Deep waiting - the nature of a true seeker!
(Taken from Swamiji's talks on the Shiva Sutras at the ashram, January 2005)

Amongst the spiritual seekers, there are the window shoppers! They go from Master to Master seeking. Going from Master to Master is not wrong, but not learning from any Master is what is wrong! I always tell people to go to as many gardens, pluck flowers and make a beautiful garland. Many people go to many gardens, but they don't pluck any flowers from any garden. They just want to satisfy themselves that they are seekers. They want to have spirituality as a showcase item in their homes.

As long as your questions have not become a quest and your urge has not become urgent, you cannot call yourself a seeker. Enlightenment should become a basic necessity in you; only then the real alchemy will start happening. In order to clear your doubts, a deep passive waiting without knowing what is going to happen is required. This is what is passive surrender - total surrender.

Two types of people come to me. The first category of people are those who have a problem and think they know the solution, but want my support and help to get the solution. The second category of people are the ones who have a problem, they don't know the solution and they request my help to get the solution. The former think that they have buddhi (intelligence) but not shakthi (powers). The latter understand that they have neither shakthi nor buddhi. The moment you think that God has powers but no intelligence, you start guiding Him! When you guide, it only means that your ego is not mature enough to fully surrender. If you know the solutions for your problems, why are you still suffering? They tell me a problem and give the solution along with it! When you start believing that God has got powers, religion starts. When you start believing that He has got intelligence, spirituality starts. With the former, you do all the rituals to bribe Him to get His powers.

The moment you decide to wait forever, things will simply start happening. When you are in a hurry for the lotus to bloom, you open out its petals. Can this be called 'lotus flowering?' No! You need to give it some space and it will happen. You have to wait till you decide to wait! The moment you decide to wait, you don't have to wait anymore.

People ask me, "Swamiji, I decided to wait but it is not happening!" How can you say that you have decided to wait when you are already asking the second half of the statement! An utter, clear and total decision to wait is what is the basic necessity to become enlightened.

Either have the urgency or forget the urge itself. Dont play the in-between game. You will end up in depression. As long as the blood is hot, you will pull along; the moment the blood becomes cool, you will fall into depression, because all along you were playing the game of 'hide and seeking', not real seeking. You were on a mud horse while entering the river. Be very clear - see if you are really seeking or playing the game of 'hide and seeking'. The deep quest has to happen in you for it to become a tremendous waiting - for Enlightenment!

My love and blessings to you to reach the state of Nithyananda or Eternal Bliss!