“Inner integrity in short is being completely true and honest to yourself about yourself, not hiding or leaving anything out. When you apply this awareness technique to your heart’s content, you will be at one with yourself.”
“Fear is the greatest obstacle on the spiritual path. Confront your fears.”
“The whole process of spiritual growth is confronting oneself. If you do not confront yourself you’re not going to grow. It’s only when you confront yourself you know who you are. And unless you know who you are you cannot accept yourself, and if you cannot accept yourself you cannot love yourself, and if you cannot love yourself you’re not going to love the other.”
On another occasion, Sri Bhagavan gave this outstanding instruction on inner integrity:
“The first thing in the process of Awakening is inner integrity. You have to be completely honest about yourself to yourself. It does not matter who you are or what you are. What is important is – can you confront yourself? Can you face yourself? Can you be honest? Can you be authentic with yourself?
Since most people have never been honest with themselves this is easier said than done. You are frightened of yourselves. You don’t want to see this about yourselves. You would like to put all the internal ugliness under the carpet. That is not really going to help you.
The second thing you need to understand is that you have come down here to play your whole life as a game. In cricket when the Indians and Pakistanis confront each other, it is more like war. They play as though their life depends on it. But then they also know it is a game. Similarly, you have to live life seriously. Life has to be taken seriously, you have to live it intensely, but you should know it is a game. You can’t be too frivolous, you can’t be irresponsible, can’t be careless. You have to be serious; at the same time know it is a game. If you could develop this perception it would be of immense benefit in the process of Awakening.
So when you do become Awakened you will see how beautiful, how perfect this world is. You will really start playing it like a game; you will start living for the first time. As of now, you do not live. You sail on, birthday after birthday comes and finally it is all over. You have hardly enjoyed anything. This is what most human life is.
You should truly understand your purpose as to why you have come down here. You have been sent here to have a good time!!! But you have made a mess of the whole thing. Once you are Awakened, no matter what your situation is, you will have a good time. That’s what life is all about; that’s why we use the word “leela” – just to play.
When I look at you I see the bag each one of you is carrying. Your burden and pain keeps hitting me all the time. So I hope that a few days later you will be rid of your baggage and you would be all singing and dancing and go out into the world to play your games.
With this perception you could go into your meditation. Don’t try to meditate. Just see; all that you have got to see here is – ‘to see, to realize you cannot meditate!’ You do that, I will do the rest! If you try to meditate, if you think you can meditate, I cannot help you. But, if you were to realize that you cannot meditate, then meditation would happen! I Will Be There. So, I think we could start now!”
“What you call suffering is nothing but running away from your suffering.”
“Suffering is never in the fact (or in the situation), but only in your perception.”
“Resistance is suffering. Where there is Oneness there is no resistance.”
“The content (of experience) is never important. Are you Aware of it?”
“To See is to be Free. To be Aware is to be Awakened.”
~ Sri Bhagavan
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