"Vision of A New Culture"
The Great Learning

Q & A 5
"Miscellaneous"

Q: My question: this realization what makes you most and all different from, lets say most of the people you watch when you are in a supermarket or cafe or giving satsang (or seeing me), this, was the happening (or non-happening, I dont know) of this a matter of luck to the body or system as you might call it, like a price someone can win in a lottery, like good luck in a casino, or had this to happen, was it something that had to happen because of something that the, at that time not fully to truth realized system, was able to let happen or not let happen. Please comment if you can and want.

A: It has to happen, therefore It can happen any Moment. The Eternal is always Present, THAT is the unchanging factor. It thus depends on your longing, sincerity, openness, receptiveness, surrender or... resistance. Best proof is, that when finally all resistance disappears - in dying - everybody will become Enlightened. 

Q: How should one's attitude be?
A: IT always happens unexpected. Like all other marvelous things in life IT IS beyond expectation. Longing yes, but anticipation no. Eckhart says: "The Divine cannot resist a sincere soul". But one should be totally indifferent about what could possibly happen. It is like becoming a child again. To find that original innocence, THAT is where it is all about. That could e.g. mean that in case your expectations are very strong, you first have to live them to the fullest. Let the mind go crazy to such an extent, that it completely exhausts itself. A deliberate burnout in order to fall back to your innermost core. Or continuously going into the unknown, to live an adventurous life may bring IT, to live without any preconceived ideas. The Moment, the HereNow is the key. (Even) In the bible it is said, that you only will receive "if you already have". Only equal wavelengths resonate. Since awareness is the divine Spark in you, extension of awareness through meditation could help too. It may lead to satori, but rarely to full Enlightenment. So you might feel quite helpless and that is great. For the latter to happen you should be empty so that IT can enter you or so devoted that you dissolve into IT. Returning to the Origin and being reborn is a Law of the Universe. IT is longing for you as much as you long for IT. Trusting the Universe, whatever may happen, like "simple" people do is therefore the ultimate attitude. They simply "put their life in God's hands". Hardly any spiritual Path can match with this. Ultimately you will never know "what did it", there is no guarantee whatsoever, no reliable precondition, no cause and effect either. When it happens IT always is received as a miraculous gift though. So why not experience life as a gift right now?

Q: It seems from your previous remarks, that selfish desire doesn't bother you. Please, comment.

A: It doesn't bother me only if you have become awakened. Once you have discovered that you are the center and your desire is the periphery, you "are saved". Because you have yourself disconnected from your desire, desire will not be fostered anymore. The work left is to acknowledge, accept, feel and investigate them. By doing so I am confident, that selfish desire will slowly die off.

Q: Do we have any chance to become perfect in this life?

A: There is perfection all the time, yet it is not you - your small self - who is perfect. In the supreme Moments of perfection your small self has ceased to exist. There is only the All, your true Self. After Realization you are perfect and not perfect simultaneously, your true Self and small self both exist "parallel" to each other. Thus, after your period of bliss (which could last from five minutes to ten years), you still have to work on integrating your old self into the New Identity. This stage is mostly forgotten.

Q: What about the Buddha. Did he also forget that stage?

A: All masters from the past are either abused or idealized. However, there is no any reason why the historic Buddha (Jesus, Mohammed) wouldn't have been normal human beings like you and me. Religion purposely idealized them in order to create a gap which then only they could fill in. However, the purpose of spirituality is not trying to reach the unattainable, but rather to become the one you Are Already.

Q: How do you know you have attained?

A: When attainment is the Knowing in which attainment has disappeared. Further criteria could be: freedom that turns out to be slavery; liberation equal to connectedness; Reality that appears to be meaninglessness; your Self being Emptiness and existence being an outburst of laughter.

Q: What happens to your compassion once you are Enlightened?

A: This is a very interesting question. You should distinguish the state of compassion from the action. The paradox is this: the more complete your Realization the less active your compassion will be. In the Ultimate State you are Empty, hence focussed actions will be absent. You include everything equally. Hence, the ultimate compassion is one of Being, Being there for everyone without any exception. "God" is impersonal in order to be equally personal to everybody. "He" is choiceless. A real Master has no concern with (limited) actions, with having disciples, nor will he start any mission of his own. Moreover, the Void only "reacts" if the "right question" is asked. Questions from Heart to Heart. This kind of compassion is only understood by those who SEE.

Q: The Buddhists say: death is the beginning of life and viceversa. Confucius said: you don't know this life, how can you know death. Who is right?

A: The fact is, that neither of the two have ever really crossed the boundary between life and death. Hence, both try to fill in the gap. The difference between the two is, that the Buddhists are more speculative, while Confucius is more honest.

Q: Could you tell us about your future plans?

A: Without pretending that I am perfect...I don't feel the need of starting some kind of spiritual enterprise. I lack the motivation for it. It tires me every time this option comes to my mind. My work therefore consists of two parts. First to unconditionally share my Realization. Realization isn't personal, it is the Inner State of the universe. Hence it doesn't belong to me, but to everybody without exception. Secondly, I won't start a mission, an organization, a religion or a center of my own. I am not going to "create a niche in the market" either. It would be against my innermost core. So you shouldn't misinterpret me. The website I have created is for you, not for me. I am happy I got rid of it. The options mentioned are just some ideas, useful for those who like to do something with them. In the mean time I am simply available. My greatest joy is when you come along having a chat with me. Hence, my future lies entirely in your hands.

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Last revising: 08/15/04