In a recent dialogue with a premie (rare for me, an ex) I complained:

” The trouble with Maharaji was that he never really answered any questions”.

 Quick as a flash premie ji replies:

 ”Oh he always answers all my questions”.

I was stumped for the moment. Such a brazen twist of language.

I looked closely at that person in that moment to see if they were aware of the linguistic flip they had just forced into the conversation, but no, they were sincerely untroubled. I concluded that the phrase “answer questions” must mean something entirely different to them a premie than it does to now to me.

I remember now how it worked. The question is really something to be by passed asap. If you can’t get rid of it on your own, then by a process of using Maha as an Oracle, you can have it dissolved. You listen to a sample of his language and by letting your mind come to rest on particular (random?) concepts the offending doubt is assuaged. Somehow you believe your answer was encoded in his discourse. A bit like “The Ching” really.

 Furthermore after having one of your “doubts” answered by this method you probably can’t remember what your original question was and don’t care. It was never possible to evaluate the “advice” you received in relation to any specific question. You just “move on” assured that the matter is resolved. And so it is as long as you keep moving, but the pressure doesn’t half build up!

 I can see why this oracular technique gives the impression of “always having all your questions answered” as premie ji (and me a few years ago) would claim.

These days, I find the value of an answer is only as good as the specific effort with which I have formulated the question…. The arrival of a real question in my mind is a moment of rejoicing! It becomes a centrepiece, an invitation for risky “no holds barred” self-reflection. Whoopeee!

 So thanks but no thanks, Mr. Rawat.

Love

Bryn