Stillness: The Highest Level of Intensity

H ere we are from the exuberance of Mahashivratri to the stillness of Samyama. Shiva is an ultimate symbol of exuberant action and motionless stillness. From extraordinary or almost superhuman levels of activity in the last month we have come to the stillness of Samyama.

So, you want to be still, but you are alive and kicking! To bring this life to a certain state of stillness, one must completely dissociate with the activity of the mind. Physiological activity is not a problem -- we can still that very easily -- it is the psychological structure that is active. You need to understand this, the advantage that the body has over the mind is that even if you keep the body still, it exists. But if the mind becomes still, it does not exist. So, the mind will not let you become still, it will do many things unless you are entirely dissociated with the nature of your mind.

These simple methods of stilling the mind have become irrelevant to modern life because if you talk about them, it looks like exploitation. If you go somewhere spiritual, the first thing they always told you is surrender. That means, you do not make decisions. If you do not use your mind to make decisions, you will see, the mind will be largely still. If you do not understand what it means to surrender, then obedience -- just do something. Sit down means sit down, stand up means stand up, speak means speak, shut up means shut up. But this is entirely “wrong” in today’s world. It is wrong if you end up in a place that is exploitative in nature. But if something is done for your wellbeing, I do not see anything wrong with it.

So, if you do not know what surrender is, at least become obedient. Without taking this step, stilling the mind is like trying to catch mercury. If you try to catch one blob of mercury, it becomes one hundred. With surrender or obedience, you can dissociate yourself with the mind. As you dissociate with the mind, you will see that stillness is a natural part of your existence because the existence is largely still. Only the physical is active, the space is still, absolutely still. Stillness is the highest level of intensity. If you experience a bit of stillness within, suddenly your body, mind – everything – is exuberantly intense. It is a different level of life altogether.

If one has to become still, the individual mind has to become less and less important. This is coming from a knowing that the existence itself is a living mind. When such a huge mind is at work, better keep your petty mind aside. If you cannot see the cosmic mind, at least see that the mind of someone who is beyond you is at work. But not in today’s world! That is called slavery. Today’s spiritual process is crippled; we cannot do so many things, but we are still supposed to take people to enlightenment! We are asked to remove the tires of a car, but still drive it very far!

Spiritual masters are always finding easier ways of doing things. If today, at lunchtime, you decide to eat noodles through your ears, we might tell you to try eating through your nostrils; at least the food will go down your throat. You can even try the soup! It will be easier, but you will still find it difficult. If you open your mouth, it will be a joy to eat. The spiritual process is like this. Right now, you are like, “I cannot do this, I cannot do that, but give me a spiritual process!” So, we are trying through your ears, eyes and nostrils – it is very hard, but what to do? We believe if we keep forcing food through your nose, one day you will open your mouth. Not by any teaching, just through sheer sense. We are waiting for that day when you will open your mouth. What a ridiculous thing it is to be a Guru!

Samyama is a state where you are fully aware that you are not the body, the mind or the world. If you are free from these three things, there can be no suffering. That is the aim of Samyama, to move from the chaos of the body and the mind, to the utter stillness within. Six hundred and seventy diehard seekers have come from all over the world to reach this state, and they are doing phenomenally well. For the first few days, they struggled through their physical limitations, but have now moved beautifully into stillness.

May you know the stillness of Samyama.