lth； he has never been concerned about your health； nor will he ever be。
hence； no matter what reply you give； he is never going to listen to it。
he will skip your answer and start talking about something else。
so the man decided to perform an experiment。
one morning； someone called him on the phone and asked； 〃hello； how are you？〃 and the man answered； 〃my cow gives a lot of milk。
〃
the other fellow said； 〃thats good！ how is your wife？〃 hearing this； the man found out that no one really listens to what you say。
we take things absolutely mechanically。
i was reading someones biography。
this man has traveled all over the world。
in whichever country he went； he had to fill in all kinds of forms。
he couldnt understand why he had to undergo the torture of filling out all these forms。
so he started filling in absurd details。
he did this everywhere he traveled。
no government questioned him。
he would write his age as five thousand years； and no one objected。
who reads these forms？ who bothers？ who is interested？ nobody cares。
life goes on absolutely off guard； mechanically。
all answers are mechanical。
someone asks； 〃how are you？〃 you answer； 〃i am okay。
〃 even puters can do this job。
one puter asking； 〃how are you？〃 another puter answering； 〃i am okay。
〃 thats how it is going on really。
there is no consciousness； no alertness； no awareness …… nothing。
one needs to bee a little aware of all this。
one needs to be a witness。
just stop for a moment。
make any moment the moment to bee alert。
give yourself a sudden jerk and look around in amazement。
just remain a watcher。
if you can prepare yourself in these two areas； you will bee less and less angry。
because a witnessing consciousness can never be angry。
in order to be angry； one has to bee identified； one has to bee unconscious。
a witnessing consciousness will go on attaining to celibacy because it cannot be consumed by sexual desire。
a man of witnessing consciousness can never overeat； hence he doesnt need to take a vow to diet。
although we are not aware of it； food in itself is not the cause of our overeating。
the reason lies much deeper。
for example； there is a man who overeats。
now he is not even aware of why he overeats。
has it ever occurred to you that when you are angry you eat too much？ have you ever kept account of it？ have you ever noticed consciously that you eat more when you feel the lack of love？ have you ever kept any record of it？ have you ever discovered consciously that when ones life is filled with love； one doesnt eat much？ when a man meets his beloved； he loses his appetite。
the hunger disappears in moments of love。
but when love is absent； he begins to eat voraciously。
why？ t
/d/
Chapter 14
i am ready； if you are
5 august 1970 pm in bombay； india
question 1
at the dwarka meditation camp you have discussed the process of entering into the memories of past lives。
you said then that by disconnecting the consciousness pletely from the future； the power of meditation should be focused toward the past。
explaining the process further； you said that first one regresses to the age of five； then to the age of three； followed by the memory of birth； the point of conception； and finally into the memories of past life。
you said additionally that you did not intend to explain the whole sutra； the whole technique for remembering past lives。
what is the whole technique？ would you kindly explain the sutra further。
memories of our past life have been prevented by nature。
there is a reason for it。
it is necessary that in the overall system of ones life one forgets most of the things that happen to him every day。
thats why we dont remember all the memories that we create during our lifetime。
however； that which you dont remember is not pletely erased from your mind。
only the connection between your consciousness and the memory is severed。
for example； if a person lives for fifty years； billions of memories will be formed in his mind。
if he were to remember them all he would go mad。
so he remembers whatever is meaningful： whatsoever is worthless he slowly forgets。
but your forgetting does not mean the memory is pletely wiped out。
it merely slips out of your center of consciousness and is stored in some corner of your mind。
buddha has given a very significant name to this storehouse。
he calls it alaya vigyan …… the storehouse of consciousness。
it is just like having an attic or a basement where all the unwanted things are stored。
even though the objects are out of your sight； they still remain present within the house。
similarly； your memories go out of sight； but remain accumulated in some corners of your mind。
it would bee difficult to live if you were to recall all the memories of even this life。
in order that the mind stays free to handle the events of the future； the past has to be forgotten。
since you forget what happened yesterday； you bee capable of living the tomorrow。
this way the mind goes on being empty； it is able to look ahead。
in order to look ahead it is necessary to forget the past。
without forgetting what has already occurred you wont have the capability to see what is ahead of you。
every day a part of your mind must bee blank so that it can receive new impressions； otherwise how can it work？ as the future arrives； the past disappears every day。
and as soon as this future bees the past； it disappears too so that we are free to receive what lies ahead。
this is how the mind functions。
we cannot carry the full memory of even one life。
you wont be able to recall anything if i ask you what you did on january 1； 1960。
you did exist on january 1； 1960； and you must have done something from dawn till dusk； yet you will be unable to remember anything。
a small technique of hypnosis can revive the memory of that day。
if you are hypnotized； and a part of your consciousness is put to sleep； and then if you are asked to describe what you did on january 1； 1960； you will recount everything。
for a long time i experimented on a young man。
but my problem was how to be sure of the details he gave of january 1； 1960。
he was able to narrate that day only under hypnosis： in the waking state he would forget everything。
so it was difficult for me to determine whether or not he really took a bath at nine oclock on the morning of january 1； 1960。
there was only one way to do it。
i wrote down everything he did on a certain day。
after a few months when i asked him to describe his activities of the same day； he couldnt recall anything。
when i put him under a deep state of hypnosis and asked him to narrate the particular day； he not only recounted all that i had noted down； but described many other things which had not been written。
he did not miss anything from what i had written down； rather he added many more things。
obviously i could not have noted everything。
i had written only what i saw or what had occurred to me。
in hypnosis you can be taken as deeply inside your self as one would like to go。
but it will be done by someone else； you will be unconscious。
you wont know a thing。
under hypnosis you can be taken even into your past lives； but it would essentially be in a state of unconsciousness。
the only difference between jati…smaran regression and the technique of hypnosis is that while regressing you go into your past lives with consciousness； in hypnosis you are taken into your previous lives by being made unconscious。
the validity increases a great deal if both the techniques are applied。
suppose you hypnotize a man； ask him about his previous lives and write it down； then in his conscious state you lead him into meditation。
if even under the meditative state he gives the same account of his previous lives； you gather additional evidence and the validity of the story is established。
so the same memory can be revived by applying two methods。
although the process of regression is simple； it has its own hazards。
thats why i did not explain all the keys。
all the keys can be told only to an individual who is ready to experiment。
otherwise； ordinarily； they cannot be explained to everyone。
the whole technique can of course be explained saving one sutra …… this one cannot be practiced。
as i said yesterday； our consciousness moves with the aid of will； determination。
for example； when you sit for meditation and begin to go deep into it； make a resolve to go back when you were five years old and find out what happened to you then。
in that deep state of meditation you will suddenly find you have indeed bee five years old； and whatever happened to you at that age is ing back to you。
at first； enter into the memory of this birth。
as one gains clarity and depth in meditation； and as it bees possible to go back into the past …… which is not difficult …… one can go as far back as the mothers womb and revive memories of that time。
if your mother fell down when she was pregnant with you； her memory of that fall； that hurt； will bee part of your memory too。
or； if she was un