You Have Arrived...

Mooji: In truth it is not possible to become enlightened as you put it because no one is there as such to become enlightened in the first place. The firm recognition or realisation that there isn't a 'somebody' in reality to gain enlightenment, and that there can never be an entity at any time, either now or in the future, to gain any such state, is what amounts to enlightenment. This direct realisation occur and become revealed, confirmed and convincing truth through the process of self enquiring. 'Self-enquiry', also called atma-vichara, is one effective means of exposing the unreality of the 'I-concept', or ego, ordinarily felt to be the fact of oneself, leaving the pure immutable Self as the single an perfect reality. This is the ultimate truth.

You ask: 'Is there anyone who through attending Satsang has become awake'. This has already been addressed in my previous statement but I will further add here that there has been and continues to be the constant recognition of this fact that the ego identity is a myth, a fictitious character. That individuality as such is an expression of pure consciousness/beingness and not the fact or definition of that Beingness. That oneself remains behind as the witness or the noticing of the phenomena arising spontaneously in consciousness. That ones true self is formless and nameless presence only which arises or shines as peace, joy and happiness felt as loving contentment. When this recognition occurs within each individual point or expression of consciousness known as a person, that state is called 'awakening' or 'enlightenment'.

You ask that I point out if there is such a person present here ? In common language I will say a number of persons here have arrived at this point of clear seeing/being beyond mere intellectual or academic understanding or acceptance. However, the mental tendencies and identification aren't instantly or completely destroyed and the ego-sense, posing as the seat of reality, though expose through enquiry as mere illusion, continues to appear; this is natural. The duty and challenge here is to repeatedly bring this I-individuality sense back into the heart/source whenever it arises and by training the attention to stay in the source, which is your true self, it gradually merges in the source and become the source itself.

Finally, who could the 'I' be who will claim 'I've got it' or 'I am a realised person'. Who or what can be the possessor of enlightenment ? Isn't it the same ego ? Do you see my point ?

However, some masters have indeed declared and affirmed themselves as the one pure, qualityless reality and have spoken so from pure, direct ego-less knowledge/conviction. This is also correct in my view and is most refreshing, authoritative and natural, so that we may know it is not possible to frame or limit the pure self by any human standard or logic.

Q:But I feel myself as a 'someone', I cannot feel myself as a 'no-one'.

M:Again you put this 'myself' as an object of perception. How can you be an object ? An object must have a perceiving subject. If the subject is also perceived it automatically becomes an object and must have a deeper perceiving subject. Do you see ? You cannot be any object perceived, you must be the perceiver/subject. Who or what are you that perceives ? Take hold of that. Your statement 'I feel myself as a someone' contains three aspects: I, my feelings and the someone that I take myself to be. This someone is merely your idea of yourself, not your real self. And your feelings, merely the feeling concerning this idea of yourself. Finally there is the you who is the subject/perceiver of this observation. Am I right ?

Q:Yes.

M:Who or what are you exactly ?

Q:I am me, myself !

M:And what exactly is that ?

Q:Me ! Or rather my knowledge of myself.

M:So, not the body ?

Q:No, I know I am not the body.

M:How do you know you are not the body ?

Q:I can see my body and I just know that is not what I am, although sometimes I feel I am that too.

M:Ok, fine. Can we go back to your answer that you are your knowledge of yourself ? Are you sure it is the knowledge of yourself and not merely the knowledge of the idea of yourself or your personality ? How did you come to know yourself ? How are you knowing yourself here and now ?

Q:When I began perceiving the other things and people.

M:Yes, how does perceiving otherness brings you to yourself.

Q:Because I know I am perceiving. That I must be there in order to perceive.

M:Therefore any object perceived cannot be you, am I right ?

Q:Right.

M:Exactly ! Very good ! Now who or what exactly is it that perceives or notices ?

Q:Me ! This !

M:Is 'me' the same as 'this' ?

Q:Yes.

M:And again what is that ? What is its quality, its substance ? What makes it you exactly ? Look and tell me. Is it some particular you ? A person ? As distinct from a she or he or him or them ?

Q:Well yes…no…it is vague, I don't quite see.

M:Remain compose, do not drift off, be steady and look. What are you here ? In this looking can you say ?

Q:I am not any person or anything, but I don't know what I am. There is nothing there, I cannot answer that. There is a feeling of not wanting to look, of tiredness, resistance and irritability.

M:Ok. Don't engage in any evaluation, don't touch anything, just be one with that noticing. Stay here without trying.
(There is a long pause here)
You seem puzzled what are you puzzled by ?

Q:There is just this blank.

M:What is witnessing the blank ?
(the questioner looks up and smiles, eyes fixed on Mooji)

M:Where is this smile coming from ?
(Silence…)

Q:I don't know, there is a feeling of relief, space and peace, a kind of lightness.

M:A kind of ?

Q:No. Lightness, space and peace.

M:This lightness and peace shines where there is no one. This is peace. This is real joy. This is pure love. Only now don't clutch at this. Don't own it or claim it. Remain the witness.

Q:Yes, yes (smiling) I see I am just the witness here. Thank you, thank you. (she clasps her hands in the traditional Indian way of greeting or gratitude).

M:Don't go just yet..
(few moments pass)
Now drop being the witness.

Q:I am confused.

M:No, you are not confused. Confusion is being witnessed. Don't identified with that. What remains ? Don't touch anything, even the witness, don't be a 'witness-er'. Witnessing without witness-er, do you understand ?

Q:Yes.

M:Who is understanding ?

Q:No one, just understanding.

M:Very nice. Very happy to meet you. Now from this placeless place in total emptiness as emptiness, beyond the concept of emptiness, you effortlessly are. You didn't become this or gain this because there is no one here to gain anything. Out of, yet within this indescribable awareness the consciousness rises and shines as I-ness perceiving. And whatever arises here are mere apparent forms of I-consciousness being perceived.

Q:Thank you.

M:You are welcome.

Anthony Paul Moo-Young, known as Mooji, was born on 29 January 1954 in Port Antonio, Jamaica. In 1969, he moved to the UK and he is presently living in Brixton, London. Anthony worked in London's 'West end' as a street portrait artist for many years, then as a painter and a stained glass artist, and later as a teacher at Brixton College. For a long time, he was well known as Tony Moo, but is now affectionately known as Mooji* by the many seekers and friends who visit him.

Mooji is a direct disciple of Sri Harilal Poonja, the renowned advaita master, or Papaji, as his followers call him. In 1987, a chance meeting with a Christian mystic was to be a life-changing encounter for Mooji. It brought him, through prayer, into the direct experience of the Divine within. Within a short period, he experienced a radical shift in consciousness so profound that outwardly, he seemed, to many who knew him, to be an entirely different person. As his spiritual consciousness awakened, a deep inner transformation began which unfolded in the form of many miraculous experiences and mystical insights. He felt a strong wind of change blowing through his life which brought with it a deep urge to surrender completely to divine will. Shortly after, he stopped teaching, left his home and began a life of quiet simplicity and surrender to the will of God as it manifested spontaneously within him. A great peace entered his being, and has remained ever since.

For the following six years, Mooji drifted in a state of spontaneous meditation oblivious to the outer world he formally knew. During these years, he lived almost penniless but was constantly absorbed in inner joy, contentment and natural meditation. Grace came in the form of his sister Julianne, who welcomed Mooji into her home with loving kindness, and afforded him the time and space he much needed to flower spiritually, without the usual pressures and demands of external life. Mooji refers to this period of his life as his "wilderness years" and speaks touchingly of a deep feeling of being "seated on the Lap of God". In many respects, these were far from easy times for Mooji, yet there is no trace of regret or remorse in his tone as he recounts these years. On the contrary, he speaks of this phase of his life as being richly blessed and abundant in grace, trust and loving devotion.

In late 1993, Mooji travelled to India. He had a desire to visit Dakshineswar in Calcutta where Sri Ramakrishna, the great Bengali Saint, had lived and taught. The words and life of Ramakrishna were a source of inspiration and encouragement to Mooji in the early years of his spiritual development. He loved the Saint deeply but as fate would determine, he would not go to Calcutta. While in Rishikesh, a holy place at the foothills of the Himalayas, he was to have another propitious encounter; this time with three devotees of the great advaita Master Sri Harilal Poonja, known to his many devotees as Papaji. Their persistent invitation to Mooji to travel with them to meet the Master made a deep impression on him. Still he delayed the prospect of meeting Papaji for two whole weeks, choosing first to visit Varanasi, the holy city.

In late November 1993, Mooji travelled to Indira Nagar in Lucknow to meet Papaji. It was to be an auspicious and profoundly significant experience on his spiritual journey. He felt it to be his good fortune; he had met a living Buddha, a fully enlightened master. He gradually came to recognise that Papaji was his Guru. Mooji stayed with Papaji for several months. During one particular satsang meeting, Papaji told him: “If you desire to be one with truth, 'you' must completely disappear.” On hearing this, great anger arose within his mind, full of judgement and resistance towards Papaji. He decided to leave the master's presence for good, but later that day a huge dark cloud of anger and rebelliousness suddenly lifted, leaving his mind in a state of such peace, emptiness and a love towards the master, so intense, that he knew he could not leave. Through 'Papaji's' grace, his mind was pushed back into the emptiness of source.

In 1994, with his Master's blessings he travelled down to Sri Ramanasramam in Tiruvannamalai. This is the ashram at the foot of Arunachala, the 'Hill of Fire', where Sri Ramana Maharshi*, the Sage of Arunachala and Papaji's Guru, had lived and taught. Mooji felt very happy and at home in Tiruvannamalai. He stayed there for almost three months before returning to sit at Papaji's feet once again.

A week after returning to Lucknow, Mooji received news from London that his eldest son had died suddenly of pneumonia. He returned to England. The bliss of earlier years gave way to a profound emptiness and inner silence, imparted by the Grace and Presence of Papaji.

Mooji visited Papaji again in 1997. It was to be his last meeting with his Beloved Master, who had by now become ill and frail in his movements, but whose inner light and presence remained undiminished. A month after returning to London, Mooji received news that the Master had passed away. Of this Mooji declares: "That Principle that manifests as the Master is ever HERE NOW. The True Master never dies, it is the mister that dies. The true Master, that Sat Guru* within, alone is the Real".

Since 1999, Mooji has been sharing satsang in the form of spontaneous encounters, retreats, satsang intensives and one-to-one meetings with the many seekers who visit him, from all parts of the world, in search of the direct experience of truth. Few amongst the modern teachers of the advaita tradition expound the 'knowledge of Self', and the method of self-enquiry, with such dazzling clarity, love and authority. There is an energy that radiates from Mooji's presence, a kind of impersonal intimacy, full of love, joy and a curious mix of playfulness and authority. His style is direct, clear, compassionate and often humorous. Once caught in the grip of his questions, there seems to be no place to hide. So unsparing is his scrutiny and uncompromising stance, that the 'I' concept is inescapably exposed as a mental construction, when viewed from the formless awareness we are.

Presently Mooji shares satsang in Brixton, London, where he lives. He also travels regularly to Ireland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Brasil, North America and India where he conducts satsang meetings, intensives and retreats. He is ever open to meeting sincere seekers of truth, whatever their background.

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