Paying the price for gossip

Welcome to Mohanji Speaks. Hello friends, hope you are doing well. 

Today, we’ll talk about the anatomy of gossip. We are used to it, right? People talk bad about people. People gossip about people. We read a lot of stuff in the sleazy magazines. And it sells well; people are curious to know who’s sleeping with whom, who’s got more money, how he made it, so many different things we are curious. We love scandals, right? But there is a price for all this. The main price is the contamination of our mind, internal contamination. Whatever we consume, leaves an impact on our system. If we consume negativity, our mind becomes negative; the residue remains in our mind. If we think positive, talk positive and do positive things in the world, our inner space gets purified. Our existence is between this contamination and purification.

Now we take a step further, let’s analyze it a little bit. What are gossips? Why are they happening? A) It is the curiosity that we have about other people, their lives, their ways. Secondly, it could be jealousy we have, or we feel underprivileged than certain people, so we would like to know that they are not all right. We would like to know the bad news because we feel better when we hear this bad news. This is a sadistic pleasure. Another reason could be the appetite for negativity. Many of us have an appetite for negative things, so we like to consume them by default. It’s like a smoker, we keep smoking, and we don’t know that it’s bad for the body, or any addiction, for that matter. We keep doing it, and we think it’s fine until we become so heavy. Another problem with this is, as I explained earlier, what we consume, we become. So, when we consume negative things, we start looking at the world through the eyes, which it has provided. Gossips, scandals, all kinds of thoughts, actions, talking bad about others, character assassinating people, especially in public; these produce heavy karma, a huge price for doing this; because we are talking about another karmic being, just expressing and experiencing their own karma, in their life. In fact, we have nothing to do with it. But we interfere, intervene, we think, we talk, and we pay the price for it. Everything has a price; nothing is free. 

When somebody creates gossips, scandals; when somebody character assassinates another person, who’s responsible? Primarily, the person who’s initiating it is responsible. He or she ends up paying the real price. And it’s quite a huge debt, based on the impact it created. First of all, the person who initiates it has to pay a huge debt. Maybe it will take various lifetimes to clear. It’s absolutely not worth it. Secondly, the contamination that it creates in the minds of various people, who gets to pay for that? The person who initiates pays for that also. If that person whose mind has contaminated the reader, the listener, and they transfer it further; they also end up paying a part of it.

This is how it works. That means the initiator pays the maximum. Then whoever is contaminated is also the responsibility of the initiator. He or she has to pay for their contamination, or their state, whatever happens with them. And if they further transfer it to others also, they have to pay, to some extent.

So, every level of contamination has a high, big, huge price; this should be very clear. So, it’s not just a very ordinary thing, a simple thing. It may sound very simple. And it is sometimes even pleasurable. We talk bad about people spontaneously as if it’s nothing. But there is a price to pay. With our contamination, there’s a huge price. Our mind is contaminated because we are the producers. Then, when we write it, and we contaminate other minds, we pay the price for that as well.

All of these are very complicated. Personal contamination is vital. Because when you sow something like this, you have to reap the same thing. It means, other people may contaminate you further, or people may go against you, you may experience the same thing which you have initiated. People may talk bad about you, say that you are very bad. All those things are possible. All that I’m saying is, what you initiate, you end up consuming. What you cook, you will end up eating. You may share it, and some people may eat it; some people may reject it. The price is vital; this has to be clearly understood. Don’t think that you can talk anything, do anything, say anything and even write anything and you will be out of it. It’s absolutely not true. Whatever you initiated, whatever you sowed, you have to reap, the price has to be paid. 

What is the reward for the victim? This is also an interesting subject. Imagine you contaminated or you talked bad about somebody; automatically, they get purified. The people whom you are talking about will have a sudden level of purification because it’s like some bad energy has happened in somebody’s body and a mosquito came and took it away, or some insect came and took it, or released it. Leeches suck the bad blood, and the bad blood is gone. Like that, a person about whom these people are talking, these people are also taking their bad energies out. An element of purification happens to the victim; the victim is purified. So, that way there is a bonus, there is a good thing. But that’s not the intention of the talker, the sayer. 

The intention of the sayer is to contaminate, tarnish the image, character assassinate the person, for which they have to pay a very, very huge price. It will go into debt, and also it goes into the lineage. We talked about the lineage earlier. This is bad karma for the lineage. The lineage ends up paying for a long time because of the bad actions of this person. It says that when a saint happens in a lineage, at least seven generations before him and seven generations after him, are purified, are benefited, are elevated. The birth of a saint in a family is a big deal. Likewise, the birth of a negative person in the family is the opposite. At least seven generations before him and seven generations after him or her will have to pay the price. 

It is not only the contamination that you create within yourself; it is also that you create in the world outside, as well as you create in the family lineage. Understand this very clearly, and before you spontaneously gossip or unconsciously scandalize somebody, please remember the price that you have to pay. It is not ordinary, it is invisible, but you will know in real life how it takes place. You will experience either the same thing or a much more serious thing. Or you will see that as various types of blockages in your own life. Don’t think this is something silly and just enter into a bad company and talk bad about people, gossip, write about them and scandalize them; a very, very big price to pay. And any friends who are influencing you to do such things should be immediately thrown out. If you’re doing this under the influence of somebody, please remember that person will not take responsibility. It will entirely come on your shoulder because you are in the firing line; you are exposed. People know that you are doing it, even if you don’t put your name, they will know you are doing it. And the person who instigated or inspired you to do it will not be responsible, will not take the blame; they will not take the burden. You have to sort that out yourself.

I leave you with these thoughts. Please be careful how you interact with what you do. If you dislike something, if you dislike somebody; walk away. Go away. Stay away and leave them alone. They will handle their own karma. Karma is always truthful; karma always pays. If you have done something wrong, you will end up getting the rewards for it, positive or negative; you don’t have to worry about it. We do good work in the world. We spread positivity, we spread love, we spread compassion, kindness, selflessness, and that will keep us elevated at all times. I hope this is clear. If you have any questions, I will clarify further. 

Lots of love. This is Mohanji, for you.

Listen to an excerpt of the podcast here

Transcribed by Ulla Bernholdt

Proofread by Rekha Murali

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The Power Within YOU…

My Beloveds,

               It has been sometimes since we spoke last. This mail is in reply to a gentleman’s question after my recent visit to Dubai. The question is related to tamas, residue of past actions and binding. In fact, they all are in a way interconnected.

             

                 Tamas or inertia is like the seasons. The seasons express themselves explicitly in time. Just like we name them as summer, winter, rainy season etc, our states or flavours are called Tamas, Rajas and Sattva. These are our operating levels.

                 A person operating on the tamasic plane will express inertia, lethargy etc. and will tend to blame others for his predicament. He will often blame the situation for his inaction. He suffers due to delays and lack of conviction in action. A rajasic person may perform an action quickly and is definitely superior to the lethargic individual in state, but his action could also be based on emotion or ego. A sattvic person usually performs from intellect and will stay beyond all excesses. His operating level will be increasingly based on purity. A person based in the state beyond the waking, dream and deep sleep, the fourth state or turya state, will operate on the plane of perpetual silence which is beyond compulsive thoughts, words and action. In other words, his operating level will be that of dharma or pure duty which is beyond selfishness and expectation.

               Every person has a variety of expressions. One fundamentally expresses his inherent constitution at all times. This could be tamasic, rajasic or sattvic. Each thought, word and action – if it is combined with emotion, will leave a residue within your system. We are entering and storing such data into our subconscious or our personal hard-drive at every moment of our waking state. Sometimes we store data consciously, but often unconsciously. The deeper or grosser the residue, the deeper will be its impression in his character. This could also be an external impression such as a feature film that influenced him, or a tragedy that he watched on television, or even a strong opinion about a person or an incident elsewhere, can stay as a silent residue within. Likewise, if traumas of any kind have happened and their residue stays hidden in the folds of his character, blockages in energy flow happen because of them. Clutter of residue leads to blockages. The blockages will produce mental and physical inconveniences, phobias, fears and sickness.

                 So, as much as we accumulate residue, that much we should clean ourselves too. Like I said earlier, forgiving and repenting does help. This is the basis of our Power of Purity meditation. Unhooking from the past events is very important. A bad experience of the past could sting us time and again. It should be replaced with higher awareness and higher purpose of life. Otherwise, the same event will come back again and again in life.

                Residue of past lives is existing in every being. That is the basis of our unique constitution. This is more or less unchangeable unless a conscious effort is taken to understand oneself and shed it from the root. Fears created out of this residue can produce such realities in life, which re-confirm the inherent fears. It will bring situations and reasons to enjoy the state of fear. Love is the same. Hatred and enmity brings forth such realities. Sometimes people become possessive and cruel too, because of their inherent insecurities. These are the external expressions or in other words, gross manifestation of the inherent residue.

                 When residue leaves, lightness happens, clarity and flexibility happen, and finally, enlightenment happens. Those who lead a confused existence accumulate residue much more than the ones who have clarity in action. Those who are emotional by nature also accumulate much residue. Those who crave for sympathy or applause, those who constantly blame the situation or other people for their seeming failures in carrying out responsibilities, those who constantly blame injustice in society without doing anything about it – all are filling themselves up with deep residue at each moment.

                 Where does the residue stay? Mostly in the lower region of our body – the lower part of the ‘shivling’. Shivling means our body minus the legs, hands, neck and head. When energy moves through the body, vertically and horizontally, in alternate waves, the residue of thoughts, words and actions combined with emotions is dropped to the bottom. It gets accumulated or stuck at various locations of our system, of which the tangible gross is our body and intangible are the subtle meridians. It accumulates mostly around the Root and the Swadhishtana chakras and they in turn get clogged over a period of time. This prevents the kundalini from moving anywhere. This is also why it is said that pushing the kundalini forcefully through mantras and practices could lead to lifetimes of agony. Removal of residue will automatically clear the path and will allow the kundalini to rise to where it belongs or where it came from, effortlessly and without any artificial stimulus.

                  The clogging at the lower part of our system stays if conscious unhooking does not take place. Forgiveness, repentance, feeding the poor, sharing wealth with the needy and under-privileged, spontaneous acts of kindness, and every aspect of truth and compassion reduce the residue. This is why such acts of kindness are highly recommended in most paths of the world. Bhakti Yoga and Karma Yoga are powerful tools that reduce the residue.

                    What happens when residue leaves through sadhana or by the grace of the Master? Usually, all the hidden fears, anxieties and traumas will surface first. Sleeplessness, confusion and many such emotions can surface. Only a person strong enough to handle unknown fears and hidden traumas, can actually make use of sadhana or practice. Some tend to suppress the residue back into themselves out of overwhelming fear and confusion. Some prefer to change the guru!  🙂 It takes an expert guide to take you through this time. This is quite a vulnerable time and the practitioner should be extremely objective, patient and kind.

When we embrace silence through practicing witness-hood, the same happens. The first that come out from us are negative emotions such as fears and anxieties. We have to allow them to surface and go. We must sincerely let go. Many cannot. Some even cannot release their own illnesses. They hold on to everything and the whole exercise becomes futile. In some paths, there are practices such as talking nonsense to themselves, or shouting at the wall for minutes. This is to expel the hidden residue. But understand that Nature also has the same power to hold. There are scientific proofs that if you scold or show anger to water, it forms a different pattern within, than when you speak words of love to it. Nature holds residue of events. This is why accidents happen almost at the same place always. Accident-prone areas or death-prone areas tell this story. Just like we always attract similar realities. We are indeed a part of nature, or nature is integrated into us.

               Watch yourself, watch through emotions, use intellect more, try to bring up all the lower emotions through breath to the higher parts of the body. Remember yourself as a Shivling. Breathe from the back to the front and breathe from the front to the back, alternately, in a gap of five minutes. This could bring forth the hidden residue from lower to higher and release it from the system. When this movement becomes fine and smooth, perfect distribution of energy takes place. Equanimity and balance happen in life.

                I could go on and on. But the fundamental truth of accumulation and release always remains. What you earn should be spent. What stagnates, decays. And residue slows us down and prevents us from being fluid in life. It makes us stiff. The earth and water elements of our system such as Root and Swadhishtana suffer the most. Instability happens if earth is not stable. Contamination happens if water is unstable or stagnant. Do not worry too much about the fire, which is the stomach center. If the lower ones are contaminated, ‘black smoke’ of unburnt residue would contaminate the air and space, the higher chakras, and obscure the heavens which are Ajna and Sahasrara.

                 You are the world. You are the universe. So, a conscious practice in cleansing yourself is the most important thing in everyday spiritual practice. Likewise, if the guide is not confident, do not experiment. Leave kundalini alone. Instead, concentrate on the removal of residue. This is important. Make a conscious choice. Understand yourself and the reasons for your actions. Are you after spiritual elevation, or after sensation? Any practice can give you some sensation. Only shedding or emptying will give you spiritual elevation. You are like a balloon tied to a stone. When the stone is removed, the balloon will float up in the air. When we are heavy and caged, limitations are experienced. Unlimitedness means freedom. This is the aim of true spirituality. Rituals of unconscious nature or running after sensations cannot deliver that.

Do Gurus take on the residues of their disciples? It depends on the receptivity and surrender of the disciple. Yes. Some do. Not all do. Many do not even allow people to touch their feet because of this reason. True Gurus often take much blockage onto themselves. They relieve the devotee from pain by taking it on to their own bodies. Some even shed their body due to this. Remember, Shirdi Baba shed his body in lieu of the son of Baija Maa. A true guru always protects, ignoring himself, and unconditionally. Jesus only asked for faith from the people who needed his help. Babaji exists in multiple realms as a personification of unconditionality.

Hope the point is very clear. Bless you  with wisdom

Love you

M

STAY WITH THE TRUTH

In the path of liberation, one has to stay with the truth or else, decay will happen. Decay of character leads to decay of conscience.

Dears,

I received a beautiful message today which I instantly felt inclined to share with you. One old saint conveyed this message to me through a friend who visited him. The message is

“M, you know the truth and you are not afraid to tell it. This will make some people uncomfortable. Some egos will be hurt. Some may leave you. This is fine. This is their loss. But, tell the truth anyway because your path is that of purity. There cannot be any pretensions here.“

This sums up my existence in a way. Many a time have I experienced alienation because I chose to stay with the truth and articulate it without dilution. In the path of liberation, one has to stay with the truth or else, decay will happen. Decay of character leads to decay of conscience. There is no harm in performing a difficult task (difficult for the mind and ego) for the general good of the people or the world. If the intentions are pure, even if alienation happens, one should go ahead. If intentions are of selfish nature, decay must happen.

The truth is often bitter. In today’s world, we prefer to hide our heads like ostriches, in the sand called internet, and pretend that we are fine in the virtual world. We post quotes of others and post pictures of ourselves and our families and indirectly tell the world, “I do not care about the world. Only me and my family exist” or “I am also as knowledgeable as you will accept one to be. I am not a lesser being”. Clear signs of insecurity, self-centeredness, ignorance, tamas! We choose to hide our own personal experiences, personal truths and conform ourselves to the socially accepted relative truths and make ourselves and others believe in our pretensions. This hinders our progress. We hate to accept bitter truths and we tend to remove true friends who articulate truth from our ‘friends’ list. When we cannot see reality, we blame others for our incapacity! We deny the miracles of our existence because of our incapacity to accept them. We even deny God at times, because we cannot comprehend God.  

When man becomes so secluded, the world which is like a mirror, ignores him and leaves him alone. When calamities happen in his household due to stagnation and isolation, or being in the self-created comfort zone of the artificial world for too long, or because of losing touch with reality, or even because of acquired decay and tamas, one witnesses himself in the depths  of despair and depression. One professional psychologist whom I met at the lounge in an airport told me, “Business is good, thanks to the internet. Disillusionment is very high. Youth have lost touch with reality and pretend that nothing exists beyond the virtual world. And when reality strikes hard and they cannot handle the truth, they come to me.” This sums up today’s life and lifestyle.

When calamities happen in his household due to stagnation and isolation, or being in the self-created comfort zone of the artificial world for too long, or because of losing touch with reality or even because of acquired decay and tamas, one witnesses himself in the depth of despair and depression.

There is no hope for salvation here. No salvation, because that is the reality that they chose to experience. They never listened to the cry of the world outside themselves. They never even listened to the cry of their own kin, because they were so overwhelmingly engrossed in virtual realities and pretend lifestyles. If you tell them the truth, they will destroy you, they will spit venom.

They never do anything to expand their consciousness, to evolve, or to touch the truth. They never do anything to embrace the world with selflessness, and unconditional love. Even if they do anything in the outside world, that would be because of their inherent insecurity and as an attempt to safeguard themselves from rainy days. They never realize that they have lost their sunshine long ago. They hate truth. Instead, they choose a shrunken world of expectations and pretensions. Life becomes perpetual agony. They become useless to the world.

I urge you to use this blessed life of yours to elevate yourself to the highest. Take care of your family, you must. But also take care of the world the way you can.

I wish you fulfillment. May your life be truly COMPLETE.

Love You

M