Who Are You?

When you go to a new place what do you do? You give an introduction about yourself. You talk about who you are, where you are from, isn't it?
Now let us look at this from a wider perspective. Do we know who we are and where have we come from and where we will go after this little journey called life?
This hall will remain here maybe for the next 300 years, but none of the bodies sitting in this hall will be there for that long. Our shelf-life (here referring to the body) is very short when compared to the matter around us.
Even the garments you are wearing have a better shelf life than the body that lies inside it. Do you see what I am saying?
So, sometimes in life, put your thoughts on, 'What is my source? Where have I come from? I have been here for so many years, but where was I before that? Did I exist at all before my current age?'
Forget about all the books and philosophies and just ask yourself this question, 'What is my origin, where have I come from?' You just have to ask this question, nothing else! It should be a genuine question that should come from inside and not because I am telling you.
The answer you get could be stimulating, it could be stunning (filled with wonder) or it could be absolutely confusing! I say, all three are good.
This enquiry is a sign of intelligence.

I remember as kids, me and my sister would go to the park with my parents, and we would ask our parents, 'Where did the clouds come from?' They usually didn't have an answer for that. We used to ask them, 'Where is it going?' Because we would see that the clouds are moving.
It is a natural instinct in every child’s mind to know. From the age of three we start asking questions. Questions indicate an existence of a faculty in us called intellect. We should not shun children from asking questions. We should encourage them to ask more questions.
Many times you will see that children are satisfied just by asking questions; it does not matter what you answer them.
Kids when they get a sibling they ask, 'Mummy where did this baby come from?' Of course in the West people say that the Stocks brought the kid, and in different cultures we give different explanations. No matter what the parent says, the child seems satisfied. Have you experienced this?
Actually, every child is testing your intelligence, your common sense and your knowledge.
So we must maintain and carry this spirit of enquiry that we are born with all our life. This is what is spirituality and this is what is science also.
In science you ask 'What is this? How did this happen?' And in spirituality you ask, 'Who am I? Where have I come from?'

No knowledge is complete without the subject and object.
Suppose you wear yellow glasses then everything you see will look yellow. But you cannot say that everything is yellow. You have to see what type of glasses you are wearing. This is subjective knowledge.
The relationship between the subject and object is so intense, so close, that one cannot exist without the other. This is the field of knowledge.

Science is incomplete without a spiritual quest and a spiritual quest cannot progress an inch without a scientific temper. A scientific temper is the basis for a spiritual quest. So, understanding both spirituality and science is wisdom.

Coming back to the question, where have I come from? Have you ever thought about this? Where did you exist before you came here?
This is a journey into the mystic realm which can become so real, as real as you talking to a friend.
I tell you, we should not exit from this world without finding out who we are and where we have came from. This is very important. This very spirit of enquiry lifts us to another dimension which is free from depression, worry and all other sort of mental lack.
The side effect of true spiritual enquiry is happiness, confidence and intuition.
Tell me who doesn’t want these three things? Anyone who doesn’t want these three things can stay away from any type of spiritual enquiry or spiritual practices.

Seeing life from a bigger context is what mysticism and spirituality is all about. Mysticism is not doing some strange things, such as walking on fire or standing on one leg. You don’t need to do any of that, just an enquiry of the source.
Yesterday someone asked me, where do thoughts come from? I said, 'Do you get thoughts?'
He said, 'Yes'.
Then I said, 'Find out! It is well within your reach'.
‘What is my origin?’ This question should haunt you. This is a sign of intelligence. It is said that the first sign of intelligence is when someone inquires about his or her origin. The second sign of intelligence is not to say anything until a question is asked. Of course, this is when you are in difficulty. When you are in problem, keeping quiet is better than talking.

We keep asking people questions which are very futile. Someone is sick in the hospital, you ask, 'Hey, how are you?'
They say, 'I am okay!' If they are okay then why are they in the hospital?
It is like a slot machine, you put a coin and something comes out. Similarly our answers and our enquires are also like that. These questions and these answers mean very little. The real questions is, 'What is my origin?'
It transports us to another dimension of existence where we can get rid of depression in no time.
Life is magnanimous, not just limited to a particular role you’re playing here with a few people around you. My dear, you are much more than that!

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