If your mind has to be creative, it should be free from getting stuck in one direction. Just imagine if you could see from the left, from the right and from the back of your head! This is the concept of Brahma (the Hindu God with four faces, one in each direction) -- Brahma is the one who can create. So to bring up this creativity we need our consciousness to be free so that we can utilize its full potential.
All symbols (here referring to the form of Brahma) have some deeper meaning. Brahma's four faces mean that his consciousness can perceive and communicate from all the sides, and so can our mind -- it has an enormous ability to perceive and communicate in all directions.
Yes, there are many who have this experience -- they feel something and it starts happening. They have the ability to love everyone and be a nobody.
You don’t have to label yourself that 'I am enlightened, I am enlightened', not at all! If you want enlightenment, the first thing you need to remember is total detachment from all that you see, good or bad. Do you still want enlightenment? Are you ready for it? For enlightenment you need to have total detachment because it is your desire which is the only thing that blocks you from enlightenment. The moment you drop all that and say, "I want nothing and I am nothing", that moment you realize that all the forms and names are nothing, they are all like waves in the ocean; the wave is nothing but the ocean. This conviction is enlightenment. The sea is there, the sun is there, the moon is there and like that I too am here, that is it. Going beyond time is enlightenment. Not being constrained by space is enlightenment. Realizing you are love, everything else is love, that is enlightenment. Being so natural and feeling at home with everyone because there is no other, is enlightenment.
The first disciple of Lord Buddha said, "I will wait till the last person gets enlightened, I don’t want to have it now", because he knew he could have it any time. It is his compassion for everyone that he said, "I will see everyone through and only then I will have it". Have you heard about this? That is what Bodhisattva said, "I want to see everyone out of misery and then I will attain enlightenment".
That one desire that 'I want to help everybody' was stopping him from being enlightened. That is why it is said, "Buddha is okay but Bodhisattva is one step higher", because he has compassion to take care of everyone. That is what the teachers do, they don’t go looking whether they get enlightenment or not, they simply bring happiness in peoples' lives!
When all that you see in this world does not interest you, does not provoke you and does not disturb you then a totally different world opens up. It is very subtle! This universe has many layers -- one inside the other, there are multiple layers in this universe. But our mind is stuck on one, that is why I said today that the mind should be free from getting stuck in one direction.
You don’t feel any sensation? Have you done Shakti Kriya? Sometimes we use our senses too much and deprive our body of the rest it needs. All this affects us.
When you do the course, don’t look for anything, just relax. As long as you have a very serene and peaceful state of mind, it is okay. It is not necessary that one has to get some experience. Some people feel some tingling, and some don’t feel any of these but they feel very blissful feeling inside. All that is okay.
You don’t need to keep trust in people, you need to keep trust in the one divinity, the one truth, and know that only the best will happen to you. You should trust yourself that you can handle them.
Why do you want to look for one? There is a messiah hiding in every one of you and is sleeping, wake him up! Now you don’t wish to be a messiah. If you say, "I want to be a messiah", then you are inviting trouble. Tomorrow don’t go around saying, "I am a messiah sent by God". For your sake, for God’s sake, for the world’s sake, let us not get into this exercise. Just be natural and honest.
This is just to give you an idea but don’t try to pinpoint. The first chakra is at the base of the spine, at beginning of the anus and is called Muladhara. Just above that is the next chakra called Svadhishthana. The third chakra is just above the navel called Manipura. Above that is the Anahata chakra which is in the center of the chest. Then is the throat chakra called Visuddhia. Above that is the chakra in-between the eyebrows called Ajna. The last chakra is on top of the head called Sahasrara. So giving simple attention is all that we need to do.
There are methods which can give you a shock like experience. Do not go for that type of forceful awakening of the Kundalini because it involves risks and sometimes people go crazy. So in The Art of living we go for the most safest way and the best methods. Sometimes you may not get dramatic changes that the Kundalini experience would give to people, but do not be bothered about that because that can cause an imbalance in the system.
It is the forceful awakening of Kundalini that I would not recommend. There are many cases where people cannot lead a normal life. We have to live a normal life, right? We all need to lead a normal life and have a spiritual experience which I tell you is the best way to live!
Many of you must have experienced that after a while you feel happy all the time. And whatever you desire happens. How many of you feel that? (Many in the audience raise their hands). You see, you intend and it happens! These are all effective awakenings. Come what may, nothing can take your happiness away. So do not be tempted by people saying, "Oh, I will give you this power and awaken your Kundalini suddenly". You should keep your distance. Physically, physiologically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually, from every angle this is the best way (The Art of Living). I have emphasized it again and again.
