Whitsun Intensive: Online Satsang of May 20, 2024

[Dhyan Mikael:] Well, let's start Satsang.

Welcome to Satsang. Welcome to the second day of the Whitsun Intensive.

I'm happy you're here, despite the nice weather.

If you're here for the first time, I'll tell you briefly in two sentences what's going on here, as I do in every Satsang. I tell you about my experiences in my life, and if you like, you can ask me questions. This is possible via the chat on YouTube or Zoom. But if you want, you can also talk to me directly in Zoom.

If you want to do that, just give a hand signal in Zoom and then, Samarpita will make sure that you get through. And that's actually all there is to it; we'll do this for one and a half hours until half past three, and in the last half hour of this Intensive Satsang you can, if you want, meditate with me and everyone else who joins in. We will do the Samarpan Meditation.

If you don't know this meditation yet, that's no problem at all. I will talk about how to do it before we start. It's very simple and very very beneficial, and I invite you to get to know it. And then, at four o'clock, the Satsang and the Intensive is over. Yes, that's actually all there is to it. Samarpita, do you have anything you could read to me yet?

He doesn't want to get married

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[Samarpita:] Yes, Mikael, there is a question from Katharina.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Hello Katharina, I'm happy you're here. Hello.

[Samarpita:] "Dear Mikael, I have two questions. First question. My partner and I have been together for a few years, and I could well imagine marrying him, but he doesn't think much of marriage. I have the feeling that he is afraid of losing his freedom. He quickly feels constricted and always wants to be free. Do you have any suggestions for me?"

[Dhyan Mikael:] Oh, thank you. Thank you for the question. Just love him for who he is. Enjoy him for who he is.

The more you just love him for who he is, as weird as he is.... I mean, he's a man, he can't help it. Men are like that, most of them anyway. And the more you simply appreciate him for who he is, without wanting him to be different, the easier it is for him to relax. And who knows what else is possible. And my advice to you would be: don't think about the future. It's wonderful that you could imagine marrying him. And you can just live with him as if... It's like a marriage for you. You feel like this is your man for the rest of your life, and then just live with him like that.

There's nothing wrong with that.

Thank you for your question.

[Samarpita:] No other questions at the moment.

Can anything good come out of this?

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[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you, Samarpita. I'd like to read something out then. I had read out a question yesterday at the beginning of Satsang, it was about... what was it about? I always forget everything... It was about this laziness and this inertia, and what you can do with it. And my advice was to just let it happen; not to want it to go away. Normally, we think that if I feel like this, I have to control it somehow, I have to make it go away somehow. Because, if I allow myself to feel so sluggish or so lazy or so listless, then I won't be able to get off the sofa all day.

Yes, and my advice was: let it happen. Just let it happen. If you have the opportunity and the time for it and the space for it: that's wonderful. Then just give it space, be lazy – but do it right. And by 'right', I mean: be there, with this feeling. Bathe in this feeling. Just be lazy and do nothing, really nothing. Don't think, don't surf around on your cell phone. It's exhausting and then you'll be even lazier afterwards.

But if you're really just lazy, then something will happen, eventually, by itself. That was my advice. And then she wrote back: "Thank you for your reply. It sounds relieving and scary at the same time. Can anything good come of it if everything is simply allowed to be? That's a rhetorical question, of course." Yes, of course it's a rhetorical question, and yet it's not. We really believe that.

We really believe deep down: nothing good can come of it if I just let myself be like that. And so, my challenge to you is to find out for yourself what will really happen. Stop fighting how you feel, when you have the chance. And these holidays are ideal for that. You're probably off work, you probably don't have to work, and then you can finally let it happen. It's like you're meditating with this state of mind you're in at the moment.

My personal experience is that only good things come out of it if you just allow it as it is right now – if you can; if you have the opportunity.

We really believe: nothing good can come of it if I just let myself be like that. And so, my challenge to you is to find out for yourself what will happen.

My personal experience is that only good things come out of it.

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Meditation – the ultimate laziness

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And part of yesterday's question was something I didn't read out, and I'd like to make up for that today. "I listened to your video interview with Mona and I'm frustrated because you guys keep talking about the feeling of happiness that comes up. You always say everything was so easy for you: no resistance to the meditation or to the Guru, and you knew immediately what was right. I don't know how to connect 'everything is allowed to be' or 'I am allowed to be like this' with 'I want to stay on the path'."

Yes, you think you have to do this 'staying on the path'.

This is a very paradoxical matter.

You know, you feel inside where you are going. You hear me speaking in Satsang, or someone else, and you are in total resonance, and you know: that's where it's going for me. You just feel that. And then the question is: how do I get there? And the only way we know how to live is to force yourself to do something. But that doesn't work on this spiritual path.

Arriving with yourself, with God, means arriving where you are now. Arriving here. And the more you try to get further, the further away you get from here. That's actually logical.

The only way we know how to live is to force yourself to do something. But that doesn't work on this spiritual path.

Arriving with yourself, with God, means arriving where you are now.

And the more you try to get further, the further away you get from here.

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But it's like it goes against all our instincts, because all our lives we've always wanted to do something to achieve something. And now here comes Mikael and says: If you want to arrive at yourself, if you want to get to Heaven, then let it be as it is now. And that's a paradox: you know where you're going, and now you should just be here, here where you are right now, and not change anything and not try to be different. And that's exactly what I advise you to do.

If you want to arrive at yourself, if you want to get to Heaven, then let it be as it is now.

And that's a paradox: you know where you're going, and now you should just be here, where you are right now, and not change anything and not try to be different.

And that's exactly what I advise you to do.

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See how long you can be lazy. And meditating is the ultimate laziness. Samarpan Meditation... what you do is... That is the only meditation I know, and I have known many in this life, where you really do nothing; where there is nothing to achieve. You park your attention here, at this very ordinary place up here, seemingly quite ordinary. You think nothing. You want nothing. There is nothing to achieve. You're not supposed to feel a certain way after this half hour of meditation.

Meditating is the ultimate laziness. Samarpan Meditation is the only meditation I know where you really do nothing; where there is nothing to achieve.

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You can simply forget everything. There is no right way to do it. You can be ultimate lazy while meditating for half an hour. And then you realize: this is unbearable. We have never learned this: to do nothing and just be here. And you can practice that in this meditation. So... If you are inert and lazy, then you are made for this meditation.

You can be ultimate lazy while meditating for half an hour. And then you realize: this is unbearable.

We have never learned this: to do nothing and just be here. And you can practice that in this meditation.

If you are inert and lazy, then you are made for this meditation.

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Yes.

A state beyond feelings

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And I want to say something else. You say that it frustrates you when you hear me talk about how easy it was for me, and about all these feelings of happiness all the time. First of all, I don't talk about the feelings of happiness. I have all kinds of feelings, it changes all the time. I'm not talking about feelings. I'm talking about a state that is always here, no matter what the feelings are.

Sometimes I feel sad or helpless, or wrong, or unhappy. Sometimes I feel happy or joyful or simply completely neutral. But around that, underneath, above, there is a state of mind that is greater than these feelings, these emotions, which all have to do with this physical existence. And that's what I'm talking about. And you know, we're very, very impatient.

I'm talking about a state that is always here, no matter what the feelings are.

Sometimes I feel sad or helpless. Sometimes I feel happy or joyful. But around that is a state of mind that is greater than these feelings.

And that's what I'm talking about.

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We hear someone like Jesus speak or someone like Swamiji speak, or I speak about it, and then we want it immediately. We are like little children, we want it immediately and we don't want to do anything for it.

Everything I am talking about is possible for every single person, including you. The only thing you have to practice is to be lazy. I'm talking about meditation: Being really lazy – having an empty mind, again and again. To start every day by having your mind empty and just being ultimately lazy for half an hour. Then you become like I am. It's inevitable. It happens by itself.

Everything I am talking about is possible for every single person, including you.

The only thing you have to practice is to be lazy. I'm talking about meditation:

Being really lazy – having an empty mind, again and again. To start every day by having your mind empty and lazy for half an hour.

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It just takes a little time. But we want it right away. And this frustration, it shows you how difficult it actually is: this doing nothing. It feels so easy. And simply practicing it for a few years: that's all it takes.

It just takes a little time. But we want it right away.

And this frustration, it shows you how difficult it actually is: this doing nothing. It feels so easy. And simply practicing it for a few years:

that's all it takes.

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It didn't happen overnight for me either. You know, we live in a time where we are used to everything happening instantly – seemingly instantly; nothing happens instantly, but we have this illusion. And especially in the spiritual realm, there are so many people who say: "Yes, no problem at all! Just a weekend, and everything's done." That's not my experience. And those people I've met in this life, whom I trust, never say anything like that either.

This whole life that you have at your disposal is just for learning that. That's the only task: to become empty, to become still, to become lazy. Lazy in your head – all sorts of things happen in life. The lazier you get up there, the emptier you get up there, the more happens in life, because you have a lot more energy.

At the moment, your energy is being used up up here, and the emptier you are and the quieter you get up here, the more active and successful life becomes, because you simply have an abundance of energy. But that takes a few years. Meditate – ten years, fifteen, twenty years, the rest of your life, and you'll get there. That's the only thing you have to want – this stubbornness. Everything else happens by itself. But meditating is something you have to do yourself.

That's the only task: to become empty, to become still, to become lazy. Lazy in your head – all sorts of things happen in life. The lazier you get up there, the emptier you get up there, the more happens in life, because you have a lot more energy.

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No Guru can do that for you either.

Meditate – ten years, fifteen, twenty years, the rest of your life, and you'll get there. That's the only thing you have to want – this stubbornness.

Everything else happens by itself.

But meditating is something you have to do yourself. No Guru can do that for you either.

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In this life, I've been on this path for about twenty-four, twenty-five years, but this isn't the first life I've done it. My whole last life was all about this, and the lives before that probably were too, but I don't know. Just be patient with yourself, and be stubborn, and learn true laziness. That's all it takes. Thank you.

Dealing with negative thoughts

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[Samarpita:] I will now read out the second question from Katharina.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Ah, she had a second question. Right, thank you for reminding me. I had long forgotten about it.

[Samarpita:] Yes, I had overlooked it too. Well, here it is, from Katharina: "I often have negative thoughts, or I worry that this or that could happen. For example, before a long car journey that an accident could happen. Does it really make sense to simply focus your attention on something else, for example your crown chakra?

Won't you then encounter resistance with your thoughts, and these will then become even stronger? Or does it make sense to give these thoughts free rein and simply think or feel your way through the horror scenario so that these thoughts stop? Thank you. Kind regards, Katharina."

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you, Katharina. That's a great question.

There are two possibilities.

You can think through such a thought, to stay with the example of the car journey, but do it all the way to the end: "Okay, if I get in the car now and drive off, an accident could happen. Yes, that's true. So, what's the problem? Well, then I'll have an accident and then I might be injured. So what?

Then I'm just injured. Yes, but then I might not be able to work anymore. Well, then I can't work anymore, so what? – Yes, and then I won't earn any more money. – All right, then I won't have any more money. – and then I starve to death – Okay, then I starve to death – Yes, but then I die. Okay, then I die – so what?"

If you are ready for this... – just let go. My spiritual Master Soham used to say very often: "That pulls the teeth of the tiger". If you are ready for whatever fictitious threats the head up here invents, then there are no problems.

But the other thing you can do, and I recommend this, is to ignore the thoughts. It's not about fighting them, that only makes it worse. If you start arguing with the thoughts or refuting them in your head or thinking, for example, "I don't need to be afraid, I have a good car", or "I don't need to be afraid because there's not so much traffic today"... none of this helps, because it's like a game of ping pong.

It goes on and on, forever, forever on. As soon as you give the thoughts even a little attention, it goes on forever. It has no end. But simply turning away from the thoughts, not paying attention to them at all, but instead, directing your attention to where it is quiet – and that's up here... Each of us has a point of silence built into the body. This is the Crown Chakra. This point is connected to the Eternal Stillness of God.

And if you go there with your attention, then it becomes still. To do this, you must of course let go of your thoughts. And the thoughts say: 'But we are important', we are incredibly important, and everything in you feels: they are important. And you say: 'Nevertheless, I'm going to go into silence now.' Just ignore the thoughts and go up here, just turn around and look in a different direction. That is also letting go.

Each of us has a point of silence built into the body. This is the Crown Chakra. This point is connected to the Eternal Stillness of God.

And if you go there with your attention, then it becomes still.

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You feel this urgency, this importance, and letting it go and resting instead up here, that feels quite wrong at first.

I can tell you that only good things come out of it. If you stop paying attention to your thoughts, then you are here, in the moment, and then you can take care of everything that is really important in life, quite simply and practically, because you are not thinking, but because you are here. Then you perceive everything that is really important much better, and then you are rested, and then you are attentive and really present, and then no accidents happen.

But if I tell you that, it's no use. No one will relieve you of the risk of finding out for yourself. The only thing that really helps is your own experience. Just try it out.

If I tell you that, it's no use. No one will relieve you of the risk of finding out for yourself. The only thing that really helps is your own experience. Just try it out.

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How Jesus dealt with thoughts

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I live like this: as soon as I realize that I am giving attention to a thought, I immediately turn away and take my attention here, up to the Crown Chakra. I don't always notice it – but as soon as I do, I turn away.

Jesus showed us how. Of course, when Jesus lived, this modern language didn't exist. The word 'thought', for example, didn't exist back then. There was no word like 'thoughts' for this inner voice that we all have up here, this madhouse. Jesus called it 'the devil': this voice inside us that tells us all sorts of things, he called it the devil.

And he had it too. Like all people, he also had this voice in his head, and he told people what he would do in such a case. And there is this example. Jesus is standing on the roof of the temple, and the devil says to him: "Throw yourself down. Nothing can happen to you. You are the Son of God; the angels will catch you." That's what his thoughts told him.

And what did he do? He said: Get behind me, devil. That is an image. 'Behind me' means: He turns around. He turns away from them so that the thoughts are behind him. He looks in the opposite direction. He turns away from the thoughts and looks in the other direction. And as I said, two thousand years ago, this word did not exist.

The people around Jesus didn't know the word 'thoughts'. They simply called it 'devil'. Turning away from it, without fighting, without resisting, without making a thing of it, quite quietly simply turning away – nothing more, and that again and again, again and again; every minute, every hour, for years.

And if you dare to try this out, then you will have your own experiences, and then you will know what I am talking about from your own experience, and then it will no longer be a question for you. You will still have to practice not paying attention to your thoughts. You don't learn this overnight. But then you know: this is the right way. And that changes everything in life, everything. That is actually the only thing we have to learn.

But it takes time.

Meditation – the safe practice field

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That's why I value Samarpan Meditation so much, because it's like a practice field in a completely safe environment. You sit at home in your living room or in your bedroom, you are in a completely safe space, no traffic, you are not sitting in a car, nothing can happen. You sit with your eyes closed, and you focus your attention on your Crown Chakra. And then – and you may already know this well enough, if you are already doing the meditation –, the thoughts come.

And they tug at you – so many thoughts that all say: I am important. Something you have to think about; something you must not forget; something that is more important than meditating right now. And so, we practice letting go of these thoughts that seem so important, that seem so real. And that feels really good. You get really good practice at it, in an environment where nothing can really happen.

Thank you for your question. It really touches the core of life. It's actually the one secret of life, although nobody knows how important it is. When you learn to stop giving importance to thoughts and instead rest in silence, your life will change completely, and everything that Jesus talks about or Swamiji talks about or I talk about, everything will come into your life, just like that. It's incredible. Yes, thank you.

When you stop giving importance to thoughts and instead rest in silence, your life will change completely, and everything that Jesus talks about or Swamiji talks about will come into your life, just like that. It's incredible.

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Alone with the most difficult task [Samarpita:] I have a question here from Mike.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Hi Mike, good to have you back. I'm delighted.

[Samarpita:] "Hello Mikael. You already answered my question about my separation yesterday. I have already been able to write to you about several relationship issues. In the New Year's Eve retreat with the question: is she the right one? Then later about the break-up shock and yesterday about my question: do I have to close my heart in order to become more stable?

And you basically always answer the same thing: look for happiness within yourself. Your partner is not here to make you happy. Or: don't have any expectations of the outside. Yesterday you said: the whole world does it differently. We see it in romantic relationships, in movies and everyone always tries to get happiness in the same answer.

I'm missing the concrete instructions from you that a coach would offer for a lot of money. For example: take these five steps and then you will be happy. Or: do this and you'll get the woman into bed... And you keep saying: look within. Look within yourself. Do the Samarpan Meditation, which I've been doing every morning for eight months, by the way.

It's actually also an instruction, but it's difficult to implement: keep looking inwards if you've never learned to do it. I have learned to be a good friend, son and partner. I wasn't allowed to learn who this 'Mike' actually is and what he wants. It's really hard and I sometimes feel alone with this big task. I'm glad you're here. I love you."

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you, Mike. You summed it up so beautifully. That's exactly how it is. The whole world does it differently, and there are countless smart, charismatic, successful people who would tell you all kinds of things that sound good and that would keep you from taking on this tough challenge. I could also give you five steps on how to get a woman into bed. But I won't give it to you because I know that you won't be any happier afterwards than you are now.

And it's like you say.

It's so easy to take care of others. It's so easy to try to make it work with other people somehow. It's so easy to look for happiness out there, even though you're never successful at it. But trying is so easy. And turning to yourself is so hard. Isn't that interesting? We are closest to ourselves. You don't need to go anywhere – you just need to close your eyes and fall inwards.

It's so easy to take care of others. It's so easy to look for happiness out there, even though you're never successful at it. But trying is so easy.

And turning to yourself is so hard. Isn't that interesting?

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And yet, it's the most difficult thing there is. Isn't that interesting? And as long as a person is not ready for it, for this person all these seductive offers that are out there, which you have just described so beautifully, will be interesting. And then you spend a lot of money and try out all sorts of things.

We are closest to ourselves. You don't need to go anywhere – you just need to close your eyes and fall inwards. And yet, it's the most difficult thing there is. And as long as a person is not ready for it, all these seductive offers that are out there will be interesting.

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I'm here for the few people who have tried it and who know that this is not it.

Those who have tried everything that's out there and are now asking themselves: "Well, and now? I know it doesn't work, they're all just talking garbage. They don't know what they're talking about. But what should I do now? How am I going to be happy?" And then you become ready for the one true task in life: turning to yourself.

Yes, and that's why I'm here, and that's why Samarpan Meditation exists. And it's all very easy.

From a practical point of view, technically speaking, it is incredibly easy to do this meditation. From a practical point of view, it is incredibly easy to give yourself attention. The only thing that stops us is that it feels so incredibly strange, wrong and uncomfortable because everything in you is pulling in the other direction.

And then, not to let yourself be pulled, but to say: Yes, you thoughts, you desires, all this stuff, just pull on me. I'm doing something else now. And it feels so wrong because the whole world says something different – and in the spiritual realm too, everyone says something different. There are good tips everywhere on how to do it really well in five steps and then you'll be happy forever, and then you'll have your dream partner or whatever.

And these are all dead ends – and everyone knows that. If someone who knows what they're talking about says something and you hear it, then you know it's true. You just know it. You know exactly where the direction is. You know I'm right, even though I can't prove it, I can't explain it either, but you know it. And that's the only difficult thing about this path: just keep at it, keep starting again.

You keep getting distracted, you keep going in the same old direction that you've been going in this life for thirty, forty, fifty years and in countless lives before that – you know this path, this way out into the world. It is so well known. It doesn't lead anywhere, but it's so familiar. And to do something now that we don't know is the only difficulty. And that's why I keep reminding you of it, again and again – you and everyone else.

You know this path, this way out into the world. It is so well known. It doesn't lead anywhere, but it's so familiar.

And to do something now that we don't know is the only difficulty.

And that's why I keep reminding you of it.

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That's why it's so important to have contact with someone who is already there. You can't explain it to anyone. You can't prove it. But when someone from the other side, let me put it this way, speaks to you, you feel: "Ah, that's it. I know it." At that moment, you know what really works. And then you forget it again, that's completely normal, but you keep at it, year after year, and then it becomes easier and easier and clearer, and at some point, there's no problem anymore.

And I want to tell you again, Mike... You know, there's nothing wrong with a relationship. I also have a relationship. I live here with my wife and her two kids, and I totally enjoy it and it's a great support for me. There's nothing wrong with relationships, there's nothing wrong with the world, with life – on the contrary. All the difficulties you encounter there help you on your one true path.

The only thing we need to know is that all these things out there do not give us what we are actually looking for. That is actually all. And once you know that, these things suddenly become beautiful, but unimportant.

There's nothing wrong with relationships, there's nothing wrong with the world. All the difficulties you encounter there help you on your one true path.

The only thing we need to know is that all these things do not give us what we are actually looking for.

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Thank you. I'm happy that you're here.

[Samarpita:] Katharina replies: "Thank you so much, Mikael."

[Dhyan Mikael:] Ah, you are so, so welcome. I love it so much. Thank you for your questions, Katharina.

The message of exhaustion

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[Samarpita:] Then I have a question from Eliane. "Dear Mikael, what approach do you recommend for physical complaints such as pain and exhaustion? Thank you. Eliane."

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you for the question.

Listen to them, let them be here. Exhaustion is a great example.

So many people write to me about exhaustion, and they ask me: "What am I going to do with this? How do I get rid of exhaustion?"

It's like... I'll answer on both feelings. I'll start with exhaustion.

It's like this: you live your life and you have absolutely no idea when it's time to rest because we've become very insensitive in this world. So, we are constantly pushing our limits and we don't even realize it. And we live like that for years and years, and at some point, we get tired. But we ignore it, and we carry on. We wear ourselves out, and then we become exhausted.

The exhaustion is a sign that the battery in here, the reserve, is completely empty. And we still ignore it. We want to keep running, and then we ask: "What should I do with this exhaustion?" I just tell you: listen to it, feel it, feel exhausted. That's why I also said yesterday to the questioner to whom I had just spoken in Satsang at the beginning: "Allow this laziness, it's not here for nothing. It has something to say." Allow this exhaustion.

If you give this exhaustion space, if you really do, it forces you to pause. And we're afraid of that because we know exactly: "If I do that, if I allow this exhaustion to be here now"... it feels like you can't lift a finger then. And that's how it really is. Let this exhaustion show you the way to get rid of it. Be exhausted. Take a rest. Stop! You probably have to go to work every day.

Sure, we have our practical lives, they don't just stop. But we all have big areas in our lives where we have freedom. And the exhaustion... If you allow it, exhaustion will show you where you are wasting energy. Then you go to work, but as soon as you no longer have to work: stop, rest. Leave the television off. Rest instead. Don't look at your cell phone, rest instead. Don't talk to other people all the time, be quiet instead.

Don't keep making plans to do this, that and the other thing. Withdraw, rest, so that you can feel the exhaustion. That's my advice when it comes to exhaustion. When you start to feel exhausted, it usually means that you've been pushing your limits for a long, long, long time. And that's why it takes a long, long time for your batteries to gradually recharge. I've just been through such a time.

Of course, I've learned to be very sensitive, but everything is relative.

I started making these videos a year ago, it's a lot of work, but it's also incredibly enjoyable. And I first had to find the right balance of what I could do to keep my strength up. I have so much joy and so much fun that I put all my energy into it. And now, I don't know, two months or so ago, a time began when I realized: I can't do anything right now.

I can't do anything. And before that, I did two videos every week, and sometimes another Satsang. And suddenly there came a time when I couldn't do anything anymore. And I just let that happen. And that was a challenge, also for me: to be true to this, to listen to this.

And now, two months later, when I had the feeling every day that I was infinitely slow and could hardly get anything done, now, very gradually, very very slowly, I'm getting some really fresh energy again; very slowly, very gently.

It takes time. For some people it doesn't take two months, for some people it takes a year or two years. It depends on how long you've been abusing yourself.

Yes.

Dealing with physical complaints

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And what was the second thing, Samarpita? Exhaustion and...?

[Samarpita:] Physical complaints.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes, physical complaints. The way I deal with physical complaints is that I simply take care of them as best I can. I don't want them to go away, I want to take care of them. Pain, for example. Pain is very similar to exhaustion. Pain is a signal from the body. The body says: "Hello, I need some attention here please". Something hurts, and the natural reaction is to give it attention. You can observe this in children.

When they hurt somewhere, they sit down, put their hands on it, close their eyes, cry and are completely with it. That's what the body wants: attention, where it hurts. We adults usually do it differently: we want the pain to go away. That also works quite well. You take painkillers or ignore the pain, but of course that doesn't get rid of the cause, and then you just get a lot sicker later. So, my advice is to give it your attention, and that's usually enough.

As soon as you start to simply give the pain or physical complaint your attention, that is my experience with my body... You have no idea... maybe you don't even know why it hurts, but you just give it your loving attention. You can say: "Thank you, body, I have no idea what's going on, but thank you for calling me, here I am." And it is my experience that sooner or later you will find out through intuition what you can do to help the body heal again or to get back into balance.

So, I recommend exactly the same as with exhaustion: a positive, loving, open approach: "Ah, pain, okay, come here, what do you want to tell me? Show me where it hurts. I'm here", instead of wanting to get rid of it. That leads nowhere, you're just prolonging the underlying problem. Of course, you don't know the problem at all. You don't need to know it either. The pain shows you the way. Exhaustion shows you the way. And we don't need to know anything else. It all works itself out if we are simply open to these signals from life.

Yes, that's how I do it. Sometimes I have... I have very sensitive teeth. My whole body is very sensitive, and that's great because it teaches me so much. I have relatively sensitive teeth, and sometimes I get really sore teeth. And I used to go to the dentist a lot and he would say: there's nothing wrong. And then I learned to simply give this pain my undivided attention. As soon as it hurts somewhere, I give it my attention, when eating, when brushing my teeth.

And then, a few days later, the pain is gone. Everything is gone. If it stays there longer, I start to get suspicious and then I ask the dentist what's going on. Sometimes, of course, there is something, but in most cases, there is nothing and the body just wants this healing attention, and the rest happens by itself. I have had very, very good experiences with this. Thank you for this question, I really like these practical questions. Thank you very much.

Fear of the future

Link to topic in video at 50m22s

[Samarpita:] No more questions at the moment.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you Samarpita. Just yesterday I was talking... [Christopher:] Hello, Mikael.

I have a question.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Ah, okay. Who are you?

[Christopher:] Christopher.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Hello, Christopher, hello to you.

[Christopher:] Hello, hello. I've actually sent you my question by email before, but there it wasn't my turn yet because you probably have several others. But now I can ask you here.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes, please.

[Christopher:] I've been doing Samarpan Meditation for almost a year now and I've actually felt better overall since then and I feel freer and happier. But I've already written to you once... I have this kidney disease, and it means that I'm actually always in a certain state of anxiety. I'm in stage four. There are five stages, and at stage five you have to go on dialysis. I'm actually about to go on dialysis, but it's been almost a year now. That's unusual, because most people at the stage I'm at are no longer as vital and fit as I am.

That's good. Nevertheless, I'm still afraid that at some point my body or my kidneys won't be able to cope and that I'll have to go on dialysis. And I'm really afraid of that because I've informed myself, of course, and I know that it's a life that's very determined by the fact that you have to be on the machine three times a week for six hours and that the body is of course still very challenged by this and in the end wastes away, in most cases. And I can't let go and I can't accept that either. That's where I am now.

But I would just like to get rid of this fear and say: come what may. Maybe it will come at some point, I'll give in to it and still be satisfied. And that's actually the point, that I'm still in this fear. Again and again. That's my question.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you, Christopher. It's nice to hear from you now. Before I go into your question, I'd like to say something briefly about what you said. You wrote to me some time ago and I haven't replied to you yet. That's part of what I just mentioned. I'm just learning to be as slow as I need to be so that I don't overtake myself, so to speak. And that requires... I'm really learning humility.

My options are limited, and to stay within my possibilities and then say: I'm sorry, I'm so slow. I always want to answer everything immediately and I would love to make a video every day. I can't do that, it's not possible for me, and it's probably not meant to be. But I'm pleased that you're now here. That's very nice. Yes, and now to your actual question.

I would like to remind you why you are in this life.

Before you came into this life, you knew what your task was. And that is, while you are alive, while you are in the body, to remember who you really are. What you are experiencing right now is what all humans share: we are completely identified with this body. Our entire state of mind depends on how this body is doing.

As soon as it gets a little ill, as soon as we are reminded of death, we are beside ourselves; we are not well. We are completely out of balance – because we are identified with this body. It's just like that. We are all like that. And we've come into this body to remember, while we're having this experience, that what you're experiencing right now, while we're having this experience, who we really are.

And that happens by experiencing exactly the kind of things you are experiencing right now. You come into a situation that is hopeless for you. You can see what is coming. You are at least convinced that you know what is coming. You have no idea what's coming, but that's how it feels.

And life forces you to learn to let go: your hopes; what you expected from this life; how you imagined your life to be... Life forces you to let go of that; not because you are bad, not as a punishment, but as a help. And for each person, the help looks different. Every person is different. But in one way or another, we get to the point where we realize: I am powerless, I am completely powerless. You ask how you can get rid of this fear.

Life forces you to learn to let go: your hopes; what you expected from this life; how you imagined your life to be...

Life forces you to let go of that; not because you are bad, not as a punishment, but as a help.

Link to quote in video at 55m45s

It is the fear that will show you the way. I told you: I remind you of why you are in this life, but of course we have completely forgotten that. That is also normal. Most people don't know what I'm talking about at all, and that's normal. But through what you experience, through your experience, you get the help you need. Invite the fear to come closer. I know this is asking a lot. It feels like the fear will consume or destroy you.

Let it come anyway – in moments when you can. It doesn't always work, but you know: there are moments when it does. Close your eyes. You can also do this now. Just close your eyes. Invite the fear in. Invite it to come closer and be with you, and let go of your resistance for a moment, forget it for a moment. You don't know what it means. Just let the fear be here. That's all there is right now. There's just this fear all around you, behind you, in front of you, above you, below you, and you're just in the middle.

And you rest in this fear, and you don't know anything anymore.

How is that?

[Christopher:] It's quiet. It's like being in a circle, and everything around me is quiet. There's no thought. There's not a single thought.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes. That's where fear takes you, Christopher.

It leads you into a space that you can't get to on your own – not at the moment. No thought, no future.

If you are here, right now, is there a problem?

[Christopher:] No, there is none.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes, here is no problem.

And when tomorrow comes, you'll be back where you are right now. And then there won't be a problem tomorrow either.

That's what fear is good for. It's your friend.

And you can stay here. And if you fall into these thoughts again, then fear will rush to your aid again and help you to get back here, where you are right now.

And there is no problem here. Never.

[Christopher:] Thank you.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Thank you, Christopher. Thank you very much.

Samarpita, do you have anything to read out?

[Samarpita:] Irene thanks Christopher for his questions. It does her good and she thanks you too.

[Dhyan Mikael:] Yes, this really is good.

[Samarpita:] And there are no more questions.

Openness for God

Link to topic in video at 1h02m58s

[Dhyan Mikael:] I replied to another person's email yesterday about the Guru, about Swamiji, and how she feels that this Guru says impossible things that push all her buttons. And yesterday, I went a little bit into why it's so difficult for some people to hear something like that: simply because in our childhood, we experienced the gods that we had back then, our parents, as very, very negative and traumatic.

And yesterday I didn't go into why such a Guru actually says these things, which sometimes seem a bit strange. And for the sake of completeness, I would like to say two more things about this.

She writes: "Swamiji says: If we don't make him happy, then he can't give us anything." And she writes that he also says: we should see him as God.

It is often the case that such a Guru says things that we don't understand at all.

We are completely identified with this physical existence, and from this perspective we then hear this Guru, or a Jesus for example, say something. But a Guru, a Jesus, speaks from a completely different place. He means something completely different, but we have no idea what he is talking about.

As normal people, we are used to everyone wanting something from us. As soon as someone opens their mouth, we know that they want something from us. And the worst people are the ones who say: "I love you", because we know for sure that they want a lot from us; they expect a lot. As soon as someone gives us advice, we immediately sense that they want something. And that's how it is between us humans. When the Guru speaks, it's something completely different. He doesn't need anything from you. He doesn't want anything from you. He just gives advice on how you can do something for yourself.

Everything the Guru says is just advice for you so that you have an easier time with yourself. The Guru doesn't care.

And this is how it is: we talked earlier about the fact that we as humans don't... We have no personal experience of who we really are, of this inner self. We have no experience of ourselves, normally. But when we come into contact with a person who lives there, who is like a Jesus, for example, who is no longer identified with his body at all, who lives in this God-Space, so to speak... When we come into contact with such a person, we can suddenly feel it ourselves – if we are open to this person. That's the crucial thing: this openness.

You know that from school. There are teachers that you like or love, and you learn everything from them. And then there are teachers you hate; they push your buttons; you're afraid of them. Maybe they're a much better teacher than the first teacher, but we're not open – and we don't learn anything. And it's the same with the Guru. And then, the Guru often gives recommendations to help you be open to what comes through.

That is all. And when you are open, God pours into you, of his own accord, and there is no more work at all. But you can't 'do' this openness, it has to come about somehow. It happens through prayer, through meditation and through patience.

If you love someone, you want to make them happy. You may know this from your relationship. You fall in love and you do everything you can to make this person happy – because it makes you happy; because it's good for you. You are open and you are the vibrant life. And you think that comes from this person you love, but that's not true. You're in love and that's why you're totally open. And this openness, your openness, makes it possible for God to enter you.

It doesn't come from the girl or the boy you're in love with. It comes from your connection to God, which you normally can't feel at all. But you are open in the moment, and then, everything happens by itself and you are carried. You are capable of anything. And then, after a while, this openness disappears again, and then you are back to the way you were before. It never had anything to do with this other person. It has always been a matter between you and God, between you and existence, between you and life.

Yes, and it's the same with the Guru. If you are open to God, then the Guru is happy because he sees that you are doing well. He doesn't need that, he doesn't care, but that makes him happy.

And Swamiji says: "See me as God!" Why does he say such a strange thing? We think: what's that all about? Why is this guy saying that I should see him as God? For a normal Western person, it sounds highly suspicious. But that has to do with what I've just explained.

There's something about a person like that, a person like Jesus for example, that allows us to experience God for ourselves, this incredible connection – if we are open. But if we perceive this other person as a human being, as a friend, as a buddy or as a man who looks funny or who talks in a way that doesn't suit me, then I will close myself off.

There's something about a person like that, a person like Jesus for example, that allows us to experience God for ourselves, this incredible connection – if we are open.

Link to quote in video at 1h10m28s

That's what happens between a man and a woman. At the beginning, you don't know the other person. You don't see the person, you're just in love and open. You see God, so to speak, without knowing it. And the other person has no faults, nothing. You are completely open, and everything you see is good and beautiful and you are simply happy. And you're not happy because of the other person. You're happy because of your own openness. But then, little by little, you get to know the other person better and then they become a person.

This soul, this God who was standing in front of you, becomes human. Suddenly you realize they have bad breath, or they sometimes say stupid things, or they step on your toe; they do something that doesn't suit you. And then you see this person as a human being, more and more human, and then all the magic disappears. And the same thing happens with the Guru. If you experience the Guru as a human being, you are not open. Then he is just an idiot like everyone else.

You're not happy because of the other person.

You're happy because of your own openness.

Link to quote in video at 1h11m43s

But if you can keep seeing this medium of God as such, then you remain open, and then you have the connection to God with the help of this medium, because he is simply in your life.

If you experience the Guru as a human being, you are not open. Then he is just an idiot like everyone else.

But if you can keep seeing this medium of God as such, then you remain open, and then you have the connection to God.

Link to quote in video at 1h12m15s

So, this advice from a Guru – see me as God, not as a man – has nothing at all to do with the ego of a Guru. He tells you that because he knows how you function as a normal human being. The Hindus... there is an old tradition. Some Hindus take a stone, and they paint it red, and then this stone is God for them.

It is a stone like any other, but because they see this stone as God and know with all their strength and conviction that this is God, they become open and then they have a connection to God. The stone is only a tool. And it is similar with the Guru, except that the aid in the form of a Guru is a million times stronger than that of such a stone.

Yes, this is where the Guru's advice comes from, and we humans usually misunderstand it. That is a pity.

The gift of my life

Link to topic in video at 1h14m32s

I just wanted to add that. I am very, very blessed in this life because for reasons that I don't understand, this has never happened to me. I am now exactly... Now in May, exactly twenty-four years ago, I joined my spiritual Master Soham in a small, completely overcrowded Satsang room in Munich at that time. And from that day on, I was with him. And on the face of it, he's a completely normal man, a strange guy. He does all kinds of impossible things.

If you want... if you want to see him as a man, you can find all sorts of things you don't like, things you can get hung up on, things you could argue about, things you could find a reason not to listen to this idiot about. But if you listen to what comes through, the energy, then you have God in front of you. And I feel it is the one great gift in my life, that I have come close to this medium of God, very close... from the day I came to him, twenty-four years ago, I was with him every day.

Now for four years I'm not there every day because he doesn't travel around anymore, but inside I'm always with him. And I was with him all the time. I worked for him. I moved with him from city to city. I experienced him in everyday life. I experienced him as a person. But I have always been able to ignore that. I didn't ignore it; I just didn't notice it because I had this connection to what was actually flowing through him. I just always paid attention to this Guru element, to this God, to this energy that really has nothing to do with the person standing in front of me.

And that has changed my life to this day, because for some reason that I don't understand – that is the gift of my life – I have remained open to it. I have not closed myself off. I have experienced countless times how people come close to this medium of God. And then when they have reached a certain closeness, they see the person and then they are gone again. And that didn't happen to me. And that is the great blessing in my life. It's the same for me with Swamiji, only magnified tenfold.

Yes, I just wanted to take the opportunity to talk about Gurus again, because it's such a strange thing for us in the West, because we don't have any living examples of them here in our culture. We don't have any living saints that we can meet. It's different in India. Of course there are plenty of idiots there too, but there are also real ones, and we haven't had that here for a long time and that's why when someone like that comes along, we think: something can't be right. And that's why I'm happy to share my experience.

Samarpita, do you have anything else to read? We have eight minutes left before I want to talk about the meditation.

[Samarpita:] There are no questions at the moment.

I can't meditate

Link to topic in video at 1h18m26s

[Dhyan Mikael:] Well, I still have an email I can read out.

"Unfortunately, I still can't sit down to meditate regularly. I'm just trying to make it into this habit mode with shorter sessions to trick myself, so to speak. Since my awakening with Samarpan – that's Soham, who used to be called Samarpan – the silence has never completely left me. Sometimes I am drawn to the silence and I can just be quiet for so long. When I sit down to meditate in the morning, it's still difficult."

Oh, that's a great, great email, thank you.

First of all, I would like to point one thing out to you. You are lying here. You write: "I still can't sit down to meditate regularly." That's not true. You don't want to sit down to meditate regularly. You can already do it. Anyone can sit down, but not everyone wants to. And it's really, really helpful to be honest with yourself. 'I can't' is like that: "Oh, poor me. I want to, but I can't." You're a victim. But when you say: "Mikael is right. Something inside me doesn't want to", then it's simple.

And that's the one thing no one can do for you: this wanting. That's the only challenge. If you want it, then you sit down every morning. All the rest will happen by itself over time. You don't need to be wise, you don't need to be clever, you don't need to be intelligent, you don't need to be spiritual, you don't need to be good at anything. You can be a complete failure. If you just want to sit down to meditate every morning – that's enough. Everything else will happen by itself. I promise you. Guaranteed. But that is the one thing that is your own contribution to this miracle in this life.

You don't need to be wise, clever, intelligent, spiritual, you don't need to be good at anything. You can be a complete failure.

If you just want to sit down to meditate every morning – that's enough. Everything else will happen by itself. I promise you.

Link to quote in video at 1h20m26s

And you say: when you sit down in the morning, it's still difficult with silence. That's exactly why you sit down. There is this big misconception that meditation is about sitting in silence for half an hour. Of course, the ultimate goal of meditation is to cultivate this stillness; to cultivate this connection to silence, to God. But something completely different happens during meditation. You sit down... you will also experience this in a few minutes when you, who is listening, meditate with us.

You sit down, you have nothing to do, you leave your thoughts and just want to rest and be in silence. And then it gets really loud. Only then do you realize what's going on inside you. Only then do you realize what is pulling at you. But that is exactly what is so helpful about meditating. Normally, and this happened to the writer of this email, at some point you experience awakening, at some point you are given the gift of stillness. And you experience for the first time what it's like to be in this completely silent space. That is incredible!

You never forget that again in your life. You get it as a gift. But that's when the work starts. Then it's about cultivating it: learning to get there again and again. And that's what meditation is for. You sit down, and then it gets loud. And despite the noise, despite these tempting thoughts, despite all these important things that are tugging at you, nevertheless keep returning to this point of silence up here, again and again, very stubbornly, very gently. You have to practice this, and if you don't practice it, then silence remains a random event.

At some point you experience awakening, at some point you are given the gift of stillness.

Then it's about cultivating it: learning to get there again and again. And that's what meditation is for.

Link to quote in video at 1h22m27s

Then it is nothing more than a memory of something that happened to you once many years ago in Satsang. But that is your home; you can be here all the time.

When you meditate, you confront yourself, so to speak, with all this restlessness, with all this unsettledness in you. And nobody likes that. That's why so many people look for an excuse not to meditate. But if you're willing to face it and meditate anyway, every day, for years, no matter how long it takes, then no one can keep you away from Heaven. It's automatic, it happens on its own. That's the only thing you have to do: have that stubbornness. Thank you for your email. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

When you meditate, you confront yourself, so to speak, with all this unsettledness in you. And nobody likes that. That's why so many people look for an excuse not to meditate.

But if you're willing to face it and meditate anyway, then no one can keep you away from Heaven.

Link to quote in video at 1h24m00s

Now we're meditating

Link to topic in video at 1h24m56s

It's now five minutes to half past three. At half past three, I would like to start meditating with everyone who wants to, for half an hour, until four. And now I would like to say a few words about how this actually works, for those who are new to Samarpan Meditation. And one thing was already mentioned in my answer to the email just now, and also earlier in this Satsang.

It is not about you achieving something specific during this half hour. It is not about you succeeding in becoming still. What we do in this meditation is a very simple, straightforward thing. You take your attention, your inner attention, and focus it on this point at the top of your head. The Indians call it the Crown Chakra.

I experience it as a kind of resting point in the body, the connection to stillness.

And when you do that, you sometimes experience the noise of your thoughts all the more. And then still not to have your attention with your thoughts, but up here, up here, again and again. Don't fight with your thoughts, don't fight with the disturbances. The body gets upset, then it itches, something tweaks, then thoughts come up again... and let it go again and again, don't let it impress you. Just let it go and keep coming back here with your attention. That's the one thing we do. So, it's not a fight.

It's simply sitting down again and again where you want to sit – namely here (in the Crown Chakra). And practically, it's very easy. You sit down somewhere where you are comfortable; sitting cross-legged is a good idea because then, the base chakra, the buttocks, has a connection to the floor. This is a helpful thing. If that's not possible for you, if you prefer to sit on a chair, then put your feet, preferably your bare feet, on the floor, that's your connection to the ground. That is very, very helpful.

I find it very helpful if your spine is free, meaning, not leaning against something, but if you can't do that, if you prefer to sit leaning against something, that's okay too. These are all just practical trivialities that I tell you because people usually want to know about them. But the one important thing about this meditation is simply where we have our attention. All the rest, all this practical stuff around it, is secondary. You don't need to make a problem out of it.

Just do it in a way that is comfortable and possible for you. That's all. It's not a big thing. It's all not serious. Swamiji, this Indian Guru who brings this meditation to us from the Himalayas, says: "Meditate as if it were your hobby." You do it because it's fun, because it's good to just rest here. Nothing is at stake. You don't have to do it properly. And at the beginning of the meditation, you just take your flat hand, put it up there, on top of your head, and then you make three clockwise circular movements with this hand.

This activates this area up there. And then you take your hand down again very slowly, and now you can feel this spot up there, where the hand was just lying, particularly well. And then you simply keep your attention on this spot. And then, we say a very short mantra. If you want, you can repeat it with me, it is called the Soul Mantra. It's very simple: "I am a holy soul. I am a pure soul." That's actually all there is to it. If you already know the mantra and want to say it in Hindi, you can do that too.

But now, here, for people who don't know it yet, I always say it in German: "Me ek pavitra atma hu. Me ek shuddha atma hu." That's how it goes in Hindi. And then we repeat this mantra, I say it three times. If you want, you can repeat it three times. And then we just sit with our eyes closed for half an hour until sixteen o'clock and rest our attention up here as best we can. That's all. If you would like to try this meditation, I recommend that you try it for forty-five days.

That is the time you need to get a feeling for what is really happening. And if you don't like it after forty-five days, then leave it alone. But most people I know stick with it. And if you then do it regularly, you can also get in touch with the people who officially spread Samarpan Meditation here in Germany, which is an association in the name of Swamiji... They do introductions to Samarpan Meditation. These are short events that you can also participate in online. Very interesting. It's fun to take part.

And I find it very interesting. I recommend that you simply join in at some point if you like. You'll learn a lot of stuff about the meditation which is very interesting and exciting. You can find information about this on my website on the 'Meditation' page. There you find all the links, everything you might be interested in.

Meditation

Link to topic in video at 1h31m13s

Yes, and now, let's just meditate together. Close your eyes.

Take your flat hand, place it on your head, and let your hand make three clockwise circular movements on the top of your head.

And now slowly lower your hand.

I am a Holy Soul.

I am a Pure Soul.

I am a Holy Soul.

I am a Pure Soul.

I am a Holy Soul.

I am a Pure Soul.

Thank you for meditation.

You can now slowly open your eyes again.

Thank you for these days here over Whitsun.

Finally, I would like to say that everything to do with Samarpan Meditation is free; everything, including the introduction I mentioned earlier, is free. All the meditation groups that there are, are free of charge, it has nothing to do with money. Even what I do here, is all free of charge. If you want, you can support me. I appreciate financial support, and if you feel like it, you can find information on my website on the 'Donate' page, but it's all voluntary – only for those people who enjoy it. Everything spiritual in life, everything truly spiritual, is voluntary and free.

Everything spiritual in life, everything truly spiritual, is voluntary and free.

Link to quote in video at 2h00m25s

If you would like to support Jetzt-TV and Devasetu, who is doing incredible work, you can find the information you need on his website on Jetzt-TV. Thank you for being here.

I love you.