17th November, 1938

Talk 580.

A party from Rajkot came in a bus. They consisted of four chiefs and four ladies with attendants and a bodyguard. They arrived at 11 a.m. After lunch in their room, they had a short conversation at 12-45 p.m. and left at 1-5 p.m. One of them said: Here is the mother of the Thakore Saheb. We have come a long distance for the darshan of Sri Maharshi. Will He kindly give us some instructions?

Sri Bhagavan smiled and answered: Good that they have come such a long distance for the sake of darshan. It is enough that they have said it. What is there for me to say? (Lunch bell).

At 12-45 p.m.

D.: Is a Jnani ^[?] different from a yogi? What is the difference?
M.: Srimad Bhagavad Gita says that a Jnani is the true yogi and also a true bhakta ^[?]. Yoga is only a sadhana ^[?] and jnana is the siddhi ^[?].

D.: Is yoga necessary?
M.: It is a sadhana. It will not be necessary after jnana is attained.

All the sadhanas are called yogas, e.g., Karma yoga; Bhakti ^[?] yoga;

Jnana yoga; Ashtanga yoga. What is yoga? Yoga means `union'. Yoga is possible only when there is `viyoga' (separation). The person is now under the delusion of viyoga ^[?]. This delusion must be removed. The method of removing it is called yoga.

D.: Which method is the best?
M.: It depends upon the temperament of the individual. Every person is born with the samskaras of past lives. One of the methods will be found easy for one person and another method for another. There is no definiteness about it.

D.: How is one to meditate?
M.: What is meditation? It is commonly understood to be concentration on a single thought. Other thoughts are kept out at that time. The single thought also must vanish at the right time. Thought-free consciousness is the goal.

D.: How is the ego to be got rid of?

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M.: The ego must be held in order to get rid of it. Hold it first and the rest will be easy.

D.: How is that to be held?
M.: Do you mean to say that there is one ego to hold another ego or to eliminate the other? Are there two egos?

D.: How shall I pray to God?
M.: There-must be `I' who prays to God. `I' is certainly immediate and intimate, whereas God is not thought so. Find out that which is more intimate and then the other may be ascertained and prayed to if necessary.