No Effort Is Needed

DEVOTEE: It’s like my mind always tries to make an effort. Like, I’m so used to it but even so, I find ways  to look where I am and I remember that it’s very simple, but I still go into the effort. Is there a trick?

PAPAJI: Yes, mind means effort, doesn’t it? Mind means effort. It goes on suggesting to you, “You have to make an effort”, to keep you away because the mind is afraid to be extinguished. This is the reason why: no effort means death of the mind and who would like to die? Who would like to die? Nobody wants to die. The mind doesn’t want to die either. It involves you in projects and enterprises and effort. When you are effortless there is no mind. You try it now.

You are effortless in the sleep state, aren’t you? There is effort in the waking state, isn’t there? And you are miserable. You are in tension. You are not happy, isn’t it? Only when you sleep you have no effort, therefore, no mind and you can try that no-mind state, no-effort state right now. The trick is only, the procedure is only … finding out. You question the mind, look at the mind, look at the source of the mind. Keep looking. Keep your attention there. This is how. Initially you may have to practice, but you don’t need practice at all. 

To outdo your previous practices you can also call it a practice. That’s what people are asking me, you see. I tell them to keep quiet and they say, “This is also a practice.” Shaking your head is also a practice to get relief. So “sit quiet” they also say. It’s a tremendous effort, sitting quiet because of old habit. Anything that you do or anything that you are not doing is also called an effort. So there’s no problem in this. You are not to make an effort. There’s no effort at all that you need to make, you see. Enough efforts you have made till now. Everywhere you have gone someone has dumped some effort on you. Now you keep quiet. Now is the time to enjoy. Don’t do anything, you see. I don’t give you any method, any practice. I don’t give you anything to do. I just remove your old burdens, throw them away and you are happy. That’s all. You have come here. I’m not giving you any extra burden now. Remove all that. Already you have been burdened for 35 million years, hitchhiking from place to place and now, finally, you are here. Now you take rest. What effort do you want to make now?