Baba says, ‘be an easy yogi who is able to be detached and loving‘. Remain free from attachment.

Often we hear the word detached and equate it with being aloof or reserved. But when baba speaks about detachment, He is referring to being detached from the falsehoods- the false awareness, the false relationships, the false attachments etc. The sign of being detached, Baba says, is that I will be extremely loved by the Father and the whole family because I will be authentic, I will be true. There are four areas that Baba speaks about when it comes to detachment:

1. To be detached from the awareness of the body: For half a cycle, I identified as the body until Baba came and reminded me that I am a soul. While the consciousness of the body brings expansion of many false ‘I’s and ‘mine’s, soul consciousness is true and truth is always essenceful– I am a pure, peaceful soul, a tiny point of light. Mine is the One Father and none other. That’s all. Now that I know of the right awareness, no awareness of the body should pull you towards itself, says Baba, soul consciousness should become natural. God, the Supreme Soul, speaks to souls. Only when I detach myself from the false awareness of the body can I experience the love of God.

2. To remain detached from all the relationships of the body: When you are soul conscious, Baba reminds me, the only relationship is that of brotherhood. As souls, you have a brotherly relationship and as corporeal Brahmins of the clan of Brahma, you have naturally the pure elevated relationship of brother and sister in your awareness, says Baba. Then, there is no impure vision, or an attitude of ‘you vs. me’ or actions that cause sorrow. Where there is purity, there is love and unity.

3. To be detached from the perishable possessions of the body: Sometimes, we detach from relationships but we hold on to preferences or depend on physical facilities. Maybe, I am subtly attached to a certain routine and I cannot be flexible. Sometimes, there are items that I am attached to that I cannot do without. I have to have them with me wherever I go, else I feel lost. We justify this by saying: ‘it’s not as if I desire it, I just happen to like it’. Baba cautions that this subtle ‘liking’ can quickly turn into desire and desires (iccha) don’t allow you to become good (accha). Then, unless my preferences are met or unless I have certain things with me, I cannot be happy, my mood becomes upset, I get cranky and I certainly cannot remember Baba. This is why you have to be free from any temporary supports of the body, says Baba.

It isn’t that I leave home and claim I am detached, that is limited. But like a lotus flower, Baba says, while living in the household and using the facilities, you have to remain unattached. In other words, I am not dependent on them for my happiness. My yoga does not fluctuate based on their availability. Then, I become an easy yogi. Therefore, check in advance that none of the supports of physical things – food, drink, clothes, way of interacting, living and coming into connection with others – that none of these things are taking the form of an obstacle even in a subtle way, says Baba.

4. To be detached from the old nature and sanskars: The nature and sanskars of the old body are very strong and they become obstacles in becoming a conqueror of Maya, says Baba. Often, we conquer the vices in the gross form but don’t realize we still have the subtle forms within us and it is these pebbles that trip us over. For example, I think I’ve conquered anger but when I see someone being dishonest, I feel I’m justified to feel dislike. I think: they were clearly wrong, so of course I’m justified in feeling how I feel. But this ‘being right’ is a trap of Maya that makes me oppose my own brothers while taking her side…the side of the enemy. Baba’s shrimat is to only see specialties in others, to give blessings no matter what someone is like. And by blessing, He means I don’t keep their defects in my heart. I show compassion toward myself and others. When you are soul conscious, this is not an effort, He reminds me.

Sometimes, I can be stubborn or set in my ways. Other times, I feel I have to ‘fight for my rights’. Again, Baba reminds me of the same lesson- when you are soul conscious, you automatically have all rights, you don’t get rights by ‘fighting’ for them. Then there are times when there is subtle jealousy or a competitive spirit where I see someone’s talent and I think: ‘I can do that too, I will show everyone that I can do it even better’. When I am soul conscious, I realize that we are all unique with out own strengths. I am secure in my self-respect such that I celebrate others rather than compete. I run my own race as opposed to race against others. So do the subtle checking to see if there are any traces of old sanskars hidden anywhere inside, teaches Baba.

Those who are detached in all these four things are said to be loved by the Father and also loved by the family. This is also what is meant by being seated on a lotus-seat, it is what is meant by ” follow father“. It was when Father Brahma became seated on the lotus-seat that he became number one loved by the Father, and also loved by Brahmins, whether in the corporeal form or now, in the angelic form. Shiv Baba says: ‘Even now, the thought that emerges in the heart of each and every Brahmin is ‘our Brahma Baba’. You don’t feel that you didn’t see him in the corporeal form. Yes, you didn’t see him with your physical eyes, but you saw him with your heart; you saw him with the divine eye of the intellect; you experienced him’. This is a sign of being loved. Detachment from everything made him loved by the world. So, in the same way, be detached from everything and be loved by all.