Swami Talks about One Speaking of One's Spiritual Experiences

Experience of Devotee receiving vibhuti on picture
of Sri Swamii Vishwananda

Swami talked about one speaking about one's spiritual experiences in his Darshan talk on February 26, 2011:

'Because when one comes face to face with the Divine and really experiences something from the Divine, one doesn’t talk about it. One treasures it as the most precious treasure inside one’s heart. And in that state, the mere mention of the Divine Name will make one cry out of joy knowing that this experience that one has received from the Divine, it is real. And this is all due to the nishkama karma [the "I", the ego].'

I spoke to Swami about this, because as you all know, I speak of my spiritual experiences frequently. Because, as Swami told me, I completely misunderstood what Swami meant in the above quote and perhaps some of you did as well, I am going to share with you this additional understanding Swami has given. Perhaps some of you misunderstood as I did, thinking Swami meant that no one should share these experiences. Doesn't it make logical sense that, in that understanding, we would not have all the wonderful experiences shared through the centuries from ordinary people to the saints and Mirabi, Yogananda, Arjuna, and the endless spiritual stories from which many draw inspiration? Swami said that when one has the ego and pride under control, one may share these spiritual experiences to help others.

Swami's statements last Darshan talk pertaining to speaking of one's spiritual experiences made me examine and meditate on how it is that I speak of these kinds of experiences in Babaji's book, Unity With The Divine, in this blog, in my writings, and personally with people. I felt guilty even though I believe that I share spiritual experiences without pride and ego but with the hope of inspiring others. For example, if I can talk with Maha Lakshim and Babaji, for instance, anyone can do it. I am not special, I know for certain, and I know that no one is special in the eyes of the Divine, because He loves us all the same. Swami has said this in many different ways: 'In front of God everybody is equal,whether it is a Saint or not, whether it’s a rich person or a poor person, whether it’s a white person or a black person. God is Love and He just knows how to love. In your true aspect, deep inside your heart, you are love.'

This speaking of one's spiritual experiences was so heavy on my heart and Swami privately said this about it: Swami told me that he did not mean it [the quote above] the way I understood him. Swami said that many times people just talk and want to be inflated. He told me that this is common in the esoteric field. Swami reminded me that he has asked me to share these spiritual stories as it helps people. Swami told me that he would tell me if I needed to be corrected. Perhaps this will provide further clarification for some of you.

Excerpt from Swami Vishwananda's talk last Saturday night - February 26, 2011 which contains the quote above wherein Swami is speaking about one sharing one's spiritual experiences:

"...when one does one’s duty without even expecting something that means that the mind is already surrendering to the Divine. In another way, the mind, what [is] said [of] the mind [is] when it has the satvik quality, the mind doesn’t have any power into it. This is where whatever one does is a complete surrender to the Divine, but whereas when one gets a little bit mixture of rajasic quality into the satvik quality, then one, always, says “I will do good to the world.” Into that state we’ll see that the I is very big. The mind, whenever the mind pictures the I, it doesn’t mean the I of the Self; it means, always, the I of the ego [thinking] “I can do this; I can do that.” As long as you have not Realised your Self, the I of the ego is always big. That’s why it is said in the Scriptures: Remove this I. Put Him, you know, the Lord, because as long as one has not Realised anything, one has to remind oneself continuously [that] All, it is Him.

Even what you perceive that you are doing, actually, it is Him which is doing through you. That’s why the great Sages, when they have Realised Themselves, they always praise the Lord by saying “Lord, I am the vehicle, but you are the one which is driving it. I am the chariot, but you are the charioteer. I am the wick of the lamp, but you are the light. I am the house, but you are the dweller of that house. So in that state one has fully transcended the human nature seeing only the Divine working in everything. So in that state, one sees the world in a different angle, not the same [as] with the egoistic mind point of view. Often people come, they say “Oh, Swamiji, I have seen this vision and that vision.” No, no, because people always want to think that they are special in whatever they do. Very often, without judgment, you see them very proudly “Oh, I have seen that. I have seen this.”, but what is that if it is not just pride?

Because when one comes face to face with the Divine and really experiences something from the Divine, one doesn’t talk about it. One treasures it as the most precious treasure inside one’s heart. And in that state, the mere mention of the Divine Name will make one cry out of joy knowing that this experience that one has received from the Divine, it is real. And this is all due to the nishkama karma.

Whenever you do your duty, [it] doesn’t matter where you are, [it] doesn’t matter what you do if you do it with a mind surrendered to the Divine, if you do it with your heart completely full of love, even there God will come to you. I always give an example there was once somebody who cleans the road. Somebody who cleans the road, always people consider this job as a very low job. They will, always, say “What will somebody like this be?”, you know? There was once a great Saint. He, also, would always clean the road and one day [when] he was cleaning, Krishna Himself came to him and said to him “Bless you, because though you who are cleaning the road for me to pass everyday, you never ask for anything. You never even ask me for my blessing. You never, you just do it out of love knowing that this road leads to the temple. That’s why, today, I came to you.

Like that, [there are] so many Saints, you know – [in the] lives of Saints that I can give you – who were in the outside world doing very simple things, but, yet, deep inside of them they are fully connected with the Divine. That shows that wherever your dharma is, wherever God has put you, no matter what kind of work he has lead you to, there’s a reason for that and if you do it with love and real happiness, real joy inside of you, even there you can Realise God. For sure in the nowadays time we can’t ask everybody continuously to think of God, which will be quite difficult, but [from] time to time if one has a little bit of time, in place of gossiping, in place of doing unnecessary things, [if] one takes the time and communicates with the Divine within one’s Self, that will help.

So in this communication, when you are alone with the Divine, you have, also, to learn to listen. And how would you listen? If the mind is busy, it’s very difficult, you know. So that’s why it is said [to] first chant the Divine Name [to] calm your mind. And when you chant the Divine Name, don’t just chant it mechanically and do some other rubbish things like many do, you know. And they think that yes, by doing that in place of thinking of other things, God will come to them. No, it will not happen, nothing. Then it’s just purely mechanical. But when you chant the Divine Name, you have to fully have the vision inside of you. You have to have the Divine Image inside of your mind. Then you are chanting the Divine Name. Then He will manifest Himself. But if you are chanting, [and] you are doing something else, you know, “I’m doing this whatever, yet I am chanting the Divine Name”, it doesn’t help. So even if you can’t do it, just try.

It doesn’t mean much to try, no? It’s easy to try something, no? It’s true [that old habits] catch up [from] time to time. But old habits, also, do change after time. There are, always, new habits. So you see, even [with] the old habits, whenever there is something to change, one will always change. It’s like when you drive, you always go to work on the same road, no, but when there is a diversion, what do you do? Do you carry on going through the same road? You go for the diversion, no? So [in] the same way, old habits change.

So to try something, it is easy, actually, but you have to say to yourself, you know, “I want to change certain things.” This is the first step. If you don’t take the first step, well, it will not come to you. And this first step, you have to take it and, when you take it, take it with a strong determination that no matter what, you will achieve that through God’s Grace knowing that He is with you, because if you are doing something to please Him, He will help you. And I’m telling you, the Divine Mother is such a good help into that. Don’t miss a chance and even if you can’t just ask Him for help, ask Her She will come to help you, because this is Her joy to see Her children awake, you know. Even in the simple things you do, She will come and help you. So just try.

[It’s] the same as bhajans. You can try to sing, also, and if you can’t, just clap your hands. It’s easy, no?" (Swamiji begins singing Govinda, Govinda, Gayi Re, Bhajo Radhe Govinda Krishna Gayi Re)