Why does the mind get distracted with forms? | Mohanji
People have told me I’m not consistent with my dressing, and it confuses them. So, is it a problem with them or with me? I tested this also one time. I think some of you know this. I wore a tank top and jeans, and I was on a bike, and somebody put the photo up in the meditation hall. Some people came (it was not here, I think Kazakhstan). Some people asked, “Who is this man?” “That’s the same guy.” They said, “Is that him? I’ve had enough of meditations; thank you.” They left—no more meditation. In Serbia, it happened. Somebody didn’t interview me because they saw the bandana and sunglasses. And in Qatar, they saw the picture.
The thing is, what you connect to is what the eyes see. This is the human method. You can’t blame anybody. That’s exactly why I always give variety. If somebody says they shouldn’t connect to him, let them go away because the thing is that they’re not ready. It’s not to harm anybody.
I’ll tell you a story of Lord Krishna. I’ve told this before, but in this context, it’s very important.
Story of Lord Krishna
Lord Krishna gets ready very fast. He gets up in the morning, and he’s ready in no time. He doesn’t dress up so much. But one day, his vehicle was ready, and his charioteer was there. And he was waiting for Krishna to come out to go elsewhere. Krishna was not coming – half an hour, one hour, one and a half hours, two hours, two and a half or three hours. He was not coming out, so the driver went inside to check what he was doing.
Krishna was standing in front of the mirror and making himself look good, dressing up. His charioteer asked, “Lord, why are you dressing up so much?” He said, “I’ve got to meet an important guest. We’ve to go to someplace where I’ll meet a very important person, so I’m dressing up.” He said, “you are Lord Krishna; you shouldn’t dress up. You’re going there as Lord Krishna, and people will respect you even if you don’t wear any dress.” “No”, Krishna said, “those people where I’m going, they need this costume.” The driver was trying to argue with him, saying that he should not do this. Then he asked, “who are you going to meet?” Krishna said, “Duryodhana.”
Duryodhana was the eldest son, the ruler, the king. And he is considered a selfish man. Very selfish, very greedy. He said, “Krishna, you’re going to him dressing up, and he’s not a good guy. He is a very greedy person, a selfish person. Why are you showing yourself in this kind of costume to him?” Krishna said, “Very simple. He cannot see me, so at least let him see my dress. He doesn’t understand me. He doesn’t recognize me. At least he can see my dress and say this is okay. Then only there’ll be a discussion, a communication.”
Nature of society
So, this is exactly the nature of society, right? Society looks at who you are, whose son or father you are or something like that and makes a connection with you. They don’t see you. What you are, they don’t see. This is exactly the society.
Transcend the form
But when you are in the path of spirituality, you should transcend the form. Otherwise, you’re stuck with the form. When you’re stuck with the form, the result is sorrow. I like this form; I want this form to stay forever. It’s not possible. Mohanji will die. I’ll die. I’ll leave this body. You know that’s not possible.
What is important is to use this form and connect to the consciousness beyond the form, which will not die. Jesus consciousness still exists; the consciousness called Jesus still exists. The man left, but the material, the real thing, hasn’t gone. Krishna consciousness still exists. Buddha consciousness still exists. But the person we call Buddha is not there. Are you getting what I’m saying?
We need to understand this very clearly – that we are connecting to an object to connect to the state, which is not just the object, but the consciousness. That’s very important. When you connect to that consciousness, you attain immortality. That’s liberation; that state is liberation.
The mind and pleasures
Otherwise, the mind will take you to pleasures. Which pleasures? What you’re used to, what you have memories of. You remember those pleasures. Pleasures are connected to the senses and the mind. And the mind will push you to go back to those pleasures. But again, it’s a thin line. You shouldn’t suppress it. You should experience it with awareness; then it goes.
Transcribed by Ulla Bernholdt
Proofread by Yogesh Pandit