The Untapped Source Of Power That Lies Within
Transcript of a 1967 talk by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi From 11 CD Audio Series
Our life is the expression of our inner potentialities. We project ourselves to
the extent we know of our inner status, and there is much more to life than that
which we are already living. Let us consider what more there is to life and what
more can be lived than that we are living in the present. Certainly it is wise
to know the whole extent of an expression of our life, and to try to bring in
all that we have been missing so far.
We know, if we drop a stone in a pond, the ripples begin to move, and they move
over the whole pond, reaching all the extremities. One slight stir in any part
of the pond stirs the whole pond, influences the entire field of water and its
surroundings. Similarly, by every thought, word, and action, every individual is
setting forth influence in his surroundings, and that influence is not
restricted to any boundaries. It goes on and on and reaches every level of
creation. Every individual, by his every thought, word and action, shakes the
entire universe. This is the status of an individual. One is connected with the
whole universe by every little bit of activity. An individual appears to be
bound by the boundaries of home and by the boundaries of his own body, but in
reality the subtle aspects of the individuality go to make universal existence.
An individual is never an isolated individual. He is intimately interrelated
with the whole cosmos.
Even more than that, he shares the responsibility for the life of the whole
cosmos. The entire universe lies in the individual. Cosmic existence lies in the
existence of the individual. Cosmic life rests in the individual life, and the
individual life extends to cosmic life. The individual and the cosmos are
interdependent. Neither of them is independent of the other. Every move of the
individual shakes the cosmos. The universe reacts to the individual action.
Every individual has this power that shakes the universe, and shakes and saves
the gods and angels in heaven. Man has this strength that upholds the universe.
The individual, by his every action, serves the universe, and the great power of
Nature is ready to serve the individual, if the individual influences the
universe for the progression of the process of evolution.
By its very existence the creation is set in motion to go on and on through the
steps of evolution. If the action of the individual is in conformity with the
purpose of creation and the purpose of evolution, then the individual serves the
cosmic purpose of life, and all the great laws of nature readily serve the
purpose of the individual. It is a simple and automatic process of give and
take. As you sow, so shall you reap. When the individual behaves rightly he
improves, and by so doing he contributes to the betterment of the entire
universe; but when, knowingly or unknowingly, he behaves wrongly, he acts
contrary to the process of evolution. The laws of nature begin to react against
him. The individual receives back the result of his wrong actions. He who will
think right, speak good, and act truthfully, will receive the support of all the
laws of nature carrying out the process of evolution around us. Naturally, when
we serve the government, we enjoy all the advantages of the laws of the
government because all the laws are to serve the individual interest.
We as the individuals have the influence over the whole universe. Every one of
us influences the entire universe by every little action we perform. Obviously,
we do not perceive it, but at every moment we are either supporting or damaging
the entire universe. Better we forget not the great responsibility that we can
do and undo the entire creation that breathes the life of God, by the simple,
individual mistakes of ours.
The wrong one has done cannot be undone. It returns to us from all sides.
Everything suffers for our wrongdoing, and we are made to suffer for the
suffering of all. "Thou shalt reap the consequences of thy doings" is the fair
policy of Mother Nature. She only wants her children to enjoy, but while
enjoying the flowers in the garden of God, those who walk loosely falter and
fall unduly.
The joy of life is there. It depends on us whether we make use of our power and
use it or lose it. Better we produce the influence of all harmony, and we will
do this by virtue of our natural ability to think, speak, and act rightly. Our
individuality will then command the power of the universe. Make use of the
cosmic power of the individual law in favor of our desire and use cosmic life
energy for the health and great accomplishments in life.
The unlimited source of cosmic life energy is at our disposal. We have only to
begin to use it. The great cosmic intelligence lies at our disposal. We have
only to connect our individual mind with the cosmic intelligence, with the
universal mind, and gain all clarity of thinking and all success in activity,
and live a life of eternal freedom on Earth.
The great possibility of our individual life contacting the universal cosmic
life energy and intelligence is here at hand! Eternity lies in the present!
Eternity always in the hands of the present. It only needs to be appreciated.
The present holds the master key to unlock the treasures of eternity. Every
moment of our life is supplemented with the eternity of the bygone past, and
that which awaits us in the moments to come. Eternal existence of the unlimited
cosmos is available to us for our own power.
Certainly, as we have seen, we are influencing the entire cosmic life, but
somehow we are not making use of the great, unlimited, and vast resources that
are at all times available to us. We are always giving. Through every thought,
word, and action we are producing an influence in cosmos. We are always giving.
Certainly we want to give out [to our atmosphere?] all harmony, all peace, all
happiness, all love, all serenity and grace, because this alone is useful and
life supporting. Certainly we want to create a better life, healthier and more
useful surroundings.
Therefore it is of vital importance that we should know where to receive this
great life energy, greater happiness, greater intelligence, greater harmony, and
greater serenity and grace. Yes, there is a primal source of all happiness, from
which spreads all happiness that is found in the world. There is a primordial
power of life energy from which all energy emanates. There is one primal source
of serenity, from which the serenity and peace spread in all creation. Let us
find out where the source is of all these most desirable features of life, and
having found out the source, let us try to contact it and be in a position to
draw on unlimited amount of happiness and energy, intelligence, peace, and grace
- for all good to ourselves and to our surroundings.
We should know that the purpose of creation is expansion of happiness. From a
seed grows the tree, from the atom develops the molecules and the entire field
of forms and phenomena of creation. The subtle strata of creation are at the
root of the gross strata of nature. The subtlest stratum of life is at the root
of all the different levels of life and living, and there is a level of life
subtler than the subtlest which is permeating all the subtle and gross levels of
existence, and this subtler-than-the- ubtlest stratum of existence, this
transcendental state of Being, is the basis of all existence. This is the basis
of all cosmic life, cosmic intelligence, cosmic energy; and here, at this level
of transcendental, absolute Being dwells the cosmic law, which is responsible
for all creation and evolution of life. It creates the innumerable laws of
nature, to carry the ceaseless activity of evolution of the entire cosmos.
This cosmic law is such that, in itself, it never changes. It maintains forever
the absolute status of the Being, and maintaining the absolute status of the
Being, gives rise to different laws of nature that contact the process of
creation and evolution - a process which continually goes on and on for all
times, filling the phases of eternity, of time and space. Here is the eternal
Being secured by the eternal status of the never-changing cosmic law which is
the source of all creation, the basis of all cosmic intelligence, and the source
of all energy, power, and creativity. This is the ultimate source of all power.
It lies in the field of the absolute, transcendental existence, which is
omnipresent, and as such, it lies within the heart of every one of us.
This untapped source of power that lies within us has to be tapped, and cosmic
life energy and intelligence has to be directly and consciously made a part and
parcel of our life, and then our individual existence will be naturally
supplemented by the cosmic life energy. Our individual mind will be supplemented
by the unlimited power of the cosmic intelligence; our happiness of this sensory
level will be supplemented by the bliss of the eternal absolute Being. The
present creativity of our mind and the ability of our body will be strengthened
and reinforced with the boundless energy of the absolute Being. The health
of both body and mind, and also the health of the surroundings, will be
immeasurably improved; efficiency will be immeasurably increased. By getting
control over the master-switch of nature at the level of cosmic law, the natural
laws governing the surroundings become favorable and begin to support the
aspirations of our individual mind and the desire of our hearts.
We as human beings, having such a perfected nervous system, have the ability to
control the powers of nature, make hay when the sun shines. Let us not lose the
insight into life and the great possibilities that lie therein. And how do we
utilize our ability to harness this cosmic life energy present within? Let us be
careful that we do not delude ourselves and become lost in the maze of mystical
concepts, for it is very easy to get lost in the wilderness of imaginations and
lose the perspective of life. We belong to the realistic age of science. Let us
be sure that all that we strive for and achieve remains realistic. Our age of
scientific [unfoldment?] does not give credence to anything shrouded in the garb
of mysticism. Let us realize the absolute Being through a scientific and
systematic method of achievement, where every achievement will be supplemented
by the personal experience.
The way is simple because the goal lies within us. We have only to dive within
ourselves and consciously arrive at this [fathoming?] of the absolute existence.
For that we have only to bring our attention from the gross level of existence
to the subtle levels of thinking, and diving deep into the mind, arrive at the
subtlest level of thinking, the transcendental state of thinking, and
consciously arrive at the source of thinking, which is the field of the Being
that lies beyond the subtlest phase of creation, in the transcendental field of
eternal Being.
This is how, by exploring deep within ourselves, by the method of
transcendental, deep meditation, we arrive to fathom the ocean of life energy
present within ourselves, and tap the power of cosmic intelligence, and bring
the force of eternity and cosmic energy in the present, right here and now, and
be what we want to be, what we ought to be, and what we deserve to be.
Certainly, within our lives, we do not deserve to suffer or encounter any
obstacle on the road to fulfillment, nor do we wish any desire to remain
unfulfilled. Suffering should be foreign to us.
Every desire that comes up should find its way to fulfillment, and waves of our
individual lives should flow in the fullness of cosmic life. And this is the
life that we deserve to live: individual life in eternal freedom of cosmic life;
individual life in the bliss of eternal Being; individual life supplemented and
supported by the unlimited force of cosmic life, be it to us, to our neighbors,
and to all the individuals in the world.
May God bless every man to turn within himself and tap the unlimited source of
power that lies within.
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi – 1967