Talk 127

4th January, 1936
Talk 127.

The American Engineer asked: "Does distance have any effect upon Grace?"

Maharshi: Time and space are within us. You are always in your Self. How do time and space affect it?
D.: In radio those who are nearer hear sooner. You are Hindu, we are American. Does it make any difference?

Maharshi: No.
D.: Even thoughts are read by others.

Maharshi: That shows that all are one.

Talk 126 Talk 128

Talk 73

27th September, 1935
Talk 73.

Mr. Ekanatha Rao, the engineer, asked, "What about the despondency of not obtaining any encouragement from the Master - much less his Grace?"

Maharshi: It is ignorance only. The quest must be made as to who is despondent and so on. It is the phantom of the ego arising after sleep which falls a prey to such thoughts. In deep sleep the person was not afflicted. Who is afflicted now while awake? The sleep state is about the normal one. Let him search and find out.
D.: But there is no incentive for want of encouragement.

Maharshi: Does not one find some kind of peace while in meditation? That is the sign of progress. That peace will be deeper and more prolonged with continued practice. It will also lead to the goal. Bhagavad
Gita - Chapter XIV - the final verses speak of gunatita ^[?] (one who has transcended the gunas ^[?]). That is the final stage. The earlier stages are asuddha satva (impure being), misra satva (mixed being), and suddha satva (Pure Being). Of these, the impure being is when overpowered by rajas ^[?] and tamas ^[?]; the mixed being is that state in which the being - satva - asserts itself spasmodically; the suddha satva overpowers rajas and tamas. After these successive stages there comes the state transcending gunas.

Talk 72 Talk 74

Talk 5

15th May, 1935
Talk 5.

Mr. M. Frydman, an engineer, remarked on the subject of Grace, "A salt doll diving into the sea will not be protected by a waterproof coat". It was a very happy simile and was applauded as such.

Maharshi added, "The body is the waterproof coat".