OM……………… OM……………… OM…………………
Blessings of immortality and unparalleled supreme wisdom,
The immense energy of infinite love for Shiva,
The limitless power of creation and joy,
Surpassing delusion with extraordinary strength and capability,
Manifesting as a complete form, overflowing and transcendent,
Going beyond the limits of the Vedas and Agamas,
Dancing in the center of my awareness,
You, the nectar of true knowledge and eternal bliss.
You are the nectar of truth, bliss, and pure consciousness,
The nectar of divine grace illuminating the cosmos,
The blissful nectar of eternity,
The boundless essence of infinite truth,
The nectar that establishes clarity and harmony,
The essence that merges within Shiva’s state of unity,
The nectar of unyielding compassion and virtue,
The glorious nectar of divinity that transcends boundaries,
The nectar that permeates the inner and outer realms,
Expanding in all four directions,
The nectar that dispels coldness and reveals supreme lineage,
The nectar of Chidambaram, the ultimate source,
A nectar so infinite it embraces all worlds,
Overflowing as a boundless and miraculous essence.
“I desire nothing else but for all beings to experience the nectar of Shiva’s bliss and attain unity with Shiva.
Oh Supreme Guru of Para Shiva, I surrender to you!
Guru, I bow to you… Long live the Guru… The Guru is my refuge!”
To all the seekers of wisdom waiting on our platform to taste divine knowledge,
We offer our humble respects and blessings.
Today, our topic of discussion is: “How to break free from the cycle of births?” Let us engage in this conversation with joy.
Modern science states that a human being spends about one-third of their life—approximately 20 years—in sleep. Yet, this aspect of life remains unnoticed and consistently ignored. People neither think about it deeply nor meditate on it. Why has this happened? It is because humans have been excessively preoccupied with sensory awareness and their conscious mind.
Dimensions of the Mind
The human mind has three dimensions or levels, just as matter has three states:
- Conscious Mind: The realm of sensory awareness.
- Subconscious Mind: The state associated with deep sleep.
- Superconscious Mind: The higher dimension of transcendental awareness.
Just as matter exists in various states, the mind too operates on these three levels. This is because, at its core, the mind and matter are interconnected. One can say that the mind is formed by matter, or matter arises from the mind. This must be so, for existence itself is one unified whole.
The mind is a subtle, invisible entity, while matter is visible and tangible. However, most ordinary people live only within the realm of the conscious mind.
- The subconscious mind governs the state of deep sleep.
- Dreams are also associated with the subconscious mind.
- States like meditation and ecstasy belong to the superconscious mind.
Thus, the journey into the mind involves gradually moving beyond the conscious level into the depths of the subconscious and, eventually, the superconscious.
The first thing to remember about the mind is that it resembles an iceberg. Only its tip is visible above the surface, and you can see that. However, this visible part represents only one-tenth of the whole; the remaining nine-tenths are submerged beneath the water. Unless you delve into the depths, you cannot usually see this submerged portion.
But these two levels—visible and submerged—are not all. There is a third state. Part of the iceberg transforms into vapor and floats as clouds in the sky. This is analogous to the mind’s superconscious state. Identifying this state is challenging, much like trying to grasp a cloud. It is part of the same iceberg, but it has evaporated and become intangible.
This is why practices like meditation and spiritual discipline are so difficult. Achieving the state of samadhi (absolute absorption) is almost an impossible task. It requires all of your energy and demands total dedication. Only then can one ascend vertically into the realm of the superconscious, which is as intangible as vapor.
The conscious mind exists. For instance, as you listen to me speak, you are operating from your conscious mind. If, while listening, you are also engaging in an internal dialogue or interpreting the meaning of what I am saying, that activity is within the conscious mind.
However, it is possible to listen to me without any internal dialogue or judgment. You can listen without altering what I say, without labeling it as right or wrong, and with pure love from your heart. In such a state, you observe deeply, without evaluation, as if the mind has transcended itself. Here, the heart observes and rejoices with bliss. In this state, it is your subconscious mind that listens, and what I say penetrates deeply, reaching your very roots.
There is also a third possibility—listening from the superconscious state. In this state, even observing with love from the heart becomes a subtle obstacle. Though very refined, even love can act as a hindrance. In the superconscious state, the mind is entirely empty. There are no thoughts or emotions. It is a state of pure void—complete emptiness. Whatever I say, or even my presence, reaches you directly and wholly. In this state, you are observing from the superconscious mind.
The Three Levels of Awareness:
- Conscious Mind: Active when awake—used for working, speaking, and thinking.
- Subconscious Mind: Active during sleep—associated with dreams and rest.
- Superconscious Mind: A state beyond thoughts and emotions—a realm of pure awareness.
When awake, you live in the conscious mind, engaging in various activities like work, speech, and thought. When you sleep, the conscious mind ceases to function and takes rest. At this point, the subconscious mind becomes active. In this state, you cannot think rationally, but you can dream. Research shows that during a single night, you experience about eight cycles of dreams. Only for short intervals do you stop dreaming. For the rest of the time, dreams continue incessantly.
Sleep is often misunderstood as a state of mere absence or nothingness, as if you simply fall into it. But that is not true. Sleep has its own distinct existence. It is not just the opposite of wakefulness. If it were, then meditation would have no connection to sleep. Sleep is not a state of darkness or the absence of light. Sleep possesses its own harmony and rhythm, just like wakefulness.
When you meditate on the mysteries of sleep, you will come to realize that there is no essential difference between wakefulness and sleep. Both states function continuously in their unique ways. Sleep is not merely a rest from wakefulness but is a different kind of active state. This is why dreams occur there—circling and fluttering like wings.
Dreams are a highly energetic process. They hold more energy and meaning than conscious thought. This is because dreams originate from a deeper part of your being than your conscious mind can access. The mind, which has been active throughout the day, becomes fatigued when you go to sleep. The conscious mind is a small part of the mind, only about one-tenth of its entirety. The subconscious mind, in contrast, makes up the remaining nine-tenths and is vast, powerful, and expansive.
When compared to the superconscious mind, however, even the subconscious pales in comparison. The superconscious mind is infinite, boundless, all-powerful, all-encompassing, and omniscient. The state of superconsciousness is what people often refer to as God.
In comparison, the conscious mind is very small. It quickly gets exhausted and needs rest to recharge. When the conscious mind shuts down, a major process begins during sleep—dreaming.
Dreams have been ignored over time because human minds have been trained to identify with and prioritize the conscious state. As a result, people think they “do not exist” while sleeping. This is why sleep feels like a small death to many. You never really ponder what happens within you while you are asleep.
Patanjali, the great sage, says, “Meditate on sleep, for it reveals the secrets and mysteries of your existence.”
However, becoming aware of yourself while in sleep takes time. This is because even during wakefulness, you lack awareness. To tell the truth, even when awake, you often behave as if you are deeply asleep. Just like a sleepwalker, you go about your actions unconsciously.
You are rarely fully aware. You believe you are awake simply because your eyes are open. But true wakefulness means being fully conscious of every moment—paying complete attention to what you are doing and what is happening around you.
“I am showing you a hint. Even while I am speaking now, I am doing it with full awareness. I could do it like a machine. At that moment, you may not even be aware of the words I am speaking. Honestly, have you ever thought about where your power of listening goes? It is nothing but the action of a mind without feelings. That is why it is so difficult for you to penetrate your own sleep.
Do you know what the first effort you need to make is? It is to remain even more alert when you are awake. Because it is from there that the effort should begin. You need to walk on the street with full attention. Do it as if you are doing something extremely important. This is very important. Take each step with full awareness. If you can do this, then you will be able to enter sleep with awareness. Right now, you have very dim awareness. Your sensory mind fades away. At that moment, this dim awareness disappears like a tiny drop of water. It has no power at all. It is just a very faint spark, like a 0-volt energy event. You need to bring more energy into it. How much more energy? When the sensory mind fades, awareness automatically begins to continue. With awareness, you will be able to dive into sleep.
This can happen – if you do your other activities, such as walking, eating, drinking, or bathing, with awareness, then no matter what you do throughout the day, it becomes an opportunity for your inner practice to be fully aware in your actions. Therefore, the activity becomes secondary. The awareness that you practice through the activity becomes the primary goal. As night falls, you stop all activities, and when you are about to sleep, that awareness continues in sleep. Even when you are deeply sleeping, awareness is still watching over it. Yes, the body is deeply asleep. Gradually, the body begins to rest. It is not because you are saying it; you are watching without speaking. Gradually, thoughts fade away. You start seeing the gaps. Gradually, the world is becoming far away from you. Inside your being – inside the mind without feelings – you are falling. Only if you can be aware while deeply sleeping, will that continuity be maintained through the night. When Patanjali Maharishi says, ‘Meditate on the knowledge that gives sleep,’ this is what he means.”
“Moreover, more knowledge can be brought through sleep. The reason is that it is your treasure room. It is the repository of your many lifetimes’ worth of accumulated experiences. That is where you have stored numerous messages and the secrets of life. When you first wake up – when you are in the waking state – try to be conscious with full awareness. Then, awareness naturally becomes more energetic. At that moment, it doesn’t matter what you are doing. Whether you are walking in reality or walking in a dream (meaning whether you are dreaming of walking), there is no difference. Also, when you enter sleep with awareness, you will experience for the first time how the connections (gears) change. You will feel the shift when waking consciousness fades, the mind shuts down, and another realm starts to operate. The functioning methods of life/existence – the connections for those have changed. Between these two connections, there is a small neutral space for the neutral connection. Because whenever the connection changes, it must pass through this neutral connection. Gradually, you will not only be aware of the connection changing, but also of the space between them. In that space, you will witness the first vision of your ultra-sensory mind.”
“When the sensory mind transforms into a mind without feelings, you can witness the ultra-sensory state for a brief moment. First, you need to be aware of the mind without feelings; this will bring a tremendous change into your life.
Once you begin to pay attention to your dreams, you will discover that five types of dreams occur. The first type of dream is just garbage. However, countless psychologists across the world keep stirring up this garbage. This is utterly useless. When you work throughout the day, you accumulate a lot of garbage, and that’s why this happens. Just like how the body accumulates dirt and requires a bath, your mind also collects dirt. The mind requires cleansing. However, there is no way to bathe the mind.
That’s why the mind has an automatic mechanism to remove all the dirt and garbage. This is the first type of dream: the mind simply discards the garbage accumulated in the mind. This is the first type of dreams, and nothing more. Additionally, this constitutes the vast majority of dreams—almost 90% of dreams are just garbage discarded by the mind. Don’t focus too much on them. As your awareness grows, you will be able to recognize what is garbage.
The second type of dream is the fulfillment of desires. There are many natural and basic needs. However, religious priests and spiritual leaders have poisoned your mind. They don’t even allow you to fulfill your basic needs. They have completely condemned them. Therefore, the feeling of sin or curse has settled within you. Because of unfulfilled needs, you suffer. These cravings and desires seek fulfillment. The second type of dream is nothing but the mind trying to satisfy these unfulfilled cravings. Through the dreams, the mind tries to fulfill what you have been denied by the religious leaders and those who spread poison, in some way.”
“One day, a young man came to me. He had excellent intelligence – the ability to understand. He asked me, ‘I have come to ask you a very important question because my entire life depends on it. My parents are pressuring me to get married. But I don’t see any meaning in it. So, I want to ask you, is marriage meaningful or not? Should I enter into married life or not?’
I told him, ‘Is drinking water meaningful when you are thirsty? Should I drink water, or should I not? Are you asking me that? The question about meaning doesn’t arise there. The question is, are you thirsty or not? There may be no meaning in the water itself, and drinking water may have no meaning either. But that’s unnecessary information. The necessary information is whether you are thirsty or not. Also, no matter how many times you drink, I know that thirst will keep coming back. The mind says so. So, what does this mean? What purpose does this serve? No matter how many times you drink, you keep getting thirsty again and again, which seems like a cycle of suffering. There doesn’t seem to be any other meaning.
In the same way, the sensory mind tries to dominate your entire existence. Because meaning belongs to the sensory mind. The mind without feelings knows no meaning. It understands hunger, thirst, and all other needs, but it doesn’t understand meaning. To be truthful, there is no meaning to life. If you ask that question, you are asking for self-destruction. There is no meaning to life. It’s just moving along according to its course, without any meaning – without any necessity – and yet it is so beautiful. What is the meaning of a tree being here? What is the meaning of the sun rising in the morning and the moon setting in the evening? What meaning does it have when a tree blooms and shakes? What meaning does it have when birds sing in the morning, and waves – the mighty waves of the ocean – crash violently against the rocks? What meaning is there in all of this?”
Meaning is not complete. Without complete meaning, don’t those things appear beautiful? To put it simply, they are beautiful because they lack meaning. If meaning had existed, the world wouldn’t be this beautiful. Because with meaning comes judgment. With meaning comes deceit. With meaning comes analysis. With meaning comes the ability to distinguish – this is meaningful, that is meaningless. This is more meaningful, that is less meaningful. The separation without any completeness or division exists in this way. Everything exists with immeasurable beauty not because they have meaning, but simply because they exist here. There is no purpose for this.
If something is to happen, you need a requirement. In that case, that need must be fulfilled. Because the rise of a need is only for its fulfillment. In nature, everything is divine – everything is sacred. Therefore, whatever your need is, that is what you must seek. You should not look for meaning. Meaning belongs to the sensory mind. Need belongs to the mind without feelings. This is how the second type of dream comes into existence. You are going without fulfilling your needs. At that time, the mind runs to fulfill them in a dream. The mind without feelings does not know philosophy. The mind without feelings does not know meaning or purpose. The mind without feelings knows only one thing: it knows what is required for your existence to be fulfilled.
Therefore, the mind without feelings forcefully creates its own dreams. This is the second type of dream. Understanding this and meditating on it is very meaningful. Because through these dreams, the mind without feelings is trying to convey a specific message to you.
Therefore, do you know what we must remember? Desires belong to the sensory mind. Needs belong to the mind without feelings. The difference between these is highly significant. Understanding it is of great importance.
Accept whatever the mind without feelings says. You must always remember that the mind without feelings is correct. Because it contains the wisdom of ages. You have taken countless births. The sensory mind is only part of this birth. It has been trained by schools, universities, and by a family that you happened to be born into, as well as by society.
However, the mind without feelings holds all the experiences of your previous births. When you were a rock, the experiences you gained were within it. When you were a tree, the experiences you had were within it. When you were an animal, the experiences you gained were within it. All the experiences of the past are hidden within it. The mind without feelings carries immeasurable wisdom. The sensory mind can be an empty vessel of wisdom; it is meant to be that way. Because the sensory mind is only of this birth; it is small, without experience, and very childlike. But the mind without feelings contains the wisdom of time. Therefore, you must always listen to this mind without feelings, dear ones.
Next comes the third type of dream. This third type of dream is a message from the beyond, from the mind beyond feelings. The second type of dream is a connection from the mind without feelings. The third type of dream is very rare because we have lost all connections with the mind beyond feelings. Still, it comes to us. Because that mind beyond feelings is yours. It may have become a cloud and moved to the sky. It may have become a spirit. It may have traveled far, but even then, it still has its root within you.”
This translation conveys the philosophical ideas about the differences between desires and needs, the nature of the mind, and the concept of dreams and wisdom across lifetimes.
Connections from the beyond are very rare. Only when you become extremely attentive will you begin to realize it. Otherwise, the mind will keep chasing after the desires that are unfulfilled, like a garbage dream, and get lost in fulfilling the needs it has accumulated. You will lose it. But when you become more aware, it will shine like a diamond, completely different from the other stones around it.
When you realize that a certain dream comes from the mind beyond feelings—when you perceive it, observe it carefully. Meditate on it. Because it will become your guide, taking you to your guru, leading you to the life that suits you, and guiding you towards the right order. That dream will become a guiding light in your depth. With the sensory mind, you can find a guru, a teacher, or a sage. But the surprising thing is that the guru will never be above the dear one. Only the mind beyond feelings can take you to the right guru. At that point, the guru will no longer be a teacher, and you will not cling to their thoughts. You will not be in love with them. Instead, your mind beyond feelings will guide you. This person will be suitable for you. This person can be the right environment for your growth in wisdom. This person can be the fertile ground for you. This is the path that your mind beyond feelings will guide you on.
Next, we have the fourth type of dream. This one comes from previous lives. It is so rare that it cannot be easily described. It comes many times, but within you, everything is confused and tangled. Therefore, you cannot separate anything. To separate things, you must be in the right state, but you are not there yet.
In our country, India, we have conducted extensive research on these fourth type of dreams. It is through these dreams that we were able to discover the phenomenon of reincarnation. Through these dreams, you begin to learn small details about your past lives. You are going backward. You are moving backward in time. At that point, many changes start to take place within you. Because, if through a dream, you can recall who you were in your previous life, many current things will become meaningless, and many new things will make sense. Your entire perspective will change; your whole outlook will transform.”
This translation conveys deep philosophical thoughts on dreams, the mind, and spiritual guidance, emphasizing the difference between sensory desires and the wisdom beyond feelings. It also touches upon the concept of reincarnation and the significance of dreams related to past lives.
In a previous life, you accumulated an excessive amount of wealth; you were one of the richest people in a foreign land. But internally, you died as a beggar. Now, once again, in this life, you are repeating the same actions. This cannot be changed. This is your ego. One day, suddenly, your perception will start to change completely. If you reflect on all the things you did, and if you can recall many past lives, you will realize that you have been repeating the same actions over and over in different lives. Like a broken record, like a poisonous circle, you will find yourself starting the same thing again and ending in the same way. If you recall some of your past lives, you will be shocked to realize that you have never done anything truly new.
You repeatedly accumulated wealth. You repeatedly tried to become a powerful political figure. You repeatedly struggled to become a great scholar. You repeatedly fell in love. And each time, it only brought you the same pain. After seeing this unchanging situation, how can you continue to live unchanged? At that moment, this way of life will undergo an immediate, fundamental transformation. You will no longer be able to continue walking down the same faded path.
That is why, for ages, the people of India have been asking the same question again and again: ‘How can one be liberated from the cycle of birth and death? How can one escape this wheel?’
It seems like a poisonous cycle. It seems like the same story keeps repeating itself. Until you realize this, you will think that each time you are doing something new. And thus, you get disturbed mentally. But when you see this pattern, you realize that you have been repeating the same actions over and over.”
This passage highlights the concept of samsara (the cycle of birth and death) and the repetitive nature of human existence. It calls attention to the unchanging nature of desires and actions across multiple lives and how, until one gains awareness, they continue to repeat the same patterns. It also reflects on the wisdom of seeking liberation from this cycle, which is a central theme in spiritual philosophies.
In life, nothing is new. It is only a circular path. We are always walking on the same track. Just as you continually forget the past, you experience great mental agitation. If you remember once, the entire mental disturbance subsides, meaning you begin to understand. In that remembrance, renunciation occurs.
Renunciation is an effort to escape the worn-out track of the cycle of samsara (worldly existence). It is an attempt to jump out of the cycle. In that effort, you begin to say, ‘Enough, Master, I will no longer engage or toil in this ignorant, deteriorated state. I will escape from it.’
Escaping completely from the cycle is renunciation. Renunciation is to be freed not from society but from your own internal cycle of birth and death. This is the fourth type of dream.
Finally, the fifth type of dream. This is the last type. The fourth type of dream takes you backward into your past. The fifth type of dream moves forward into your future. This is rare, extremely rare. When you are very harmonious, open, and sensitive, the past casts its shadow on you. The future also casts its shadow on you, reflecting itself. If you become aware of your dreams, one day you will be aware of this possibility. That is, the future infiltrates you. Suddenly, a door opens, and just like that, the future establishes a connection with you.
These are the five types of dream states mentioned earlier.
Now, let’s move on to the next stage. When you dream, you think those dreams are real at that moment. No one feels that a dream is not real while experiencing it. When you wake up, you may say that it was just a dream. But that’s not the issue. Because, right now, a different mind – the emotional mind – is functioning. This mind is not a direct witness to the fact that the dream is unreal. It has only heard it as a rumor. When the emotional mind wakes up in the morning, it calls everything that happened a mere dream. It is not a witness to that. Then how can this mind say anything? It has merely heard some words while sleeping. These words, spoken by two people talking loudly, reach your ears and create a comparison in your mind. That’s all that happens.”
This passage explores the concept of the cyclical nature of life, where experiences from past lives shape the present, and the awareness of this cycle is the key to liberation. It also delves into the understanding of dreams and how the mind processes them, suggesting that dreams feel real while experiencing them, but the emotional mind later dismisses them as mere dreams after waking up. The text encourages awareness of this process and emphasizes the importance of breaking free from repetitive patterns in life.
Therefore, you must leap out of the emotional mind and dive into the depth of the thoughtless mind. The only gateway for this is meditation and asceticism. Now, you must dive into the depths of the thoughtless mind, which is akin to entering the very foundations of your being. You must bring a heightened level of awareness to penetrate the state of sleep and dream. Start by maintaining extra awareness even while awake. This will help you penetrate the thoughtless mind. Then, gradually, get accustomed to being in the thoughtless mind with heightened awareness. This will help you traverse the mind beyond emotions. For this, you need energy.
Currently, the energy you have is only at the level of a small spark, which is not enough. You need to generate more energy through awareness. This is similar to heating water or a block of ice. When you heat the ice block, it melts. At a certain temperature, it becomes water. If you want it to turn into vapor, you must continue to heat it. You need to heat it to 1000 degrees. Then, the ice water will begin to turn into vapor. The size and nature of the ice block will start to change.
Therefore, first, you must be very attentive during the waking moments. This will bring you to a certain temperature, which in reality is internal heat. The internal warmth of your body will help you to operate within the thoughtless mind. Then, inside the thoughtless mind, you must become more aware. This will require additional intoxication (delight or energy). With more energy, you will find that suddenly one day you are rising upwards. You will feel weightless. The force of gravity will no longer affect you. It means you are becoming someone who has transcended emotions.
The super-conscious mind possesses all energies. It has everything. It knows everything, and it is everywhere. The super-conscious mind fills all places. The super-conscious mind contains all powers and is all-knowing. It has a complete, clear vision — a full inner vision that sees itself. The super-conscious mind is capable of perceiving everything.
When you have subdued the thoughtless mind and attained mastery, then the cycle of birth and death will naturally detach from you and leave. With this, we conclude this discourse with warmth.
From the Guru’s abode in the Brahma Gyan Temple,
Your Rudra Shivdasa, Salem.
May all beings live in bliss!
Blessed be the divine!
