German Online Satsang of May 12, 2025

[Dhyan Mikael:] Good evening. Welcome to the full moon Satsang on this beautiful Monday evening.

I am very happy that we have Satsang again today.

As always, I would like to begin this Satsang by saying a few words about what actually happens here in Satsang.

Well, no one knows exactly what happens here... But from a purely practical, superficial point of view, I sit here and answer questions. If you have a question about your life or about your spiritual path or about Samarpan Meditation, then you are welcome to write your question in the YouTube or Zoom chat, and I will try to say something about it. You can also talk to me directly via Zoom and ask your question yourself if you like.

And why do I do this? I spent 20 years traveling through life and through Europe with my spiritual Master. I am still with him, but I no longer travel with him. Since seven years, I have been doing Samarpan Meditation and am a disciple of the Indian Guru Swamiji.

And although I am a completely normal person, just like you – there is nothing special about me – I have learned a few things over the years that have fundamentally changed my life, and I like to talk about them again and again, simply to remind other normal people of what is possible in this life: that this life is meant to find your way back to yourself, back to Heaven, back to God, and that this is possible, in a very practical way, and that it is not difficult.

Yes, and that's why I do Satsang, that's why I make videos, and that's why I am happy that you are here. And if there are no questions here from you or other participants, I have some emails that have reached me and have been waiting for a response for a long time, and then I will take the opportunity to answer questions that have reached me by email.

We don't want to be carried

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And I would like to start right away with one of these email questions, because this question has been here with me for quite some time, and I feel compelled to say something about it now. And it's not just one question. The person who wrote to me, a woman, has sent me several emails over the last few months, and I don't want to read them all out, that would take too long. But I would like to summarize what she said.

You write about how you constantly worry about your family and relatives and try to take care of them. You write about your ten-year-old grandson, who is having an incredibly difficult time with himself and his father. And you write that your grandson's mother, your daughter, was completely desperate because her son-in-law is difficult. You write to me that, if I understand correctly, your daughter took her own life and that you then ended up in a psychiatric ward. And now I will quote from your last email.

“After my psychosis, I fell into a deep depression. Not being able to be a mother to my children anymore pulled the rug out from under my feet. I feel that Jesus' confidence, this 'I am here,' is fading... Not the knowledge of it, but the feeling of being carried. I smoke like a chimney.

I saw your video of Swamiji with the drug addicts, but I have pain in my lungs. Maybe it's just tension, but maybe it's something serious, and I still can't quit smoking. I am worried about my health. Dear Mikael, I am pouring my heart out to you, and I am very, very grateful that I can do that with you.” Thank you for your numerous emails.

What I want to tell you is that being carried only works if you let yourself be carried. And that is exactly what is so difficult for us: trusting life and simply letting ourselves be carried. And that means: not worrying at all about what will happen next; not worrying – because you are letting yourself be carried.

And that is so incredibly difficult for us. And then, we complain that we no longer feel carried by life; that God is distant. But we always want to do it ourselves. We want to take care of everyone else; we want to take care of the world; we want to fix everything because we believe that things are wrong the way they are.

Being carried only works if you allow yourself to be carried. And that is precisely what we find so difficult: trusting life; not worrying about what will happen next; not worrying at all. And then, we complain that we don't feel carried; that God is distant. But we always want to do it ourselves.

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And we can never do it. And at some point, that's how life is designed, we reach the point where life makes it clear to us that we can't do it: change life; fix life; take care of all the problems of the people around us. We can't do it; it's not possible. And when we reach this point, we experience what you are experiencing.

Then, we realize why we have always done this: because our identity is tied up in it. “I, I can save others. That is my job.” That's what we call ego. And when we can no longer do that, when life takes away the means and opportunities to do so, for example when you are in a psychiatric clinic and can't do anything at all, then it is as if our identity disappears.

And at some point, we reach a point where life makes it clear to us that we cannot do this: change or fix our lives; take care of all the problems of others. We cannot do it; it is not possible. Then, we realize why we have always done this: because it is part of our identity.

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And I am happy you wrote about your experience in the psychiatric clinic, because there you experienced that you can really rely on life. When you can't do anything anymore, when you break down, then, someone will take care of you. Life carries you, always, no matter what happens – always.

Life carries you, always, no matter what happens – always.

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You know, life brings you to the point where you can't go on anymore, where you have to break down so that you finally get the opportunity to experience that life goes on.

We want to feel that we are safe and supported by life. And then, life gives you the opportunity to let yourself be carried. All you have to do is say 'yes', let go, and let life take its course.

Life brings you to a point where you can't go on any longer, only to discover that life goes on. We all want to feel that we are safe and supported by life. And then, life gives you the opportunity to let yourself be carried. All you have to do is say 'yes', let go, and let life take its course.

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And instead of worrying about your grandson or your father or your mother and all the other people you wrote about: just be here and take care of yourself a little bit and do nothing else; you are allowed to. That is why you are here.

You know, when we let ourselves be carried, it only works if we let go of the role we have taken on — that we are important, that we are indispensable — if we let go of that and become unimportant, incapable, unnecessary, but instead just be here and take care of ourselves and let ourselves be carried.

And if we don't want that, this letting go, then, life gives us more and more opportunities to try it out at some point, just like you did. And then you experience that you are being carried, just as you are.

So, if you want to experience that, if you want to experience God, if you want to feel God's hand beneath you, this hand that always carries you, then you have to take the risk and let go, otherwise you will never experience it.

And that is why we are here. That is the one task we have here: to learn to let go. And you write that you... I don't know if that's true. I don't know whether you meditate, but if you don't yet, start meditating. Start with the Samarpan Meditation, just like that, as an extra, as a hobby.

There you can practice letting go: in this half hour in the morning, where you just sit there and nothing matters. There you can practice this inner letting go. And that will change your whole life. Everything will change without you doing anything, without you becoming more capable or getting everything back on track.

Start with Samarpan Meditation, just as a hobby. It allows you to practice letting go: during this half hour in the morning, where you just sit there and nothing matters. And that will change everything, without you having to do anything, without becoming more capable or getting everything back on track.

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That is the crucial thing: turning toward yourself; this beginning to look inward instead of worrying about the world. And that's hard for us because we've never done it before, and that changes everything. And I invite you to do that.

That is the crucial thing: turning toward yourself; this beginning to look inward instead of worrying about the world. And that's hard for us because we've never done it before, and that changes everything. And I invite you to do that.

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I just want to tell you: you are allowed to do that. You are allowed to let other people just be the way they are. It is not your job to save people. Your job is to return to yourself and let yourself be carried. And I can confirm from my own experience that we are supported, always, in every moment.

And the more you dare to let go, the more you will experience this.

You are allowed to do this: let others be the way they are. It is not your job to save them. Your job is to return to yourself and let yourself be carried. And I can confirm from my own experience that we are carried, always, in every moment. The more you dare to let go, the more you will experience this.

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I would like to invite and encourage you to do this.

Thank you. Thank you for writing. I am so happy you are here.

There is no freedom out there

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So, Simone, do you have something to read out?

[Simone:] Yes, I have a few things to read out.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Oh, how nice, I am happy to hear this.

[Simone:] I have some very nice questions for you. The first one is from Eva.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Eva, hello.

[Simone:] She asks: „Dear Mikael, freedom begins after letting go. But can you ever let go completely? And where does freedom begin?”

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you, Eva.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Letting go begins, but it never ends. You can't... Well, you can't really let go. Letting go is not something you can do. Holding on, that's something you can do. You can stop holding on.

And then, you've stopped holding on to something, to your favorite dream or your favorite fear or whatever, and then you realize: "Oh, I am still holding on over here, and there too..." And at some point, you stop holding on there too.

And you can already guess what happens next: you realize, “Ah, but back there, I am still holding on, and down there too.” Then you start to let go of those things. And so it goes on and on. And life... The more we give up this holding on — either because we slowly become too lazy to do so, or because we simply can't do it anymore — the more miraculous life becomes.

Letting go is not something you can do. You can hold on to things. You can stop holding on to your dream or your fear. Then you realize: “I'm still holding on to this, and to that too...” Then you stop holding on to those things. And so it goes on. The more we let go of what we are holding on to, the more miraculous life becomes.

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Freedom... Of course, one can philosophize a lot about freedom, but freedom is something very practical.

I have the freedom to simply be here with myself and do nothing more than what happens naturally. I don't need to worry.

I don't have to worry about anything I can't do.

I don't have to be anything other than the way I am. I can simply rest with my attention in myself, in God – no matter what happens in life, no matter what the situation is. That is freedom.

Someone can take everything you have. Someone can steal your money or make your life difficult or hurt you or lock you up. But this freedom to rest in God's lap, inside yourself, no one can take that away from you.

I have the freedom to simply rest with my attention in myself, in God — no matter what happens in life, no matter what the situation is. That is freedom. Someone can take everything from you, rob you of your money, make your life difficult, hurt you, or lock you up. But no one can take away this freedom to rest in God's lap, within yourself.

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Freedom is an inner matter. People always look for freedom out there: the freedom to do what you want. That's all child's play. It has nothing to do with freedom. There is no freedom out there.

I'll say it again: there is no freedom out there.

Freedom is much closer: it's inside. Yes, and you've summed it up nicely with those two words. By letting go, by stopping holding on, we begin to taste and discover freedom.

Freedom is an inner matter. People seek freedom out there: the freedom to do what they want. That's child's play. It has nothing to do with freedom. There is no freedom out there. It is much closer: it is inside. By letting go, by stopping holding on, we begin to taste and discover freedom.

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Yes. So, I am just letting your question roll around in my mouth.

It's such infinite freedom that I can simply be here with my consciousness, inside myself, completely regardless of what's happening, completely regardless of where I am.

That's the greatest luxury there is.

It's such infinite freedom that I can simply be here with my consciousness, inside myself, completely regardless of what's happening, completely regardless of where I am. That's the greatest luxury there is.

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Thank you, Eva.

He who waits does not meditate

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I have another e-mail question from an Eva. I don't know if this is the same person, but this inspires me to now address the question, because it has been waiting for quite a while.

Four very short questions. The first: “After meditating for 20 minutes, I already look at the clock. Is that a problem? I then do the rest half-heartedly.” Well, as long as you continue meditating, that's not a problem. In my video where I talked about meditation, my penultimate video, part 2 of the trilogy, I talked about how I meditate, and I don't set an alarm. That means I just sit down, and when I feel like half an hour has passed, I look at the timer on my phone. And when I realize, “Ah, half an hour isn't up yet”, I close my eyes and just keep meditating. That's no problem at all.

Of course, if you are meditating and you notice that you are getting impatient because you want the half hour to be over, that's a different story. Then, you are not meditating – you are waiting. Meditating is about forgetting everything and not paying attention to your thoughts as best you can. And then you can just check and say, "No, half an hour isn't over yet," and then you just keep meditating.

So, that's not a problem at all.

Meditating alone is the basis

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The second question: “I prefer to meditate in the Online Group because afterwards we talk about how we're doing. Is that okay?” Well, I am not sure what you mean by that. When you write, “you rather meditate in the online group” – instead of what? If you mean "instead of going to a real group," that's fine, of course.

You can also meditate online with other people if you enjoy the interaction there. You can do whatever you want. I think it's a real luxury to sit and meditate together with other people in the same room. I rarely have that luxury because I live in an area where nothing happens and no one else comes to meditate, but... Yes... I'll be right back, I just have to take care of something.

Okay, I am back, sorry for the short interruption.

Yes, so: if you mean the difference between an Online Group and a real group, then I think you can just do whatever you want. However, if you say that you prefer to meditate in a group rather than alone, then that's not good.

It's important to meditate alone every day, without exception. This regularity of meditating alone with yourself is crucial; it is important.

And then, additionally, you can also meditate in a group and enjoy the exchange afterwards. That's no problem at all. But meditating alone, every day, is the basis of everything. I would not skip that under any circumstances.

So...

It's not about understanding

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The third question: “With Swamiji and Soham, I sometimes don't understand the answers and what they are saying. What can I do?” Soham was often asked this question in Satsang when I was sitting with him in Satsang, and he would say: “Then, it's not for you. Don't worry about it.” And I myself have often experienced that I simply don't understand something or possibly think, “What he is saying is wrong.” Then, I just forgot about it.

You know, it's like this... You sit there and listen, or maybe you read something, and sometimes something touches you deeply. And then you know, "Ah, that's for me." Maybe you don't really understand it, but you are touched, and that's what matters. The important thing is not that we understand it up here in our heads. That's not what it's about at all.

And you know, the secret to being with a Master and a Guru is not that you understand what they say. The secret is that you love them; that you have this openness. And then you get what they have to give. But what a Master and a Guru has to give is not knowledge, but something that is simply transmitted. Words are not even necessary.

Talking is really just an excuse for being together. That's why you don't need to worry about it at all. If you don't understand something, don't worry about it, just forget it. And I sometimes found that I understood what Soham or Swamiji was talking about some time later, or sometimes years later.

The secret to being with a Master or Guru is not that you understand what they say. The secret is that you love them; that you have this openness. Then, you get what they have to give. But that is not knowledge, but something that is simply transmitted. Words are not even necessary.

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Yes, so, no problem at all.

Spiritual development must be slow

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And a fourth quick question: “What about if I don't feel at all that I am a pure and holy soul?” That's precisely why we meditate — because we don't know; because we have no idea. You are a pure and holy soul, but you don't know it.

You say, “Well, what should I do?” Meditate. Just meditate, every day, every morning, and very, very, very gradually you will get a feeling for it; very gradually. But there is no hurry. Swamiji often says something... He says, it is very important that this spiritual development takes place slowly, very, very slowly.

Of course, we are in a hurry. We want to feel holy and pure. We want to be able to experience that we really are souls. But in order to experience that, we first have to let go of many other things and live through them. We have to become more and more sensitive. Feeling our soul, our true identity, is something highly subtle.

“I don't feel that I am a pure and holy soul.” That is precisely why we meditate — because we have no idea. You say, “Well, what should I do?” Meditate. Just meditate, every day, every morning, and very, very, very gradually you will get a feeling for it; very gradually. But there is no hurry.

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But we are rough, we are numb because we have lived many lives only in our minds. And if you were to suddenly become so sensitive that you could feel your soul crystal clear, you would go crazy on the spot.

That is why it is a blessing that it happens slowly. We start with meditation, and then we begin to get to know ourselves, and we begin to feel emotions that we never wanted to feel before or that we didn't even know existed, because we are getting closer to ourselves. We have to make peace with ourselves, with the way we are. We have to learn to accept ourselves, accept the way I am, accept how life is.

Swamiji says, it is important that spiritual development is slow. Of course, we are in a hurry. But we have become numb because we have been living only in our minds. If you suddenly became so sensitive that you could feel your soul, you would go mad on the spot. That is why it is a blessing that it happens slowly.

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And the more we can do that, the more relaxed we become, and the quieter we become, and the more sensitive we become, little by little. And the more sensitive we become, the more clearly we can experience our soul. It is a completely natural, gradual process, and we can be grateful that it is happening slowly. Yes... thank you for your questions. Thank you very much. So, Simone, that had to be done. Now, it's your turn again.

We begin with meditation, and then, we start to make peace with ourselves. We must learn to accept, and the more we can do that, the more relaxed, calm, and sensitive we become, and the more clearly we can experience our soul. It is a gradual process, and we can be grateful that it is slow.

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[Simone:] You've read a lot today.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes, maybe it's even the same person, I don't know, of course. Who knows.

What we call trust is neediness

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[Simone:] I'll read a question from Martina.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Good evening, Martina. Hello. I am happy you are here.

[Simone:] “Dear Mikael, for me, trust is the basis of a relationship. I lived with someone for many years based on this trust. But some time ago, it became clear that my trust had been abused and that this person had been living a kind of double life. The pain and sadness I feel about this are immeasurable.

My pure or blind trust seems so wrong to me, and I despise myself for it. I feel naive and sometimes like a little child. I don't know how I can trust again, or if this breach of trust can ever be healed. Can you please say something about trust? Thank you very much, and it's beautiful that you are here. Martina.”

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you, Martina.

And it's beautiful that you are here.

What we call trust is not trust.

It is hope. We want something to be the way it appears to be. You don't know what it's like, but we want to believe what we see. We want to believe what we want: a faithful partner, for example.

And when we eventually realize that this isn't true, our world falls apart. But nothing has changed. Your partner is exactly the same as before. He is exactly the same as the partner you loved before. The only thing that has happened is that you have received information that you didn't have before. The person is the same. The person you had fun with, the person you loved, is the same person, only now you know a little more about him than you did before. Can you still love him? Look, the problem is not the person. The problem is the ideas we have about reality.

You thought you knew your partner. Now you realize that he has sides you didn't know about before.

Now you realize that this person is bigger than you knew; that his life is richer than you thought. I assume that's what this is about.

Yes. But you want it to be different — and that hurts.

But you want it to be different — and that hurts.

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The fundamental problem with this kind of trust is not so much what we expect from... Well, let me put it this way. What we call "trust" encompasses two things that are hidden. One is that we have certain expectations – what I just mentioned: you want reality to be the way you want it to be, for example, a faithful partner.

These are expectations: “I want this man who loves me, or this partner who loves me and whom I value, to love no one else.” That's one thing that's packed in there: this unspoken expectation. And the other thing — and this is the real problem — is that we look outward, at our partner, and want to get what we need from him: security, love, and so on.

And then you realize that it's not there; that this person isn't how you thought he was or how he should be.

And now you realize that you are not getting what you think you need or want from him. And you are at an important point, a good point. You see, you are realizing that you will be disappointed if you rely on external factors; if you rely on other people; when you rely on them being the way you think they are — but they are never that way; and when you rely on getting what you need from out there, no matter from whom. And when you do that, and everybody does that, then you will be disappointed. You will simply be disappointed — because it doesn't come from there.

And when you turn inward, when you start meditating and turn to your soul and only look inward for everything you need, two things happen. First, you start to find within yourself what you have been searching for in vain out there in the world. And what you find within yourself is reliable. When you discover your soul, when you discover God — that is reliable: that what you gradually discover within yourself.

And when you find what you really need within yourself, then, and this is the second thing that happens, is that you no longer need it from outside. And then, you can have a completely different kind of relationship. Then, you can simply love other people just as they are, appreciate them for how they are, and enjoy them as they are. They can be whatever they want to be — because you are no longer dependent on them.

And when you find what you really need within yourself, you can have a completely different kind of relationship. Then, you can simply love other people just as they are, appreciate them as they are, and enjoy them as they are. They can be whichever way they want to be — because you are no longer dependent on them.

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And then, then you discover that what you call love or trust today was actually neediness. We are, without knowing it, desperate, and looking for something out there. And when we think we've found it, we hold on to it. But it's all an illusion. People aren't the way we think they are, and above all, they can't give us what we need.

What you call love or trust is actually neediness. Without knowing it, we are desperate and searching for something out there. And when we think we have found it, we hold on to it. But it is all an illusion. People are not the way we think they are, and they cannot give us what we need.

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And what's happening to you right now is really good and important, and let me explain. If you had a partner who was exemplary, who was faithful, who fulfilled your hopes and expectations, then that would be terrible. Because then you would continue to believe that what you really want and need comes from there, but that's not true. At some point, he'll be gone, either because he dies or because you die.

But now he's gone while you are still alive, or at least the illusion about this exemplary partner has crumbled away. And now you can discover where that what you are looking for can really be found. You still have time. Through what you are currently experiencing, life is giving you the opportunity to take a look at where you can find what you really want. It is not out there. It is inside. That is why you are in Satsang: to learn to go within.

And life does this with incredible creativity. In the life of every human being, it happens in one way or another that life brings us to this point where we have to admit to ourselves that it's just not out there. And if your partner isn't perfect, then that's an advantage for you, because then, you start returning to yourself sooner.

And finally, I'd like to say something about what you mentioned at the end. You say: you don't know if you can ever trust again; if this wound can ever heal.

The wound that has been torn open is a good wound, and it will heal when you start to discover yourself – your soul. The wound is older than your relationship, you know? The pain you feel is deeper than the relationship that is currently a problem for you.

I'm talking about how we have spent our entire lives, and many lives before that, trusting that other people will give us what we need. And now we realize: that's not true. And that pain is deep. It's a very fundamental disappointment. But it's okay. Disappointment — we are dis-appointed. The deception that the world out there will give us something, that deception is coming to an end for you, at least for a short time. That's good. I know you don't want to hear this, and I know it hurts, but that's why I am telling you: it's really a gift.

We trusted that other people would give us what we needed. And now we realize that this is not true. This pain runs deep. It is a fundamental disappointment, but it is good. The illusion that the world out there will give us anything is coming to an end, at least for a short time. That is good.

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And start by welcoming your feelings. It's easy: you just have to be willing to feel them – that's all. Feel the pain, but without thinking about it, without the story, without the “ah, but my trust has been betrayed” and so on.

Leave all that out; just the pure emotion that is in your body, just feel it: the queasy stomach, the head spinning, the pain in your heart – without thoughts, without history, without thinking about where it comes from and what it means. This brings you closer to yourself. It's about turning your attention back to yourself and not outwards. That's the reversal that's important.

Start by welcoming your feelings. It's easy: you just have to be willing to feel them – that's all. Feel the pain, but without thinking about it, without the story, without the ”oh, but my trust has been betrayed” and so on. Leave all that out. It will bring you closer to yourself.

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Yes, and when you get close to yourself, that trust is healed because you discover what you can really trust. You cannot trust any man. You cannot even trust yourself. You know very well that you cannot trust yourself. You never know what you are really going to do.

But what you find within yourself, this eternal being, is absolutely reliable. Every human being can discover this. If you don't meditate yet, start doing so. That would be my advice to you. And with that, the journey of discovery that I am talking about here really begins.

When you get close to yourself, this trust is healed because you discover what you can really trust. You cannot trust any man. You cannot even trust yourself. You never know what you will really do. But what you find within yourself, this eternal part of you, is absolutely reliable.

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And stop expecting anything from your partner, and stop expecting anything from other people. That makes life much, much easier.

Stop expecting anything from your partner, and stop expecting anything from other people. That makes life much, much easier.

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My spiritual Master Soham liked to say... When asked if he trusted someone, he said, “I trust that the person is the way they are — the way they really are.” Yes, and if something comes up that you didn't know about that person before, then you say, "Ah, interesting." Yes, I can trust that he really is the way he is. It will come out eventually. We often just don't know what someone is really like. And that's a nice attitude. You can rely that your partner is the way he is – not the way he seems to be. Then, you just love him as he is.

Yes, I know you have a lot of homework to do right now, but in reality, it's simple: be where you are, accept yourself, your feelings, and turn to yourself. That's the crucial step. It will heal everything. Thank you, Martina. Thank you.

What's left is contentment

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[Simone:] Then I'll read a question from Thomas.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thomas, good evening. Hello.

[Simone:] “Dear Mikael, I feel a strong urge to call my ex-partner. The time after the breakup was very valuable and rich in experience. I am open and happy to further contact. Now I feel a strong urge, which is very valuable because I am learning to welcome feelings without thinking. After feeling, the urge disappears every time. Perhaps you would like to say a few words about this. Thank you and best regards. Thomas.”

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you, Thomas.

Yes, you are doing very well. Just feel the urge.

And I know what you are talking about very well from my own experience. When you just feel such feelings, they simply go away. There's nothing more to do.

Yes.

And it works with everything.

If you are arguing with someone, just shut up, withdraw, and feel your own feelings. And when you've felt them all and there is still something left, then you can continue talking – but then, there's nothing left to say. I've experienced this over and over again. As soon as we make peace with ourselves, there is nothing left to do – because we are satisfied. We don't need anything else.

Thank you, Thomas. That's very nice, I am very happy.

And suddenly, I understood Jesus

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[Simone:] Then I'll read the next question, Mikael. It's from Maria.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Good evening, Maria. Hello.

[Simone:] “Dear Mikael, how did you come to Jesus? You quote a lot from the Bible.”

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you for this beautiful question, Maria.

I didn't come to Jesus. I don't know... I was never Christian, actually, and yet... What I mean is: as a child, I didn't have a Christian upbringing. Religion and faith played no role at all in the family I grew up in.

And yet, Jesus was close to me. I always noticed that when I was in really difficult or desperate situations. Then, I naturally turned to Jesus. I have no idea why.

So, I suspect that it wasn't me who found Jesus, but him who found me. But I want to tell you why I talk so much about Jesus.

I mean, we live here in a Christian culture, and that's why, even if you are not a believer, even if you don't have a very religious life, you still grow up with a basic knowledge of our Christian culture. You have religion classes in school, you know the relevant Bible stories, you may have been confirmed or received communion as a child and teenager.

And you are somehow familiar with the stories and the myths and traditions, even if you have nothing to do with the whole thing. And then, later in life, when you find out yourself that what Jesus was talking about all along, you suddenly understand what Jesus was talking about. Then you suddenly understand what all these stories really mean, in a very practical way. Then it all suddenly makes sense.

I argued with my religion teacher at school because I told him it was all nonsense, that it couldn't be true. I just didn't understand what it was all about – and neither did the religion teacher. It wasn't his own experience, after all. He didn't know anything about God – not from his own experience. That's why he couldn't explain it to me in a way that I could really believe and understand.

But at some point – in my case, it's now.... now it's mid-May, it's almost exactly 25 years ago, maybe already 26, I always forget – that's when I met, for the first time, someone who knew what Jesus was talking about, from his own experience. And when I heard him speak for the first time – I am talking about my spiritual Master Soham – it was as if someone had flipped a switch inside of me. Suddenly, I understood. My religion teacher couldn't teach me anything because he wasn't speaking from his own experience.

But when, for the first time in my life, someone spoke to me who himself lives in the truth that Jesus constantly spoke of, I was able to listen, I understood — but not with my head, but with my soul. Yes, and that was 25 years ago, and since then, as a disciple of this Master, I have experienced one thing or another myself. I have come closer and closer to myself. And then came Swamiji, this living Jesus, and Samarpan Meditation. And now I remember a story about Jesus, or I read something about it somewhere, I read a saying somewhere, and I just understand it.

My religion teacher couldn't teach me anything because he wasn't speaking from his own experience. But when, for the first time in my life, someone spoke to me who himself lives in the truth that Jesus constantly spoke of, I was able to listen, I understood — but not with my head, but with my soul.

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The pastor in the church who reads it aloud probably doesn't understand it, but I understand it – because it has become my experience. So, it's not so much about Jesus directly, but that I simply understand now what Jesus was talking about, and then, of course, he is infinitely close to me. Jesus had such a direct, human way of expressing things. He spoke to people who knew nothing at all about all this. He spoke to the uneducated, to the simple people.

And he spoke at a time when many words did not even exist yet. The word "thought" did not exist, nor did "psyche" or anything like that. Such words did not exist. Such concepts for the inner world did not exist at all. When he spoke of the mind and thoughts, he called it the devil. He spoke to people in a very tangible, practical way. And they all understood him – because he spoke from his own experience. And when someone speaks from their own experience, it resonates.

Yes, and that's how it was for me, and now I just know what he is talking about. I just know.

And now, looking back, I can see that Jesus has been very, very close to me all my life, as if he already knew back then where I would be today. I don't know if that makes sense now.

Everything Jesus spoke about was meant to be very practical, very real, very simple – just like what Soham speaks about and what Swamiji speaks about: very practical, real, experiential aspects of our human existence. It is not philosophical; it is not religious. It is entirely existential, something that every human being can discover and experience.

And when you begin to discover and experience it, then, yes, then you suddenly understand Jesus; then it all suddenly makes sense, and then you enjoy talking about it because it is so beautiful and so... Everything Jesus said has clarified in such a wonderful way what cannot actually be put into words. It's really great. And I talk about Jesus because I come from this culture, and that's why this Saint is so close to me. An Indian then talks about another saint who is close to his soul because he comes from a different culture, but basically, it's all the same.

Thank you, Maria. Thank you very much.

I am happy you are here.

The blessing of online meditation

Link to topic in video at 1h00m07s

[Simone:] I'll read a question from Oliver.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Good evening, Oliver. Hello.

[Simone:] “Dear Mikael, unfortunately I don't have the opportunity to meditate in a physical group. The nearest city with a group is at least an hour and a half's drive away. However, this is not compatible with my working hours. Almost all group meditations take place on Mondays. So far, with a few exceptions, we have only been doing the online meditations. Is this sufficient in the long term? Many thanks and best regards, Jai Baba Swami.”

[Dhyan Mikael:] Jai Baba Swami.

Well, don't worry about it. I see it very pragmatically. I say, "Hey God, if you want me to meditate in a physical group, then you have to arrange it so that it's practically possible." That's how it is for me. I meditate online somewhere about twice a week, sometimes more, because there is no group anywhere near here. It's exactly the same for me as for you: the nearest group is almost an hour and a half away.

And I really appreciate this online meditation, and I would love to meditate in a local group, but it doesn't seem practical for me. I've also tried to start a group here, but somehow, I am maybe a little too far out, at least it hasn't happened yet. So, I just do it online. And then I say, "Hey, God, if that's not enough, then do something." I am very demanding. I mean, that's God's business. I am learning here to surrender, and then I say to God, "Hey, okay, I'll go along with what you serve me. And if you want it differently, then serve me something else."

Yes.

And these online meditations are great. You can do them every day. There are so many opportunities, it's just great. We're really spoiled with it here in Germany right now. It's really, really great. So, I am not worried about it at all. Everything will work out. I am absolutely sure of that.

Thank you, Oliver.

Forget the beautiful experience

Link to topic in video at 1h03m09s

[Simone:] The next question comes from Vitali.

[Dhyan Mikael:] From whom?

[Simone:] Vitali.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Vitali, good evening. Hello. Nice to have you here.

[Simone:] “Hello Mikael. I was able to experience this being carried. This peace was overlaid by thoughts of guilt from the past. It felt like a part of me was separated. Now an emptiness is noticeable. Nothing is really nourishing. No more joy of life during meditation. In meditation, there are no thoughts, just a beeping in my ear. Maybe you have something to add.”

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes, thank you. Thank you, Vitali. Yes, you know, the important thing is that we always accept what is here now. It's nice when we feel being carried, and if you experience that, then enjoy it. But if there is no being carried, then enjoy what is here now.

An emptiness? Okay – invite the emptiness.

Your meditation is without joy? Okay. Say 'yes' to that. Invite it in. Just be with it, unquestioningly, without waiting for anything else.

Then, it's easy.

Always accept what is here right now. It's nice to feel carried, and when you experience that, enjoy it. But when you don't feel carried, enjoy what is here right now. Emptiness? Okay — invite the emptiness in. Your meditation is joyless? Okay. Say 'yes' to that. Be with it, unquestioningly, without waiting for something else. Then, it's easy.

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We... That's why beautiful experiences are so difficult. Painful experiences are actually much easier: we don't hold on to them. We have them, and when they are gone, we are happy to forget them. But a beautiful experience comes, and then, of course, it goes again – but we want it back. And then, we are no longer in the moment. Then, you are no longer here.

Then, you are in your thoughts, and there is no joy There is nothing to be gained. These are subtle thoughts. There are very obvious thoughts: you are thinking about work or some problem. But there are such vague thoughts, and these are the things we want but don't have. Then, we remember something from yesterday or a week ago, and then, we are in the past.

That's why beautiful experiences are so difficult. Painful experiences are much easier: we don't hold on to them, but a beautiful experience we want to have again. And then, we are no longer in the moment. Then, you are no longer here. Then, you are in your thoughts, and there is no joy.

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But if you stop doing that and just be with what is, no matter what it is, you will notice how your experience of it changes immediately.

Accept what is here in each moment. And then, I don't ask myself, “Do I want this or not?

Would I rather have it differently?” No. “Ah, that's how it is right now – okay. Yes, all right.” And with this basic attitude, with this kind of acceptance, that is surrender. That is surrender in action. Then, everything changes. It's quite funny, you know... We experience moments like this where surrender happens to us, sometimes even through difficult things, when life forces us to do so because we don't know how to go on – and then, we experience being carried; then, we experience the miracle of life; then, we can briefly see how life really works.

And that came to us at the moment when we expected nothing else, when we wanted nothing else, when we were simply here. Then, we experience something beautiful, we want to have it again, and then, we are no longer here – and then, the beautiful experience is gone. But you can accept everything that is here, the emptiness, the pain, whatever it is, surrender to it completely, without reservation, and then, you are here again. And then, everything is... It's quite amazing.

This is how I experience it: no matter what is here, no matter whether it is beautiful or not, whether it is painful or not – when I am completely and utterly with what is, then it is beautiful. It may still hurt, but... It's just incredible, this being completely here. And you can start all over at any time. It's no problem at all.

So, forget everything you've experienced. Forget the beautiful experiences that are no longer here. Forget the difficult experiences that are no longer here. Just focus on the experience that is there now — and then, it's easy.

Whether it's pleasant or painful – when I am completely with what is, then, it's beautiful. It may still hurt, but it's just incredible to be here. So, forget everything you've experienced, both the good and the bad. Just focus on the experience that is happening right now – then, it's easy.

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And then, in the next moment, it's already a little bit different. Keep forgetting and looking anew: "Ah yes, what is it now?"

Then, life is very simple. We only get into trouble when we want things to be the way they were just a moment ago, or the way they were yesterday or a week ago. But that's no fun.

And then, in the next moment, it's already a little bit different. Keep forgetting and looking anew: "Ah yes, what is it now?" Then, life is very simple. We only get into trouble when we want things to be the way they were just a moment ago, or the way they were yesterday or a week ago. But that's no fun.

Link to quote in video at 1h09m19s

Thank you.

Do we need other people?

Link to topic in video at 1h09m57s

[Simone:] Dear Mikael, the next question is from Sabine.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Good evening, Sabine. Hello.

[Simone:] “Dear Mikael, I've been living alone for several years. Sometimes, I enjoy it, but often, it triggers my inner child, as if I were that child again, alone and having to cope on my own. I then sometimes feel desperate, even depressed, and the more I withdraw. I try to hold myself together and ask myself: to what extent do we need other people? For co-regulation, so to speak? Can you say something about being alone? Thank you. Best regards, Sabine.”

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you, Sabine.

Well, humans cannot live alone.

When I... I can't cope on my own. But I don't need other people.

I need this surrender to something greater than myself. I need the company of God. I need the company of my Soul – that's how I would put it – and when I have that, I can cope with myself, and I can even cope with other people.

I can't manage on my own. But I don't need other people. I need this surrender to something greater than myself. I need God's company. I need the company of my Soul, and when I have that, I can put up with myself, and I can even put up with other people.

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But this loneliness, this feeling of being lost that you talk about, sets in as soon as we are far away from what is greater than us: when we have distanced ourselves from our Soul, when we have distanced ourselves from God. 'God' is such an abstract word; I prefer the word 'Soul'. When we are no longer completely, completely close to our own inner selves, then, we are lost; then, we are alone.

That is truly terrible. And it's interesting, you know... Normally, it's like this: someone who embarks on the spiritual path, and that usually happens by itself... It's not like you decide at some point to become spiritual, but rather that life changes and suddenly you realize that you have become different from other people because you are on a new path.

And when you are on this path, you usually find that things you used to love have lost their appeal. You begin to see reality. You begin to realize that the things you used to love doing so much no longer give you anything. You can't stand being around many people anymore. You realize that many people don't give you anything anymore and that it's often just exhausting.

This loneliness, this feeling of being lost that you speak of, arises as soon as we are far away from that which is greater than ourselves: when we have distanced ourselves from our Soul, from God. When we are no longer completely close to our inner selves, then we are lost; then we are alone.

Link to quote in video at 1h11m40s

And then, you withdraw, and then, you start looking elsewhere. But again and again you realize... Again and again, you forget what you've experienced, and then you think, “Oh, wouldn't it be nice to have friends again? Wouldn't it be nice to have a lover again? Then, I would be taken care of; then, I would be happy; then, I would have what I need.” We forget that we've tried that a million times and have already experienced several times that it's not there. But we forget that again.

I just said: when we are distant from ourselves, then, it becomes really difficult. But, you know, that's a very practical matter. It has nothing to do with philosophy. You have to live this surrender. You can't imagine a Soul, you can't imagine God or anything like that. That's useless. It just drives you crazy. But you can learn to surrender yourself to life and let life and God take care of things, and then, you are no longer alone.

You can't imagine a Soul, you can't imagine God or anything like that. That's useless. It just drives you crazy. But you can learn to surrender yourself to life and let life and God take care of things, and then, you're no longer alone. Then, there is life all around you, carrying you along.

Link to quote in video at 1h14m40s

Then, there is life all around you that carries you. Now we are back where we started at the beginning of Satsang: we want to do it ourselves. We don't want to surrender. We want to have life in our own hands. We want to determine our own lives, and then, we complain that no one is carrying us; then, we complain that we are alone; then, we complain that we are abandoned.

We want to do it ourselves. We don't want to surrender. We want to have life in our own hands. We want to determine our own lives, and then, we complain that no one is carrying us; then, we complain that we are alone; then, we complain that we are abandoned.

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But we are abandoned because we have turned away from life.

I wonder how I can express this more tangibly, because it's a practical matter. For me, it's like this: I say 'yes' to what is, because I know... I just know that it's right for me, even if I don't like it: even if it's difficult. Sometimes, I feel completely wrong, completely inadequate. And then, I surrender to it: “Okay, that's how it is. To that I say 'yes'. And if it's forever: life knows better. I say 'yes'.” And when you live like that, when you say 'yes' with this fervor to everything you experience within yourself, to every state of mind, then, you are not alone.

Sometimes, I feel completely wrong, completely inadequate. And then, I surrender to it: “Okay, that's how it is. To that I say 'yes'. And if it's forever: life knows better. I say 'yes'.” And when you live like that, when you say 'yes' with this fervor to everything you experience within yourself, to every state of mind, then, you are not alone.

Link to quote in video at 1h16m12s

And you learn that through Samarpan Meditation — this way of practical, lived surrender. In Samarpan Meditation, it's very, very simple: you just focus your attention on the crown chakra, and that only works as long as you don't think. As soon as you think, you are no longer up there; you are one level lower, in your mind. And this simple task of resting in the crown chakra and not paying attention to thoughts is so difficult because we can hardly manage this simple task of not taking thoughts seriously.

This simple task of resting in the crown chakra and not paying attention to thoughts is so difficult because we can hardly manage this simple task of not taking thoughts seriously.

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That is surrender: letting go of the thoughts that say, “I have to do this; it has to be this way; it should be this way; I have to take care of that...” All these thoughts that revolve around how something was, how something should be, how I should be, what I want, what I don't want.... Just letting these thoughts be: that is the central act of surrender.

We practice this in Samarpan Meditation, which seems so simple. And yet, we are practicing the one thing that is so difficult for us. And as soon as you learn a little bit of that — to ignore your thoughts and just be here — you are no longer alone.

That is surrender: letting go of thoughts that revolve around how something was, how something should be, how I should be, what I want, what I don't want... letting go of these thoughts is the central act of surrender. We practice this in Samarpan Meditation, which seems so simple. And yet, we are practicing the one thing that is so difficult for us.

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And whether other people are there or not... Sometimes, it's nice to be with other people, sometimes, it's terrible to be with other people, but it's not so important anymore.

And once you learn to ignore your thoughts and just be here, you are no longer alone. And whether other people are there or not... Sometimes, it's nice to be with other people, sometimes, it's terrible to be with other people, but it doesn't matter so much anymore.

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The only company you really need, and that is the one company we don't know and never care about, is the relationship and closeness to our own Soul. And we have no idea about that. Earlier, there was this beautiful question: "What is it like when I can't feel that I am a holy and pure Soul?" We have no idea how that is supposed to work. We have no idea how to feel that. And working on this relationship is the only thing that matters and the only thing that really works.

The only company you really need, and that is the one company we don't know and never care about, is the relationship and closeness to our own Soul.

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And that's what we do by meditating; by ignoring our thoughts and just being here.

To feel that I am a holy and pure Soul — we have no idea how to feel that. And working on this relationship is the only thing that matters, the only thing that really works. And we do that by meditating, by ignoring our thoughts and just being here.

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And there, you will discover everything you are looking for. These are empty words to you if you don't do it yourself. You have to try it for yourself. There is no way around it. Otherwise, they are just beautiful or empty words, but they have no value for you. You have to try it for yourself.

And you are one of those people. You know that the company of other people doesn't really give you what you want, even though the longing is still there, of course. I understand.

Start getting closer to yourself. Start meditating and be where you are – radically. Don't wait for anything, meditate every day, and everything will reveal itself to you.

You know that the company of other people doesn't really give you what you want, even though the longing is still there, of course. I understand. Start getting closer to yourself. Start meditating and be where you are – radically. Don't wait for anything, meditate every day, and everything will reveal itself to you.

Link to quote in video at 1h20m35s

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes, be patient. Thank you. Thank you for your question.

Life is your leader animal

Link to topic in video at 1h21m34s

[Simone:] Mikael, Kerstin would like to speak with you, and I would like to connect you now.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes, great. Thank you. Hello Kerstin.

[Kerstin:] Hello. I want to show myself, otherwise it's silly.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes, of course.

[Kerstin:] Hello Mikael.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Welcome. Nice to have you here.

[Kerstin:] I am just thinking about how to summarize my request. Well, my path, let's put it this way, manifest and spiritual, my path is very influenced by and with dogs. I would almost say that dogs have been my spiritual teachers in my life so far. We also communicate on a soul level. And now, to get to the point, I have a dog that really makes me reflect on myself.

He's a very independent, strong-willed guy that I now have to lead. He's also a bit traumatized, but that doesn't really matter right now. I am now at square one with all my knowledge and all my dog experience – or rather, not anymore... We've been together for three years now, and I think we're now getting to the heart of the matter. He only pees when he feels safe with me. So, it's about leadership.

That's my assessment. I have to lead, or be authentically real, and at the moment, I feel very much like a... more like a little... I am insecure. It even bothers me that we stand out when we're out and about with the leash and so on. As I said, it isn't about theoretical aspects of dog training, but I feel that he came into my life so that I can, among other things, straighten up — I don't know if you understand....

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes, I know exactly what you mean.

[Kerstin:] It's about him walking beside me, not pulling at me, because I respect him and he respects me. And now I ask myself: what if I can't do that? If I don't have that quality? And I thought to myself, there are no dog experts here, maybe you have some inspiration, because I really see this as a growth task and not just on a practical dog-human level, if you understand.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes. Yes, thank you, that's a great question. Thank you very much. Thank you, Kerstin. Yes, animals are great because they mirror who we are – mercilessly. And a dog is a pack animal, and it accepts you as the leader of the pack – if you are a leader. But you are not. And now you want to know how to become one.

Yes?

I used to have a dog, and the dog was... I was married at the time, and the dog was completely different with my wife than with me.

It was the same dog, but he was completely different with one person than with the other. And that's the beauty of dogs. They really show us where we stand – if we want to know. Do you meditate?

[Kerstin:] Yes, but not Samarpan Meditation. I go through my heart space and open myself up, every day actually, in the evening. I connect that with feeling myself in my body, because I am very often up here.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes. So, the more grounded you are in your Soul, and by Soul, I mean something that... I don't know if you know this, but the soul is something that is bigger than you. That's why with Samarpan meditation... You don't have to do it if you have one; you can do this however you want, but when you give yourself to what Jesus called the Father... Well, the Soul is actually the Holy Spirit that Jesus spoke of.

When you give yourself to that, "Thy will be done," then you become huge within. People who don't walk this path themselves cannot imagine that. They think you would become small and become a plaything of life or a victim. But the opposite is true. When you learn to say 'yes' to existence, inside – I am talking about the inner self — then you become stronger and stronger.

You become more and more rooted in your true nature. You become quieter. You become completely independent of the world because you live in the Kingdom of the Father, in Heaven — as Jesus put it — because you are rooted in reality, within yourself. Perhaps you understand a little of what I mean. And when you are rooted there, then you have a power that is palpable. Other people feel it, and animals feel it especially.

The Soul is actually the Holy Spirit that Jesus spoke of. When you give yourself to that, "Thy will be done," then you become huge within. People who don't walk this path themselves cannot imagine that. They think you would become small and become a plaything of life or a victim. But the opposite is true.

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And the weaker you are, the weaker this connection is, the more animals sense it and do whatever they want. And the stronger you are, the fewer questions you have, the fewer doubts you have, the more natural it is for you that God loves you and that you are simply here and everything happens as it should, without question... There is no question at all, because you trust life... This power, this inner strength, a Soul power, is the power that determines how we interact with other beings, and if you have that, then you have no problem with dogs.

And they simply show you where you stand. They show you how far you are from yourself. The closer you get to yourself, the... Animals love this human energy, this genuine human energy — not the intellectual energy that determines the world, not what humans normally embody, but the real thing — the energy that we humans are here to rediscover. And animals love that. Animals are naturally drawn to humans because of this energy, which has become very rare in humans.

And when you discover it for yourself – not for the dog, for yourself – then you will find that the dog follows you without question. It doesn't matter what techniques you use.

So, the dog is really doing you a favor.

Basically, it works like this: as long as you take care of the dog, as long as you worry about whether it is following you or not, you are not a leader. You have to take care of yourself. Take care of yourself – and the dog will follow you.

Basically, it works like this: as long as you take care of the dog, as long as you worry about whether it is following you or not, you are not a leader. You have to take care of yourself. Take care of yourself – and the dog will follow you.

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It's much easier for us to take care of others. The first question I answered was from the lady who takes care of all her relatives, and her life is infinitely difficult, unbearable, and nothing gets better. It's much easier to set out on the path to yourself – well, technically speaking, it's easier. Taking care of others is impossible.

Getting closer to yourself is possible — but it requires us to let go of what we think we are, our ego, our self-image, our desires, our dreams, all of it, and discover who we really are. And normally, no one wants that. But it's much easier. And when we take on this one task, everything else falls into place. Whether the dog follows you or not is completely irrelevant. It's completely unimportant in life, actually, but it's a wonderful indicator. Take care of yourself.

Taking care of others is impossible. Getting closer to ourselves is possible — but it requires us to let go of what we think we are, our ego, our self-image, our desires, our dreams, and discover who we really are. And nobody wants that. But it's much easier. When we accept this one task, everything else falls into place.

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Worry about how much you... Let me put it poetically, okay?

Learn to let life be your leader animal.

Surrender yourself to life, to the way life wants to lead you. Learn this kind of surrender. It makes life infinitely easy, but it also kills you. And when you have found your leader animal — namely, life, the Soul, God — then, everyone else will follow you because it's just incredible.

Surrender yourself to life, to the way life wants to lead you. Learn this kind of surrender. It makes life infinitely easy, but it also kills you. And when you have found your leader animal — namely, life, the Soul, God — then, everyone else will follow you because it's just incredible.

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That reminds me of something. You know, people always think that someone like a spiritual Master or a Guru is a really cool, powerful person, a leader who has it all figured out. The opposite is true. These are people who have become more and more like disciples, who have learned more and more surrender; disciples of life who have let go more and more, who knew less and less, who wanted less and less, and who learned to follow more and more. Do you know what I mean?

In the eyes of other people, they become giants, but you experience yourself as increasingly insignificant and... You dissolve, actually... and then the power of life flows through you. And for other people, you are then something very special. But the special thing is that life flows through you – and animals sense that. Animals... There are many stories of Saints who have had dealings with animals, because animals sense that.

Birds sense that – Francis of Assisi. With Ramana Maharshi, there was this cow that couldn't help itself, it always wanted to be in Satsang, and it was allowed to be there. We have cats in our house. Cats are incredibly sensitive to meditation and to this energy. Here, where I give Satsang and make my videos, they like to lie around – for hours, not moving, not making a sound, they just love it. So, you have a good companion.

Thank you, Kerstin. I don't know, does that make sense to you?

[Kerstin:] Yes. I am very touched. Thank you.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you, Kerstin.

The body wants to be the boss

Link to topic in video at 1h35m06s

[Dhyan Mikael:] Well, I see it's already 9 o'clock, it's unbelievable, just when I've just gotten warmed up here. Simone, do you have anything else?

[Simone:] I do have some more questions, yes.

[Dhyan Mikael:] I don't know if we should.... You know what? Read out one more question, and then we have to wrap up, okay?

[Simone:] Okay. It's from Katharina.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Good evening, Katharina.

[Simone:] “Dear Mikael, I've been meditating for about a year and a half. At the moment, my body can't sit still. I sit cross-legged, my feet start to hurt, and I have to keep changing position. This bothers me. Do you have any ideas?”

[Dhyan Mikael:] Interesting.

Well, you can sit however you want. You can also sit on a chair and meditate. Swamiji says that lying down is not good, but sitting on a chair is fine – just make sure that your feet are on the floor, preferably bare feet, which is especially nice. I don't like meditating like that, I prefer to sit cross-legged, and my legs tend to fall asleep. But you know, it's like this... What you are saying reminds me of something Swamiji likes to say: the body resists. The body doesn't like to sit still, and the mind doesn't like to sit still either. They do everything they can to get us moving again.

And I can only tell you how I do it. I sit down and I stay sitting for half an hour. My body is very stiff, completely untrained. My legs tend to fall asleep. But when I sit down for half an hour, I sit, and I don't move, no matter what. I don't care how much it hurts. But of course, you have to do it sensibly. If I had the feeling that my body really had a problem — I don't want to torture it — then I wouldn't do it. But I know for sure that the body can sit like that for half an hour. It's not a problem at all.

It twitches, it hurts, it itches, your legs fall asleep — none of that is a problem. If you have that feeling, then I would just try it out and see what it's like when you simply ignore it all. Just sit down and meditate for half an hour, that's it. And in that half hour, your body has nothing to say to you. That's how I do it. But, as I said: it's not about fighting with your body. It's just about not letting your body be the boss for half an hour. It bosses you around for the rest of the day.

Yes, and as I said: what I just said is how I handle it. But I do it because I know and because I am sure that this body really has no problem with sitting for half an hour. And that's why I can do it with confidence. If you feel the same way, then give it a try. You'll be surprised what these bodies are capable of.

We just had this wonderful conversation about this dog.

If you know that you are the boss with a dog like that, if you don't worry about it, if it's just completely natural to you, then, the dog senses it, and it just follows you. And it's the same with the body. If your consciousness, your Soul, is the boss here, then the body follows. The body is capable of all kinds of things.

But normally, we do the opposite: we are slaves to our bodies. We follow our bodies, and then, everything gets crazier and crazier.

If you know that you are the boss with such a dog, then it will follow you. It's the same with the body. If your consciousness, your Soul, is the boss, then, the body will follow. It is capable of all kinds of things, but normally, we do the opposite: we are slaves to our bodies. We follow our bodies, and everything becomes crazier and crazier.

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I want to tell you how I started sitting cross-legged.

I'll take two more minutes... You know, this body is now 62 years old. When I started Samarpan Meditation, I was 55. I couldn't sit cross-legged, not at all; not in the slightest. I was completely stiff.

So, it was out of the question to meditate cross-legged. I somehow sat down on a chair. And then, shortly after I started Samarpan Meditation, I heard a discourse by Swamiji, a live discourse he gave, and he said something... He said: “Every person can sit cross-legged on the floor and meditate, no matter how old they are. And if you are 90 years old — it's always possible. And if you say you can't, then you are lying to yourself.” He said that very radically, and it stuck with me.

I was talking to someone else earlier, when I answered the question about what it's like when you don't understand the Master: often the Master or Guru says something, and it goes right over your head; it's just not for you. But sometimes he says something and you just know: “He's saying that to me. That's for me.” And when he said that, I knew: that's for me. I knew he was right. And then I started meditating in the cross-legged position, and it was terribly difficult at first. It was really painful at the beginning, but it wasn't a problem.

It didn't take long, just a few months, and I was able to meditate in the cross-legged position and feel reasonably relaxed. Then, it took another year, and now I feel totally relaxed. And now, six or seven years later, this is how I work. I work in the cross-legged position. I no longer sit in the chair, I sit on a small table and work during the day, and I also do Satsang that way. Everything has changed, just because Swamiji told me, “It's possible.

And if you think it's not possible, then, you are lying to yourself.” It's really about who is the leader here: you or your body. This is often misunderstood. Especially in Christian culture, we have very abstruse ideas about this. There are people who deliberately torture their bodies; they deliberately make things difficult for their bodies. That is, of course, total nonsense. It is a misunderstanding. But there are things that the body can do but doesn't want. And the body doesn't want to sit still for half an hour. It just doesn't want to—but it can.

And you can teach it to do so simply by being stubborn. I learned it. And now... Learning to sit cross-legged was the beginning for me. And after I learned that, I moved on. Now I am learning all kinds of other things that are gradually making this body fitter and fitter, and I am realizing, “Wow, this body can do a lot.” And it all started seven years ago when Swamiji said, “You can sit cross-legged.” So, maybe... If you feel a resonance there; follow your feeling... It's not about... As I said, it's not about torturing the body.

It's not about doing absurd things. But if you feel that “Yes, there is something to it. Yes, I don't want to let this body lead me by the nose, I want to know what's really possible”, then, give it a try. Be patient; it takes a while. But just sit down and try out what is possible. I'll tell you: you'll be surprised. Your body can do much more than you think. But it tries to be your leader animal. It's time for you to take charge here.

Thank you.

Support me if it gives you joy

Link to topic in video at 1h44m55s

Okay, we have to stop, otherwise, Devasetu will not be happy. We're already running a quarter of an hour late, and I want to go to bed. I've moved the Satsang time. We used to start at 8 p.m., but now we start at 7:30 p.m. because I think it's nice to go to bed a little earlier. It does me a lot of good, although I could really go on for another hour here now – but let's stop. Thank you for being here. Thank you all for being here. Thank you for the wonderful questions.

And if there was a question that is important to you and there wasn't enough time for it, just send it to me by email. I'll either read it out in the next Online Satsang or in the next video, or I'll reply to you by email. I look forward to hearing from you. And now, at the end, I would like to thank Devasetu and Jetzt-TV for making this possible. I am very grateful for this, and I invite you to support Devasetu and Jetzt-TV; it is all donation-based, and Devasetu is very happy when people support him.

I do too, by the way: everything I do here, online with the Satsangs, with the videos, with the Morning Moments, is all free. It's very important to me that it is this way, because I am not selling you anything here. I am simply sharing what I myself have been given as a gift, and it can only be a gift; it must not cost anything. But I basically devote all my time and energy to making Satsangs and the videos possible, distributing everything, and being here for you.

And that's why I am really happy when there are some people who would like to support me financially. And if you feel like it, you can find information on how to do this on the Donate page of my website. The best for me is when people sign up for a membership on Steady. That's just one option. It's a kind of subscription; you can support me with a certain amount per month, starting at 8 euros per month. And that's really great for me, because it gives the whole thing a kind of continuity.

But if you have a problem with something like that, you can also support me in other ways, just as you like. Just feel totally free. I just want to say again and again: it's very helpful when I find support for this. and in a month, the next German Online Satsang will take place, and in between, there will also be an English Online Satsang. And brand new — I'm very excited — at the end of May, my very first retreat will take place, where you can meet me "in real life".

We will be together in Satsang for a week in Upper Austria, and I am very much looking forward to it. If you feel like coming, there is still the possibility to stay in tents or come with a camper van or stay in the dormitory. And I am very happy about everyone who wants to come. I think we will have a really wonderful time. It's very hard for me to stop today, but I am going to stop anyway. It's just so nice with you all.... Thank you.

I love you.