see your fault, you will start blaming yourself also. And then the next step is getting into depression. This is the mechanics; this is the way it happens.
Now, you have to get over this with wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge and experience. Knowledge is knowing that everything is temporary. Experience is remembering that these situations come and go. When you realize this, the smile comes back on your face. Then even if you get a little disturbed, you will not mind it.
You are pure space my dear! Nothing can ever touch you!
