PEACE PRIZE

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When I reached home, my neighbours did not recognize me due to my long beard and weight loss. Only after speaking to me for five minutes did they get satisfied about my identity as Sahaj Sharma and handed me over the keys of my house. They also informed me that Muskaan had got married few months back to an IT engineer and had relocated to Mumbai city.

The confused complicated man who had run away from this house to end his life is no more there and the one who is entering again is all together a new awakened human being.

I straightaway entered my parent’s room and found their ashes kept in a metal pot. This reminded me of my promise that I would immerse their ashes in the Ganga River after realizing the reality of my own existence.

Next day, I hired a cab and reached Rishikesh in Uttrakhand in the evening where I immersed the ashes in holy river Ganga.

Afterward, I cleared the ground and established my camp at Shivpuri riverside beach. One thing is sure that whenever somebody melts and merges with the whole, Nature becomes his womb.

Sitting at the shore of river Ganga, I felt tremendous peace and my silence became so deep and magnetic that it started pulling me inside but the soothing sound of the river kept me connected with the world around.

Next day, I came back to Manali. Before going back to my Himalayan shepherd family, I visited my apple orchard which was in a very bad condition after the death of my parents. So I decided to refurbish it.

Within two weeks, after completely restoring the apple orchard, I realized that in the process, I had experienced a new level of totality in my actions.

Whenever you are totally in tune with your real nature, you disappear; only the nameless and formless existence remains. Totally means that you are so deeply lost in the act that only the act remains, everything else disappears.

Now as a whole being, my attention is totally pulsating in this very moment without getting disturbed by my past memories and future desires.

When sleep leaves my eyes, I wake up totally. When hunger dances in my stomach, I eat totally. When sleep comes, I sleep totally. When somebody asks me a question, I respond totally. There are no half-hearted actions.

Now I exist like a crystal-clear mirror reflecting life as it is, enjoying each act to its fullest without any regret or anticipation.

One day while cleaning my Rucksack, I discovered a letter from Christine inside the inner pocket.

In this letter she shared her intimate feelings towards me and thanked me for everything. She intensely desired to see me one day at her residence in Germany.

As a last promise, she requested me to join a private college as a philosophy teacher in Manali run by a German NGO owned by her friend Ms. Nancy Becker who is also the principal of that college. She firmly believes that I can help in bringing modern complex and confused students back to their original natural state of pure being.

So, for the sake of our friendship and last promise, I met Ms. Nancy Becker and decided to join the college for the current academic year.

The first day in the college, I checked the timetable on the notice board and straightaway entered room number seven.

The moment I entered the class, everybody turned around. One of the students asked, Are you our new philosophy teacher?

Yes and No both.

What do you mean?

Officially, I have joined as your new teacher, but I am not here to teach you. I am here to share myself and expect you to share yourself with me. In this sharing of our existence, if we learn something from each other, that would be secondary; but my primary goal is to share myself.

What is your name?

My existence is beyond all names, but the name given to these 206 bones and few organs is Sahaj Sharma. However, you can call me whatever you wish – good or bad – whatever makes you happy. I am not attached to any man-made label anymore.

Please could you introduce yourself in a normal way?

Let’s not waste our time in this first day ceremony of introductions. Treat me like a new friend in your life. If our friendship grows, we will automatically come to know each other. That is introduction in the real way.

Meanwhile, Let us conduct a small interactive activity.

Why don’t you discuss your expectations for me among yourself and give me five major questions on a piece of paper.

After twenty minutes, I got the paper back with few questions.

I wrote the questions on the board to address them one by one.

• What will be your teaching methodology to cover our course?

• How many assessments and tests will you conduct before the final examination?

• What is the minimum attendance to appear in the final examination?

• If you really are a good philosophy teacher, then answer this – Does life exist after death?

• What extra can you do to enhance and enrich our personality which will enable us to excel in our education and career?

Alright – Is that all?

Yes Sir.

Ok.

What will be your teaching methodology to cover our course?

I am not here to just cover your course; on the contrary, I will only start your course when you are actually ready to understand it. But before that, everything in life has to be discussed in the deepest possible way from every aspect.

Accept it only if you feel satisfied; otherwise, there is no compulsion to accept it.

And I will not give you any topics for discussion. You yourself have to come up with topics which you want to know and explore. Please do not expect any lectures from my side as I would not like to impose anything from my end.

However, you can definitely ask your queries and questions and I will try to respond to the best of my understanding.

However, once you realize your real being, you will be able to easily understand your philosophy course. Rather, you yourself will become an institution capable of giving birth to such courses.

And just don’t worry about your course. Once you are ready, I will finish the two years course in six months. You can enjoy the remaining one year and six months of your college life as this is the most rocking time of your life.

How many assessments and tests will you conduct before the final examination?

I will conduct multiple tests and assessments, but none of them will be written or verbal. All these tests will be non-verbal and secretive in nature that even you won’t come to know that you are undergoing an assessment.

What is the minimum attendance to appear in the final examination?

I will not take daily attendance.

I will fill your attendance register randomly, but will make sure that everybody gets more than seventy five percent attendances so that you are eligible for your final examination.

If you wish to attend my class, you are welcome, but if your heart says to abscond it someday, you are totally free, and you don’t have to feel guilty. If you want to be a part of my sessions, it is your choice. Otherwise, you can choose to be somewhere else.

If you really are a good philosophy teacher, then answer this – Does life exist after death?

You existed before the birth of your body and you will exist after its death. Your body and mind are both subject to birth and death. But as soul, you are always beyond the cycle of birth and death. Your real self is eternal.

Death is similar to the state of deep sleep. Like in sleep, the person disappears temporarily and appears back in the morning with the return of attention, similarly, in death, the body disappears permanently and returns back in a new seed form as per the past unfulfilled deep desires.

What extra can you do to enhance and enrich our personality which will enable us to excel in our education and career?

Nothing at all!

Enough has already been stuffed in your brain about the methods to succeed, to get ahead of others, to reach higher positions.

I will try my level best to make sure that you return to your real nature even if you don’t succeed. I will try my level best to bring you back to your inner being even if you do not reach any positions of power.

There is no need to compete with anyone; all you need to do is to awaken the ability of loving your own real self.

Everybody was completely silent for a few minutes and I believe they all thought that I was completely crazy. I could see that in their eyes.

Somebody asked, what do you think about our education system?

Our entire academic system is a big failure as it can never connect us back to our real self. We all know that our educational system is producing only robotic servants, but nobody has the courage to expose it. Our entire education system is based on the idea of creating slaves; I want to make you master of your own self.

Educated individuals of today are so filled with their own memory-based knowledge that no space is left in them for the real wisdom of life to enter. They identify their present with the past and project it on to their future.

Directly or indirectly in your life, you accumulate so much information in your memory that it almost becomes impossible for a learned individual to relax back and see things again as they really are.

As a learned scholar, you are so full of your own memory-based knowledge that you never respond to the reality. On the contrary, you react to it in a very absurd, selective way.

Irrespective of the truth in any given situation, you see what you want to look, you hear what you want to listen and you understand what you want to believe. This selective approach is the real barrier due to which you completely overlook reality in each moment of life.

Somebody asked, when you know that our academic system is a failure, then why have you opted to become part of this system? Your actions are self-contradicting. What do you have to say about it?

Externally, I look like a part of this system, but my existence is far beyond it. Like the empty space inside the cup appears to be limited by its own shape and design but, in reality, it is free and one with the whole.

Likewise, to you, I still appear to be limited by the shape of my body but, in reality, I am totally free and one with the whole.

Instead of trying to be this or that, I am just happy to be my natural self – a nameless and formless infinite being. I enjoy complete contentment in each moment without any trace of comparison and competition with others.

I am like a simple lotus flower in the midst of the cesspool of life. My physical roots are deeply integrated in the mud, but my natural fragrance is free and formless. 

I am in the world but the world in not in me.

I remain totally untouched and untainted by my own thoughts, words and actions now.

One student asked, if our education system is a big failure, then what, according to you, is the real education?

Wisdom is real education.

Memory based knowledge add layers of information to your mind and limits your vision. Particular thoughts dominate your mind, definite desires distort your heart and specific senses divide your very being.

This kind of knowledge can help you survive and succeed in the contemporary materialistic world but can never help you to return to your own supreme source.

On the other hand, freedom from all layers of information is wisdom.

It is the child-like ability and simplicity to reflect life as it is. In order to gain wisdom, you must unlearn everything first. To gain pure innocence of an infant, you need to give up all your thoughts. All backgrounds and identifications limit your identity. 

To be full, you need to be empty.

In wisdom, your mind is like a crystal-clear mirror free from the dust of memories and desires which reflects reality as it is.

In memory-based knowledge, your mind is like a dirty mirror full of dust of memories and desires which distorts the reality of life.

Somebody asked, your attitude shocks and hurts me, but still I do understand your point which proves that I have wasted my life so far. How come I never realized this before?

I understand your situation and can fully empathize with you as I know from where it is coming.

Right now, all you know is your personal identity and you firmly believe that it is your real identity, your real foundation, your real face. It is because it has been given to you by your own family and it is very difficult to doubt your loved ones and your own self.

And this process of passing the personal identity from one generation to another has been going on for centuries. Naturally, law of majority makes the unreal appear as the real.

When everybody adopts and follows the same lifestyle centred on personal identity, obviously, it is very difficult to doubt its authenticity.

Since you do not know your own inner centre, so from childhood, you constantly depend on the opinion of others to define yourself.

You value what others value and avoid what others avoid. As a person, currently your happiness is dependent on others, outside of you.

However, let me assure you that you are not just the person you take yourself to be. You are something more than that and your real happiness comes from within.

What is the way out?

The way out is the way in.

Happiness and peace are not outside you; they are your very nature. They spring from the core of your being – by knowing yourself, as you are in the light of absolute attention.

All throughout life, most of the people search for happiness and peace outside them – in particular, people, positions, places, possessions, progressions etc.

However, on not getting the desired level of satisfaction, they keep on moving from one place to another, one possession to another, one position to another, one person to another, one pleasure to another, in order to satisfy their very being. Look around and you will certainly observe that most of the people are stuck in this materialistic mess.

Go within and tap into your natural greatness and grace.

Suddenly, the bell rang but nobody got up from their seats. I could see that they were really stunned.

Thank you, friends, for sharing your valuable time and presence.

I immediately left the class without looking back.

I deliberately left all of them in this introspective state of shock and confusion as this would help them see life in a totally new manner.

After that, I shared my experience with the Principal Nancy Becker; she could not but empathize with all the students out of compassion.

Don’t push them too much against the wall as they are like tender saplings right now and you need to act like a protecting fence.

Don’t worry, Nancy. I will do my level best to nurture them. However, I need to share with them the truth as it is, even if it hurts them to their core.

If the innocence of young individuals is not manipulated and they are allowed to grow according to their own sensitivities only then will unique and beautiful human existence be possible. Sadly, right now, everybody is a clone of everybody else.

You are absolutely right Sahaj. Go ahead buddy, shake the world, break the rules, and change the system. I will always stand by you in everything you do.

Thanks for giving me this opportunity to teach in your college.

You should thank Christine, not me and it’s my pleasure to have you on-board.

Next day, when I entered the class, I saw a weird seriousness on their faces. They all looked so focused as if they were ready for some mission.

What’s wrong, friends?

Nothing…we all want to thank you for giving our life a whole new direction and purpose. Now our ultimate purpose is self-realisation.

What purpose?

Now we all passionately want to discover our true self. We want to become the new foundation of humanity and help change the world at large.

I laughed aloud like a mad man and said you all are trapped again.

What do you mean by trapped?

I rejoice in whatever I am doing. I enjoy sharing. I love a heart-to-heart talk. In all my simple stories there is no purpose at all.

In this moment, I see things as they are and show reality as it is. No matter what life offers me – joy or pain, loss or gain – I always abide in a state of absolute acceptance.

Forget all about philosophy and purpose. Life is far bigger than any purpose. Logical mind can never understand it. Thoughts can never reach it and words can never preach it. Its mystery is infinite. Only silent love can understand it.

Go out and seek love, as without knowing love, you cannot return to your real nature. You all need to have actual authentic experience of love in any form as soon as possible. This is mandatory in my class, real experience of love!

Sometimes you sound like a mad man.

I am a mad man. That is why; I am not going to leave my footprints for others to follow.

Whatever I do, I enjoy it to its fullest. I have realized this great secret of life that when you enjoy something totally, then that very act turns into the deepest divine prayer of life.

Remember guys, sometimes I can be extremely silent and may just witness your discussions just like the sky watches black and white clouds, totally untouched and undivided.

Sometimes, I will look out of the widow and may talk to trees for hours. Then if you feel uneasy, you are free to leave, but don’t disturb me. I will continue because I cannot break my flow in-between. This apparently bizarre behaviour on my part is because I am not a teacher or a preacher; instead, I am a mad man who is enjoying his existence each moment.

I would also like you to enjoy and celebrate your existence.

That is it, nothing more, nothing less.

After explaining my madness, I left the class without looking back.

My students certainly loved me because nobody else would give them so much freedom, respect and love or allow them to dive in their real nature.

Within few months, room number seven became the epicentre of an academic change.

For sharing my existence, diverse students from various streams started coming to attend my sessions and they started playing truant from their own classes to attend this class. Gradually, my class started overflowing with students who would sit on the windows or even stand in the corridor to be a part of this celebration of life.

My openness and receptivity allowed me to understand the viewpoint of the students simultaneously while I was presenting mine.

These students knew that I was a crazy person, but they loved me for my madness. My rebellious existence and unorthodox style made me an iconic figure among them.

However, all the junior and senior professors extremely hated me. They started reporting to the principal that this man is dangerous and a big threat to the academic civilized society.

He is allowing boys and girls to do things which we have all been prohibiting. Rather than stopping them from getting into each other’s contact, he is abetting them into such activities. Because of him, students from different departments are missing their mainstream classes to attend his philosophy class.

The way he records their attendance is totally absurd and unacceptable. There is no discipline in his class. Anyone can walk out or come in without any permission.

He is not interested in their course; instead, he provokes them against our society, culture, government and even against our nation. Students have stopped attending our classes because of him and he has brainwashed them to such an extent that they don’t even respect us.

So, either you terminate him with immediate effect or else we all will resign en masse within three days.

On getting so many complaints, Principal Nancy Becker right away came to my class one day to see what actually was going on.

I saw her standing in the corridor behind the students as the class was overcrowded; there was no space for her to enter.

Please make way for our beloved Principal as this is her first class. Let her also come in.

Everybody laughed and gave her a seat right in the front.

She was completely amazed to see that in such a crowded class, there was pin drop silence. All the students were sitting together and joyously listening to me. Not a single disturbance.

She really enjoyed my class. After the class was over, she asked, Sahaj, can you please come with me to my office?

Nancy – I know you have come here to verify all the complaints against me. Let us address them in front of everyone. I want to be completely transparent with my students.

All the students started applauding in excitement and they all gathered around us to see this curious discussion.

As you wish. But first tell me, why are my students attracted to you like honeybees to a flower?

They are attracted due to the fragrance of love, respect and freedom.

My talks are an overflow of blissful natural self and I am not doing it for anybody. However, these students share it with me and I am really thankful to them. I have given them total freedom to be themselves as I believe that on the soil of freedom, plant of wisdom grows which later on gives flowers of peace and love.

At my words, there was uproarious applaud by the students.

I see your point, Sahaj. But there are so many complaints against you from everyone in the teaching community here and even from other institutions. They believe that you are a threat to the society and you are brainwashing young innocent minds. Because of you, students are not giving enough respect to professors which they deserve. Do you admit these serious allegations?

Respect depends on the quality of teaching methodology and knowledge. Most of the professors are accidental to their profession; they are there because of this pressing need of our education system. 

People just want to earn money and for that they can choose any profession which pays them well. This is our modern academic society driven by madness for money.

Applauding by the students continues…

May be you are right, but why did you refuse to examine the answer sheets of your students?

Who am I to judge anybody?

I can examine their assessment sheets, but I cannot be their judge. Everybody will pass in first class in my class because, as far as I am concerned, every human being is a first-class human being.

It doesn’t matter to me if somebody has not answered few questions right. According to your stupid education system, correct answer means that the answer is the exact copy of the textbook!

When you prove somebody wrong and dumb as per the bookish knowledge, it simply shows that the student has not proved himself a parrot. My students are much more than parrots; they are free spirited high flying eagles.

Don’t put me in this game. There are many who want to examine answer copies because that fetches money. I am simply refusing money; anybody else will be happy to have it. So go and make somebody happy.

Applauding by the students continues…it gets much louder.

By this time, Nancy had tears in his eyes. “What you are doing in your class should happen to every class across the globe, but I am not a strong person like you. I cannot tell the government that this is the way it should be.

Unfortunately, I have to terminate you with immediate effect. Please forgive me but I am just doing my duty as a principal of this college.

Students shockingly turned pin drop silentt and everybody glared at the Principal with anger and frustration.

I said to students – If you really love me, then please applaud on my termination as loud as possible.

All the students applauded loudly and whistled madly.

No need to apologize, Nancy my friend, just fire me and enjoy this act of life. No need to feel guilty in any way. If you are not able to change the system, don’t worry. Soon, these young students will start changing it themselves.

And I am not angry at you; in fact, I myself wanted to get rid of this teaching job. When I can share myself with the whole world, then why should I stick to a small college?

It is a sheer wastage. You have helped me; you should feel good about it.

Applauding by the students continues…

All the professors are only interested in their salary, in the competition of getting higher posts. I have seen nobody who is really interested in the true welfare of the students and particularly in their inner growth.

So today, I declare to all my students that within a week, I will convert my home into a new age academy named MBA, the “Mind Blowing Academy” and it’s always open to all those who are ready to blow their mind with me.

Students celebrated this moment by loudly shouting – Three Cheers to MBA Hip Hip Hooray!

And the applauding continues…

Friends, this is my last day in this college, but the next Monday will be our first day at the MBA.

Somebody asked – why have you named it Mind Blowing Academy?

You all know that I am completely out of my mind and this thought-free existence in this present moment has turned my life extremely blissful and ecstatic. Each day, each moment is a grand celebration of life now.

Applauding by the students continues…

Somebody asked, Sir – What will be our class timings in the MBA?

Two hours meeting every day after sunrise and sunset.

Someone else queried, Can we start from today?

Come on, guys! Give me a break. I have just been fired from my job.

Students erupt in laughter…

All the students gave me a touching farewell. They escorted me back home in a carnival like manner with more than twenty cars and fifty-six motorbikes. My neighbours were completely amazed to see this flood of students around me making me appear like a celebrity.

Within six months, my home became the epicentre of a new beginning. There is a saying that like attracts like. So, all the students across India with extreme thirst for real self started coming to the MBA for philosophy classes. Gradually, the student strength started growing in a drastic manner. My house started proving to be very small to hold this new wave of awakening.

One day, Nancy Becker asked me, what are you trying to create, a new Hippie movement?

I don’t have any such intention. But this rebellious new generation will certainly become a changing force in the society and will build a foundation of new existence.

Do you know that apart from your students, you are also attracting all kinds of people to your house like academicians, artists, scientists, ex-military officers, doctors, philosophers, psychologists, drunkards, drug addicts, prostitutes, criminals and what not? Who actually are your target audience?

I don’t have any target; so naturally, I don’t have any specific target audience. This home gathering is a big celebration of life and all are invited. Wherever you are, whatsoever you are, I accept all.

One day on a full moon night, musical celebration of students around a bonfire reminded me of my friend Shambhu Nath, Kali Devi, Christine, Hachhi, Rustam and my herd.

While talking to the students, I got so absorbed in the moon that for a moment, I completely forgot that I was sitting amidst a huge crowd. I became completely silent and still.

Precipitously, one of my students, whispered in my ears that for the past three months, Professor Somanth Ghosh, who had been totally against me and my teaching methodology had been attending our sunrise and sunset classes in an undercover manner hidden in the crowd. So, I addressed him directly.

Welcome to MBA, Prof. Ghosh!

You don’t have to hide anymore. Come out and enjoy this celebration of life.

Why are you hiding yourself?

I wanted to discover you existence as a one of your student.

What have you discovered?

I have realized that to be learned is one thing, but to know real existence—face to face—is a totally different thing.

In my long life, I have been in high positions, and I have come across so many learned people. I can say with absolute confidence that borrowed knowledge brings no transformation to our being.

The transformation of one’s being comes through the direct inner awakening. And now you are my door between the known and unknown. After being with you as one of your student, I am completely ready to stand with you now and forever.

Prof. Ghosh, I really appreciate your courage. I know that you will be terminated from your institute for joining MBA. But finally, you have chosen to be on the cross than to be a slave of deep-asleep people and society.

Students started applauding.

Prof. Ghosh asked me, what is the best way to return to our real nature?

Attention is the most appropriate path to return to our real source…our true nature. Our Source is timeless existence and it can only be reached by the timeless. In this moment, our body and mind are both subject to time, only attention is timeless!

Attention is not a new experience – it is the timeless factor in every experience. It makes all experiences possible; yet it is not an experience in itself.

Attention is the core vital force of our body-mind structure. We feel and think, have heartbeat and breathe, listen and speak, smell, taste and touch through it. But attention itself remains untouched by all our conscious and unconscious mental activities and physical sensory experiences.

Everybody is alert of his existence all the time and one can always use his/her normal attention to return to the source. You do not need any special kind of attention – the same attention which you divert outside – need to be diverted inside.

Attention is a door between the known and the unknown and the same door which takes you out also lets you in.

How does Attention work in me?

In all human beings, Attention flows in a circle and appears as a Person at the periphery and as a Perceiver at the centre of the circle.

You can say that Attention gives human existence two faces or facets – one as a private Person which you can see but which is partial and ever-changing and second as a universal Perceiver which you cannot see but which is complete and changeless.

Unfortunately, man is attentive to everything outside him but is not towards his own inner centre. So, most of the people exist at the periphery of life and their centre remains in darkness. This ignorance towards one’s own centre is the fundamental cause of all human suffering and pain.

Hmm…what you are telling makes a lot of sense!

Sahaj, if you don’t mind, may I request you something?

Yes, Ghosh Babu.

Your house is too small to accommodate your students and now it has reached its saturation point. So, I would request you to shift your academy from here to my huge ancestral property which is just two miles away from this place. My property is completely vacant and caretakers are also available.

Why are you offering your ancestral property to MBA when you could easily create a huge luxury resort and earn millions?

You vanquished me completely, Sahaj, by blowing my mind and opening a new silent door in my being through which I have entered my real limitless nature.

Now I have forgotten all my learning but by knowing my real self, I have become a scholar.

What you did to me is beyond words and I can never pay you back. However, this property is a small token of my love and respect for you.

I had eyes before meeting you but you gave me vision to see reality as it is. I was prisoner of my intellectual little pond; you made me a free-flowing river which is gushing towards my real source.

All right, Prof Ghosh. I appreciate and accept your loving gesture. We will certainly move MBA to your ancestral property at the earliest.

Within a year, thousands of people from across the globe, especially youngsters joined the MBA and the ancestral property of Prof. Ghosh turned into a gigantic camping site.

These youngsters are mostly studying or working and are from suburban resident, aged between 15 – 35 years. They seek truth, love risks and shun fear. They feel no guilt about making money or spending it. They are destination-driven, not destiny-driven.

Prof. Ghosh along with Principal Nancy Becker managed everything with regard to the logistic matters of the students.

They devised three separate wings under which multiple creative activities and events are scheduled in accordance with the sunrise/sunset classes.

The Adventure Wing shocks the mind-set of the students through adventure sports.

The Wellness Wing brings the students back to their body through Ayurvedic therapies.

The Mystic Wing connects the students back to their natural real self through the power of their own attention.

One day, Nancy received a courier from Germany. Without even opening the box, I knew that Christine had managed to fulfil her promise.

When I opened the box, I found the book, “Attention: The Ultimate Antidote for Tension” along with a letter with it.

Hi Sahaj,

I am glad to inform you that after a long chain of rejections by multiple publishers, I finally managed to get your book published by the best publisher located at Zurich, Switzerland. I am enclosing the first copy of the book for you. This book has changed me forever. Externally, my life has not changed, but internally, I am no more the same. For the world, I am still a name and form, but deep within my heart, I have become one with the whole.

Every day, I go to office and take several back to back sessions with my patients. This book has given me a deep piercing insight which has made me a better psychologist. Now I am able to penetrate deep into my subject and resolve the problem in my first session itself, whereas previously, I used to take almost five to six sessions to diagnose and fix the problem. The reason of this increased efficiency is that now I am free from all my thoughts, from all my backgrounds and identifications. Through the power of my own Attention, the private person in me has merged in the universal perceiver and the universal perceiver has merged in the peaceful pure presence. Yet my identity is not lost; only its limitations have disappeared.

I hope this book finds its right audience. This book is meant for a very niche market and only those persons who are intensely desirous of exploring their real nature will be interested in it. I already know your MBA story; keep up the mind-blowing work. I cannot even express in words how much I miss you. My love for you is so profound that it cannot be expressed in words. I wish to see you again as soon as possible.

Loads of love

Christine (Waiting for you now and forever)

After reading the letter, I got overwhelmed with emotions of love and gratitude. Christine is the only reason why I came back to the world. She is the one who is responsible for pushing me on the path of sharing.

I shared this book with Prof. Ghosh, Nancy Becker and my students. Soon, this book became the very foundation of Mind Blowing Academy. It opened a unique new door between the dream world and reality. It started awakening the human race in an amazing unexplained manner.

After realizing their natural real self, many foreign students studying in MBA relocated back to their native countries with empowered eyes, enlightened heart and enriched soul.

They started disseminating this book everywhere and within a short span of three years; it became a new age spiritual bestseller. Due to the super success of this book, MBA became world’s fastest growing spiritual academy. Video conferencing really helped Sunrise/Sunset sessions to reach every nook and corner of the world.

Mind Blowing Academy belongs to no race, religion, society, or country. Still, I am surprised to see such global acceptance and love which it received from everywhere!

Soon MBA became the centre of spiritual cyclone, and truth seekers from across the globe starting coming to Manali in huge numbers.

In one of the Sunrise sessions, few journalists from BBC came to interview me.

You do not seem to have faith in any belief system; then why have you created this mind-boggling cult?

I am a just a simple traveller. I don’t have a cult nor do I belong to any. As far as these students are concerned, we all are in deep love with life and our friendship is based on our mutual sharing. We enjoy each other’s company, so we are sharing our presence together. That’s all.

Now this interaction and togetherness has reached its ultimate height as the teacher and student are lost into one reality. Caged caterpillars have turned into cosmic butterflies and they are going back to their hometowns to share their cosmic flight.

What have you done to trigger this phenomenon?

Nothing, I am not creating any phenomenon; rather, it is happening on its own. Truth seekers from all over the world have started pouring in naturally and all cultures are meeting here, all religions pouring and melting into each other.

My whole being reminds others about who they really are. By giving up all thoughts and a sense of personal identity, I have gained all.

Now source itself handles everything. I speak without words and show a way by giving no way. When I see others around me – returning to their own natural source – my heart rejoices and my whole being dances in deep silence.

Don’t you think this get together is growing in an explosive manner – Why?

Yes, it is, and I am as surprised as you are. We are on the threshold of something new that is going to happen to humanity. Either old humanity will die and disappear, or it will take a leap into a fresh new beginning.

Modern man has lived a long time the way he has lived; it seems that now a great revolution is on the way. It will be far deeper than any revolution humanity has ever experienced.

Most of the religions, governments and nations across the globe are against MBA. What do you think is the reason?

The old orthodoxies of all kinds are going to be against MBA because it rings their end. If MBA succeeds, then the undivided awakened free human being will succeed and the old divided rigid humanity will have to go.

But old will linger; it will put up all kinds of fight to the new humanity, as it has always happened. It has so many vested interests that it cannot go easily. It will go only when it becomes impossible for it to remain in existence.

Why are you so much against old humanity?

MBA will make sure that it empowers all the individuals to wake up from their sleep and see the beauty and bliss of their own nature.

The old humanity and society have reduced and relegated you to the status of a machine; our effort is to undo it.

I would like this fire to spread and reach all the nooks and corners of the earth, to help as many people as possible to be still, silent, soulful and blissful. Only when the awakened free human beings grow on the earth in a good number will there be a possibility to save the modern depressed humanity.

How do you look at humanity?

I am fully conscious of what people take themselves to be. A limited person is nothing but a wrong identification with the memory based projected pattern of thoughts. However, real existence of all human beings is beyond their limited thoughts, concepts and convictions.

No thought is your natural state of being.

Therefore, I do not judge people based on their pseudo personalities. I see them as they are – unlimited, undivided, integrated peaceful pure presence.

We have come to know from reliable sources that your name has been nominated for Nobel Peace Prize. How do feel about it?

I have no desire for myself and I am fully content with my ordinary life. The only thing that matters to me is this magical moment -right now…right here in which by dying now to now, I keep my memory fresh and free from all thoughts.

This art of death naturally empowers my being and simple thoughts, significant words and spontaneous actions naturally arise from the source itself.

I act without expectations and once the act is complete, I completely forget about it and do not wait for any personal claim or credit.

Everything happens on its own around me without any sense of control and purpose in a playful childlike spirit.

“Hmm…I see. Can I join MBA?” one of the journalists inquired.

Of course…you are most welcome.

After two weeks, I got a call from Christine informing me that I had won the Nobel Peace Prize and need to come to Norway for the award ceremony. She had already booked my flight from New Delhi to Oslo.

My students celebrated this news like the Deepawali festival. The whole night they enjoyed several musical performances next to the bonfire. Prof. Ghosh and Principal Nancy Becker got over-emotional on this news and celebrated it by drinking and dancing the whole night.

The next morning, I boarded a plane from Bhuntar to New Delhi. The entire Bhuntar airport was filled with my students as they all came to say their congratulations and best wishes.

From New Delhi, I boarded another plane to Oslo. This was my first international travel and during the flight, I kept on thinking about Christine only.

She is a hard-core Jesus lover, but this never deterred her openness for exploring other paths as well. She firmly believes that all the different streams of religions ultimately reach the same ocean in their own unique style.

Christine came to pick me up at the airport. She had also flown in from Munich to Oslo the previous day. She had a small cottage in the suburban Oslo. She just jumped on me and we kissed each other passionately. She had already booked a taxi and we reached her cottage in two hours.

With spark in her eyes, Christine said, “Welcome home, darling!”

Thank you again for bringing me back.

On the back side of her cottage was an orchard which joined it with a beautiful lake whose crystal-clear water reminded me of the Chandratal Lake.

Suddenly, a very beautiful watch attracted my attention.

What kind of watch is this?

It’s the famous Hönes cuckoo clocks and is exclusively made in Titisee & Neustadt.

After our dinner Christine said, “I always waited for this moment in my dreams and now this house is complete.”

“Sahaj, now let me show you our bedroom.”

Before entering the room, she asked me to close my eyes.

“Now you can open your eyes.”

On opening my eyes, I saw different size of photos on all the walls across the bedroom, capturing the moments of our days spent in Manali. There were photographs of our camping vacation, adventure sports, bon fire moments, monastery painting days, sunrises and sunsets and many more beautiful moments spent together. I got completely lost in these photos and old memories.

Tears rolled down my eyes and I hugged Christine passionately.

“I am truly blessed to have you in my life, my dear soul mate!”

She just gave me a big smile in response and hugged me overwhelmingly.

Before going to sleep, I asked her, Why do you love me so much?

I love you because you are totally opposite to me, for your beautiful individuality, like the day loves night or darkness loves light.

She tightly hugged me and snuggled into my arms like a small baby hiding from the world. For a moment, I became her protective safe haven and we slept like two innocent babies in each other’s arms deeply lost in the fire of true love, without any sign of physical intimacy.

Next day early morning, Christine woke me up and said, “Wake up honey! Get up.”

What for?

It is our first sunrise together in Oslo and I want to take you to a nearby famous tower. After reaching the peak, we climbed the Tower to watch our first sunrise together after a very long time.

The beauty of this place is absolutely fantastic. From this tower, I can clearly see the lake behind my cottage surrounded by beautiful landscape which consists of vast thick forest, scenic patches of grasslands and cluster of beautiful houses.

We both watched the sunrise in deep silence. For a few moments while watching the sunrise, both of us got lost in its beauty.

What we are experiencing right now, Christine, is what the Sufis call ‘Fanah’, when one merges and melts in the divinity of each moment.

Why do Sufis live a secretive hidden life?

The secretive lifestyle gives them a chance to be a part of normal society and only real truth seekers will come to know about their authentic existence who really wants to wake up from their dream world, who are actually ready to be unplugged from their ego.

Most of the people in this world are so deeply attached to their thoughts, to their dream world, that they are not ready to face the truth. They don’t want to let go their sleep; they don’t want to wake up. To protect their dream world, they can even use violent methods.

Sometime I wonder who created this whole infinite existence.

Let me share a story with you which Shambhu Nath had told me. This whole infinite existence is nothing but a divine play between lord Shiva and his beloved Shakti.

Shiva is the real source of everything and always pulsates in inner silence and bliss, whereas Shakti always wants to play with Shiva. So out of love, Shakti takes different extreme opposite forms like mountains and oceans, sun and moon, day and night – everything from the smallest atom to the biggest star…endless forms. 

Shakti splits everything into two extremes. Just like between the two sides of the river, the flow of river continues, in the same way, between the two extremes of life created by Shakti, the flow of Shiva continues.

Shiva is hidden in all these extreme forms out of love and compassion to unite them back to their same original source.

The Shiva Shakti divine play has given birth to this entire existence and this play is beyond all explanations and concepts.

That is why, in India, Hindu refer to life as ‘Leela’ which means a divine play.

The next day, Christine dressed me for the award ceremony and we entered a huge auditorium together and took our respective seats.

After the declaration of other awards, finally they announced my name for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize.

They showed a small ten-minute clip on a big screen depicting my journey from the start till the end. This clip showcased how my “Mind Blowing Academy” and the book “Attention” helped lay the foundation of a renewed and rejuvenated humanity by guiding the modern complicated minds to return to their serene and  silent natural state.

After receiving the Award, I was about to get down from the stage when someone asked me to say a few words on the occasion.

Thank you everyone for your love and appreciation.

However, today, let me acknowledge that because of the sudden shock of the death of my parents, love of Shambhu Nath, Kali Devi, Hachhi, Rustam and my dear Christine who is sitting right in front of me, I would have never been able to become the medium for this undertaking. Let me today share with you the crux of this undertaking.

All I want to say is that there is nothing wrong in living as a person, in playing a particular role based on purpose, rules and responsibilities.

However, if you only live life at the level of a person, your life sooner or later will become a drag, a burden, a compromise and a struggle for distinct survival.

Limiting oneself only to the level of a person is a huge blunder. It is like looking up at the clouds and completely forgetting the infinite blue sky behind the surface of clouds.

All I am saying is that you are not just the person you take yourself to be, you are more than that. This idea of just being a limited person actually keeps you in bondage.

To break the shell of the person, all you need to do is to stop paying attention to all your thoughts. Don’t fight with your thoughts and don’t flow with them either. Simply leave them alone.

Deprived of attention, your thoughts will slow down and will eventually lose their grip on you completely.

Watching your thoughts with a silent mind and a quiet heart, that is all what is needed to break the shell. Reality will spontaneously emerge and embrace you on its own.

You do not need to look for reality as it is never lost. A still mind and a silent heart spontaneously help you recover your natural purity and grace.

Abruptly and suddenly, a very annoying high sound of a door bell disturbed my speech and the peaceful ambiance of the auditorium.

The audience was surprised to hear it and started looking all over the place to find its source.

To my astonishment and shock, I realized that this was the sound of my flat doorbell in Mumbai and I suddenly opened my eyes lying on my bed.

I immediately stood up from my bed and opened the door.

My security guard, few friends and office colleagues entered my apartment and enquired about my safety.

Are you alright, Sahaj?

Totally lost and in state of complete shock, I was not able to differentiate between my dreamy state and reality. I slowly murmured – Hmm…I don’t know…what happened to me?

It is a case of serious drug abuse. You have been sleeping continuously for the past three days.

We tried connecting to you but your phone was switched off. When you did not show up on Monday, your Reporting Manager asked us to check on you.

Today your building security guard informed us that your door was closed from inside for the past three days. So, we immediately rushed here to check on you.

Who was behind all this?

We don’t know yet; investigation is in process.

How did you come to know about this drug abuse?

Actually, our HR Manager, Devanjan Majumdar, got hospitalized yesterday due to overdose of LSD. The police suspects that some envious employee from our department had added LSD drops in few selective cocktails which resulted in overdose.

Hmmm…

Do you want to go to hospital?

No

Do you need anything?

Unfortunately, after realising that everything was just a dream, with a heavy heart, I said – No…I just want to relax alone.

Ok, we are leaving; charge your phone battery and stay connected. Take care of yourself; see you tomorrow in the office. If you need anything, we are just a call away. Goodbye!

Bye…thanks a lot for coming.

Then I charged my phone and immediately called my parents. After talking to them, I felt a deep sigh of relief. But I was still in a state of deep jolt due to this terrific life changing dream. It feels like I have undergone a drastic transformation as a human being.

Next day, I went to my office. Everybody started congratulating me for my promotion declared on Friday. I entered my new office and turned on my laptop. Within a few minutes, I finished my resignation and mailed it to my Reporting Manager. Instead of serving the notice period, I paid one month salary in lieu as per my contract and left the office without meeting anyone.

Then I sold my furniture and household belongings, cleared all my dues and donated the remaining money to a nearby old age home.

After that, I called my mother and informed her that I am relocating back permanently to Manali to manage our apple orchard and would like to get married to Muskaan as soon as possible.

She was totally baffled and happy.

What happened suddenly, Sahaj?

Nothing Ma…I just finally woke up from my dream and now it is time for me to return home.

I am very happy to hear that, but what is the reason for this sudden and drastic decision?

Ma, to be what you really are and to reside in your natural state is the greatest bliss in life and the only way to be at peace with your own self.

All creation toils to return to its source. Till the time I don’t realize and return to my source, I am bound to suffer and get lost in the madness of mind, no matter how much intelligent, creative, powerful, rich or famous I am.

So let me first get rid of the selfish person in me. Then whatever I do will naturally bring immense peace to me and to everybody around me.

You don’t sound like my old ambitious Sahaj. Something has changed in you. What is it?

I myself do not know, Ma; but I will figure out soon.

God bless you beta…just come back soon. I can’t wait to see you after such a long time. Let me share this news with everyone here.

Please do not share anything with dad and Muskaan; let it be a surprise for them.

Ok, I will not. Travel safe, and see you soon. Love you my bachha!

Love you Ma…take care and be ready for a new beginning.

Then I disconnected the call and rushed for the Mumbai Domestic airport to catch my final flight back home.

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THE END

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