Seeker

Bangalore Ashram, India,

24th September, 1997

Chapter 2 - The Path To The Goal That Is You

Day 81 - Seeker

You can only seek that which you know and when you really do know, you already have it. You cannot seek something you do not know. Whatever you seek and whenever you seek it, it is always only one and the one is what you are already. So, you cannot seek something you do not know and when you know what you are seeking, you already have it. 

When you seek the world, you get misery and when you want to find the way out of misery, you find the Divine. A man lost a penny and was looking for it in a bush when he found a huge treasure. He was not seeking treasure but only for his lost penny. In the same way, when you seek something you may get something else. The truth, or self, cannot be sought directly.

There are 6 signs of a seeker :

1. An acknowledgement that one knows very little. Many people think they know without really knowing or they become trapped in their limited knowledge so they never learn. Thus the first thing is to acknowledge that you know very little.

2. A willingness to learn. Many people acknowledge that they do not know, but they are not ready to learn.

3. Be non-judgemental and open-minded. Some people would like to learn, but their judgemental attitude and close mindedness do not allow them.

4. One pointed commitment to the path. Some people are open minded but they lack commitment and one pointedness. They keep shopping here and there and never progress on one path.

5. Always place truth and service before pleasure. Sometimes even committed and one pointed people stray from the path in pursuit of momentary pleasures.

6. Finally, have patience and perseverance. Some people are committed and one pointed and are not swayed by pleasures, but if they lack patience and perseverance, they become restless and dejected.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

Celebrating Silence