13th February, 1937

Talk 359.

At about 7-30 a.m. Sri Bhagavan was climbing up the hill after breakfast. Padananda went and prostrated, stood up and said, "All right, I have had darsan … I shall return." Sri Bhagavan smilingly, "Whose darsan? Why don't you say that you gave darsan to me?" At about 9 a.m. a devotee from Poona (Mr. Parkhi) saluted Sri Bhagavan and read out his ashtaka praying to Sri Bhagavan for Grace. The piece finishes with a prayer for quick liberation (jhatiti

mukti ^[?]) and the devotee emphasised it.
M.: Mukti, i.e., liberation, is not to be gained hereafter. It is there for ever, here and now.

D.: I agree, but I do not experience it.
M.: The experience is here and now. One cannot deny one's own self.

D.: That means existence and not happiness.

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M.: Existence = happiness = Being. The word mukti (liberation) is so provoking. Why should one seek it? He believes that there is bondage and therefore seeks liberation. But the fact is that there is no bondage but only liberation. Why call it by a name and seek it?

D.: True, but we are ignorant.
M.: Only remove ignorance. That is all there is to be done.