Why should you work towards mukthi, or liberation? Sadhguru explains, the life within is always longing to go beyond limitations. If you long for it consciously, it may find fulfillment.

Full Transcript:

Questioner: Sadhguru, I know only this life. This life is in my reality. I do not know whether I will have next bir… birth or not. Even if I have next birth or somebody else nex… next birth it is going to be the same for me no. So why should I work towards or why should I attain mukthi and get myself liberated from births?

Sadhguru: Liberation is not from the next birth, from this one. (Laughter) Whether it’s there or not, who cares? But do you see that you seem to be, you’re not dead sure about it, but you seem to be something more than this body and this mind? Hmm? You’re not sure, but it seems like that, isn’t it? So would you like to know what it is? ‘Why should I know?’ Well, you feel like that, till life knocks you upon your head. Suppose you have to die next moment, hmm, you’ll die one day, do you know this? Ah? You will die one day; I’m not wishing (Laughter) you’ll anyway die. I will bless you with a long life, but still you will die. With my blessing, without my blessing you will still die. Is it okay? Is it okay? You will die. Suppose that death is next moment, will you go joyfully? Get the sword. The Veeragase guys are there, the Veeragase kunitha (Referring to Karnataka dance group). They got swords. Will you go joyfully if we gonna cut your throat right now?

Questioner: If it’s you I’ll__ (Inaudible)

Sadhguru: Why will I do it? (Laughter)

Questioner: To liberate me. (Laughter)

Sadhguru: Don’t be a slippery cat. Please understand the question that you’re asking is ‘why should I try to liberate myself?’ Now you’re saying ‘you will liberate me.’ I will not. When you don’t want it why should I? I only liberate those people who want to. Why should I liberate somebody who doesn’t want to?

Questioner: __ (Inaudible)

Sadhguru: Yes, yes, I want you to look at it.

Now why should I liberate myself? This is not my idea or your idea. The life within you is always longing to go beyond limitations. Whatever is your present limitation, liberate yourself from that. Whatever is your present compulsion liberate yourself from that, you will notice there is a next level of compulsions. You liberate yourself from that you will notice a next level of compulsion. If you liberate yourself continuously like this, some point…there must be a point where there is no other compulsion within you, isn’t it? Is it your desire to live in limitations and compulsions? You can settle for it because you don’t have the energy to go, you may say ‘this is okay.’ If I just lock you up in this hall if you’re tired and sick, you’ll say, ‘Sadhguru just two meals a day if you give me I don’t mind, I will sleep here only. No problem.’ But if you’re young and energetic now you want to do something, you want to dig through the earth and go away, yes or no? If you lost all enthusiasm and energy for life you will say ‘Sadhguru, throw some food at me, I will just sleep here for the rest of my life. I don’t want liberation, I don’t want nothing. I don’t want to step out on the street. Just give me some food, I will sleep here, lie down here and die.’ That is if you lost it all. If life is throbbing within you, you are not willing to settle for that, isn’t it? Yes or no? So if life is throbbing within you, you are not willing to live within any limitation or any compulsion, it doesn’t matter how pleasant it is. If I decorate this very good and give you good food, don’t go anywhere you will be locked right here, very good food, well decorated space, you can’t go anywhere, will you stay here? No. If you’re sick and tired, you will stay. If you’re alive and energetic you will not stay, isn’t it? That’s all it is. If you’re alive and energetic liberation is a natural longing. If you’re sick and tired, limitations are ‘okay as long as somebody gives me something I’ll hang around and go.’
It doesn’t matter there’s one more life or no more life, is it not important that you go beyond your limitations and your compulsions? This is not somebody’s concept, this is the longing of every life, either it finds conscious expression or unconscious expression that’s all the choice you have. You have no choice to decide whether I want to be free or not. You have no choice whether I want liberation or not, you anyway long for it. If you long for it consciously it may find fulfillment. If you long for it unconsciously you will do all kinds of freaky things. In the name of freedom you will get drunk, in the name of freedom you will do drugs, in the name of freedom you’ll jump off the mountain and smash yourself. People have done all these things in pursuit of freedom, haven’t they? Yes or no? But if you do it consciously you may find fulfillment. If you do it unconsciously you may just get lost in the process. I’m just talking about doing your life consciously. I’m not talking about doing something else. I’m just talking about doing the same life process as consciously as possible. Because if you do it consciously it will find fulfillment otherwise it will just meander around and get lost, in a maze of stuff. I think…I think you should go home, 6:30 you must be here tomorrow.
Last question, finish with it.