Mooji - Vaster Than Sky, Greater than space

Dedicated to seekers of Truth everywhere for the benefit of all beings

Contents

Introduction

VASTER THAN SKY, GREATER THAN SPACE arose from the inspiration to share Moojis wisdom with those who are searching for lasting happiness, peace, and lovefor Truth or what is often called Self-realizationbut who may not be so familiar with self-inquiry or the nondual approach of Advaita. This way of looking into the truth of our existence is simple, direct, and powerful. However, it can appear complex and intimidating at first, because self-inquiry challenges our core beliefs and concepts regarding who we think we are and how we perceive the world we live in. Mooji often shares the story of when he first came across self-inquiry as taught by the Indian sage Sri Ramana Maharshi (18791950), who is credited with the revival of this ancient spiritual wisdom.

After a powerful experience with a Christian mystic in 1987, my life underwent many changes, inwardly and outwardly, which culminated with my giving up teaching art at the local college. One day I was drawn to enter a spiritual bookshop in central London. I was not accustomed to reading books, but I was instantly attracted to a picture of Sri Ramana Maharshi on the cover of one book. His face radiated a warmth and light that immediately touched my heart. However, when I opened the book, my reaction was, Whoa! What is this?! His words felt very intellectual and noisy to meso much so that I actually thought the printer must have made a mistake and put the wrong cover on the book. The picture emanated such profound serenity, silence, and peace, but the concise instructions of self-inquiry within couldnt enter my being back then.

So I closed Sri Ramanas book and put it aside. Instead, I found another book in the same shop entitled The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, which spoke to me immediately. Although I grew up in a Christian tradition, the wisdom of the Hindu saint Sri Ramakrishna was so universal that it touched and conquered my heart. His every word resonated deeply inside my being and was perfectly timed, as I had been waiting to find a voice that would confirm the profound experiences I had been having at the time. What I learned later was that Sri Ramakrishna was not only a great devoteea bhakti saintbut also a completely liberated sage from the perspective and experience of the nondual jnana paththe path of pure self-knowledge.

In 1993, the urge and possibility arose for me to go to India. I thought the sole aim and purpose of my being in India was to visit Dakshineswar, the place near Kolkata where Sri Ramakrishna had lived and taught. I didnt know anything else. I had no Lonely Planet guide or anything of the sort. And I was quite spiritually naive back thenI knew nothing of gurus, spiritual paths, or meditation, and certainly nothing of Advaita. I only knew the divine love of Christ and Sri Ramakrishna.

Well, to this day, I still havent made it to Kolkata. Instead, destinys path brought me to meet my master, Sri H. W. L. Poonja, lovingly known as Papaji. And only through the grace and presence of Papaji, who is a direct disciple of Sri Ramana Maharshi, was I somehow able to read and to understand Sri Ramanas teachings inside my heart.

What I came quickly to see and understand was that self-inquiry is the most direct approach to Truth. And it had to be direct, because I have a very short attention span and am only attracted to what is straightforward, immediate, and simple.

In the years that followed, people began to gather around Mooji. Some would simply approach and ask if they could sit with him for a while because they felt so peaceful in his presence. Others began to ask him questions related to their own search for Truth. The capacity to guide them arose spontaneously, and what began as small informal gatherings quickly grew into meetings, or satsangs, with hundreds of beings.

In early 2012, Mooji was sharing satsang in Tiruvannamalai, in southern India, with around 500 people. Among them was Abe Gutmann, an American from Colorado who was immediately inspired by Moojis capacity to guide beings into the discovery of their true nature with such unsparing clarity, wisdom, and humor. Over the next four years, Abe shepherded Vaster Than Sky, Greater Than Space into life by selecting, transcribing, and editing the most potent transcripts of satsangs he attended both in person and online. During satsang, Abe frequently asked questions regarding relationships, psychology, and our place in the world, because he felt that the answers to such questions would be well received by those new to satsang. This book came into being through Abes dedication and persistence, which saw him restructuring the manuscript in response to feedback from Mooji and the Mooji Media Publications team.

In the summer of 2015, Mooji suggested that it was time for Vaster Than Sky, Greater Than Space to be finalized and released. With great synchronicity, as is ever present with a master, within days Abe received word that Sounds True was interested in publishing the book. The manuscript then underwent further revisions and refining by the Sounds True and Mooji Media teams, in consultation with Abe. This was a truly international coming together, with lengthy Skype editing sessions in early 2016 spanning Rishikesh (India), Monte Sahaja (Portugal), and New York City (USA). This process unfolded with grace and harmony during the five weeks of satsang with Mooji in Rishikesh, where more than 2,000 people attendeda beautiful reflection of Moojis spirit and grace.

The book you are holding is the outcome of this collaboration. May it prove to be an invaluable guide to Self-realization through the unsparing light and wisdom of self-inquiry.

This is not a book to be read with the mind

The teachings and insights of Mooji are sublimely simple, and the place they lead us is beyond words. You dont need to learn any special techniques or practices, for self-inquiry is like looking into a mirror and recognizing your timeless face. However, as Moojis own story shows, this introspection may at first be challenging, because it requires us to swiftly acclimatize to the language, potency, and immediacy of the pointings to the true Self.

Mooji uses language fluidly and metaphorically as clues to guide you into an inner, direct, and intuitive experience of the Truth you already are, yet are presently unaware of. As you read, dont get stuck on the precise meaning of individual words, sentences, or paragraphs. Instead, allow the energy of the words to enter your heart and being, without interference from the evaluating and interpreting mind, and you will find that, at some point, understanding just occurs naturally.

The main pointings are deliberately repeated in different ways throughout the book to offer space for this understanding to grow and ripen. The essential pointing to our true nature is simple and possible for everyone, including children, to grasp. However, it can take some time to empty and free our minds from the concepts we cherish about who we consider ourselves to be.

Although Mooji addresses many topics in this book, he actually only ever speaks about the discovery of our true nature. He often stresses that when seeking Truth, it is not important to know too many things. Therefore, the emphasis is placed not so much on teaching or learning, but on discovery and direct experience. If you encounter something that is not immediately clear or something that doesnt seem to make sense, dont be troubled about it. Let it be for now and remain open.