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There is a difference between observing and witnessing. Observation involves active engagement with what is being observed and, therefore, constitutes an act within or an influence upon the observed. Witnessing, on the other hand, is inactive, objective, and above all, uninvolved recognition of what is perceived. Thus, when speaking of self-observation and its true meaning, it is useful to realize that what we actually seek to experience is, in essence, self-witnessing, or even better, “simply witnessing.”

Namely, as long as the mind, in the process of observation, chooses, evaluates, assigns meaning, forms opinions, plans, or analyses and so on, in other words, as long as it engages in any way with what is perceived, there is not yet pure and objective observation, that is, witnessing. In the practice of self-observation and the approach toward self-witnessing, it is therefore necessary to become aware of the mind’s constant activity, both the surface movements of thought and the subtler ones, and also of the existence of the idea of “I” that continuously operates in the background of mental and emotional processes.

It is precisely this awareness of the existence and operation of the idea of “I” that gradually brings us closer and closer to self-witnessing, for the distinction between consciousness (that is the witness) and the self (that is the observer) becomes increasingly clear.

Recognition of truth and of things as they truly are is only possible when the observer is absent. Likewise, moving inward and ever closer to one’s true self unfolds only through inactive and objective witnessing.

Therefore, let the practice of self-observation not remain a form of active observation, but rather lead to silent witnessing.

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In the eighth episode of Nectar of Peace, we will explore the origin of feelings of disappointment and dissatisfaction. At the same time, we will discover an important key to easing, or even better, to avoiding them as much as possible. And to bring a little laughter, I’ve added a joke that nicely complements today’s lesson.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The two-sidedness of life – inner and outer consciousness

• Where to seek true contentment and happiness?

• Hidden, rapidly growing progress

• Nothing is lost

• The importance of inner experience

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be your host on this podcast, which serves as an invitation to personal and spiritual growth.

Sources:

• Novo: Lectures and Q&A archive

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Episode transcription

Welcome to the Nectar of Peace podcast, which is dedicated to sharing universal truths and wisdom taught by humanity’s greatest teachers and sages.

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be joining you in discovering these invaluable teachings that, if we choose to follow them, lead us to a life filled with the nectar of peace - which is what we all seek and need.

So, let’s see where we can discover and embrace it today.

Life, as most of us know it, inevitably brings disappointment and discontent. Some experience it less, others more. For some, these feelings arise more often, for others less so. And similarly, for some, they come sooner, for others, later. Yet no matter how much or when they occur, these are the feelings that no one truly wishes to feel.

That is why, in today’s episode, I’ll explore the source of these negativities. Understanding their origin is key to overcoming them, or even better, to avoiding them as much as possible.

And once again, we will find that the same culprit is behind this, just as in all the other troubles that accompany humanity throughout life. To reveal this culprit, we turn once more to teacher Novo, who offers an explanation unfolding across several layers of understanding, through both practical examples and deeper, subtler truths.

So, if any part of it doesn’t seem clear at first, don’t worry. Take your time to let it sink in, and feel free to return and listen again if needed.

It is also worth noting that today’s answer applies both to our external, material experiences and to our inner, spiritual ones. In other words, it can help us find success in both material and spiritual growth. In either case, disappointment and discontent signal that somewhere along the way, we’ve lost touch with this important key to happiness and fulfillment.

And Novo presents this key in two parts. The first part addresses the two-sidedness of our lives and the importance of giving attention to both sides. The second part reveals the essential element needed to manifest what we truly desire as individuals.

Novo shares the first part, the two-sidedness of our lives, as follows:

Teachings

“Reality and real life inevitably come to an end in time. If a person truly lives in reality, sooner or later they will face ultimate disappointment. Why? Because for us to be satisfied with anything, we would need to be able to hold it still, to keep it frozen in time for as long as we wish. But life is not still. We cannot stop life. It is life that leads us, not we who lead it. If we look at how life leads us, we can see that this means that, if we live rightly, we remain content no matter where life takes us.

But if, at some point, we try to lead life ourselves, then the way of living that we plan and follow, all the possibilities, all the directions, everything we take upon ourselves, inevitably ends in complete collapse or definitive disappointment.

And ultimately, that is the whole point: that a person comes to realize there is nothing in life. That one comes to see that, apart from disappointment, life holds nothing else.”

Let me add here that this once again highlights the importance of living by duties rather than by obligations. Which is what we explored in greater detail in the previous episode.

Here, Novo continues that…

“… a person must therefore understand that as their consciousness and awareness grow, the greater the consciousness and the purer the intelligence, the more clearly they see that life is only temporarily present, and that we cannot bring it to a halt. For the greatest problem in life is precisely this: we cannot stop it.

Yet a person finds satisfaction only in what seems to stand still in time, in something that endures forever or infinitely. That is what humans long for, but life itself is not like that. For when we live through outer consciousness, that consciousness ends with the death of the body.

With inner consciousness, or balance, however, even when the body comes to an end or despite the passing of years, consciousness remains. This continuation of consciousness is somewhat like what happens when a person falls asleep at night. When one falls asleep and begins to dream pleasant dreams, they do not complain about having fallen asleep or about having lost something. In the same way, after death, new perspectives and new manifestations appear.

For example, suppose we are sitting in a room and someone leaves it. During their absence, even if only for a brief time, they are, for us, dead, inaccessible. And when someone is inaccessible, whether for two minutes or for one, two, five, or ten lifetimes, there is no difference.

The difference arises only when consciousness is interrupted, and this happens only when it is external. Such consciousness is interrupted because the external changes forms, changes the body, changes circumstances, and so on. This creates an unwanted pause.

So, regardless of how many years a person lives, be it a hundred, two hundred, three hundred, or a thousand years, the problem is that when consciousness is external, one lives dependent on changing conditions. This means that growing up, they are dependent on others, because they are powerless. Likewise, when injury or illness occurs. This is also unwanted. And in old age, again, one is powerless.

Thus, only a brief period of life, the period of maintenance that comes after maturity and before old age, so, a very small portion of life, is when a person can truly feel that life is beautiful or that they like it. After that, all of it is lost.

And the fear of having to experience this again through lifetimes, through rebirth, going through the same powerlessness experienced before, through aging, old age, and death, is perceived by external consciousness as that life is suffering.

With inner consciousness, however, a person observes the external world without attachment. They are aware that the external world is slipping away and is impermanent. One can easily recognize that if consciousness exists only externally, both such consciousness and the external world can always be lost, and they will be gone.

Therefore, if a person does not learn to turn inward, they truly do not know how or what to do, and various unpleasant experiences arise, experiences they would rather not have. For humans, with their unique ability to live consciously are after all immortal beings. The physical body, however, is not immortal; it constantly changes. Even within a lifespan of a hundred years, we can see that we are never the same as when we were two, three, four, five, six, fifteen, twenty, ninety, or ninety-nine.

A person cannot boast of having lived a hundred years. And what if they have lived a hundred years? Perhaps in those hundred years, they did not live spiritually even for two. What kind of life they lived for hundred years? So, one cannot boast that living outwardly, through the body, is sufficient. It is not sufficient!

And that is that, when people lost the meaning of life and, in doing so, moved into an unwholesome way of living and developing. For if a person loses their inner consciousness, it is far more dangerous than losing their sight. If one loses sight but consciousness remains, that consciousness exists and knows that it exists. But if a person loses consciousness, even with perfect sight, they are unhappy and errant, for they do not know what to do with their vision. It is no wonder, then, that such a person experiences conflict: lacking inner consciousness, they see, yet are neither content nor happy. Thus, when they say, “I will go to sleep to rest,” even in sleep, seeing nothing, they feel more content than when they are looking.”

As we have seen in this first part, a partial source of our disappointment and discontent lies in our lack of turning inward and, through that, in our lack of discovering our inner consciousness. This is not at all surprising, since even the most basic awareness of this has almost vanished today, let alone the knowledge of the path that leads to inner consciousness. Therefore, I will explore this path, this turning inward, which is emphasized in all spiritual teachings and traditions, in greater detail, probably in the next episode. In doing so, I will try to explain what turning inward truly means and how we can approach it in practice.

For now, let us continue with the second part, in which Novo unites both outer and inner consciousness, the material and the spiritual, and in doing so, offers practical guidance on how to avoid further disappointment and discontent. He says the following:

“The problem is that all forms of upbringing, education, and proper guidance of the generations being born, so that they may live righteously, have been discarded. Yet, despite this, it is important to remember that this way of living, which makes people unhappy, can be changed. This has been demonstrated by great individuals who have shown that life can also be happy, not only unhappy.”

Let me clarify here that when Novo speaks of happiness or a happy life, he means a life in which a person is lastingly happy, at peace, and wholly content: both with themselves and with all the circumstances. In other words, the term happiness here is not used in a superficial sense, nor as a fleeting feeling of satisfaction.

And so, Novo continues, that …

“… these great individuals have shown that life does not depend on external consciousness, but rather on the consciousness directed toward ourselves, toward our actions, and consciousness directed toward others, toward how we behave with them. It depends on this, and when this is corrected, our life gradually begins to change for the better.

At the same time, one infinite panorama of experience and awareness begins to open, through which life continues into a new way of understanding and experiencing. And this new way of experiencing is not lost … not in death, nor in any other circumstances.”

What this reveals is, that a person can indeed be content, but for this, they must adjust, correct, and improve their way of living. This means having awareness of both external circumstances and one’s inner processes, one’s own behavior, and one’s own responsibility.

This, then, can be corrected, if a person decides to correct themselves. And although at first this process of self-correction may seem too distant or too long, there exists one not so obvious progression, known in mathematics as geometric growth, which has an accelerating effect. Unlike arithmetic growth, which is linear and increases by the same amount each time, geometric growth, even if the content remains the same, expands in ever larger steps.

Such, too, is spiritual progress. Once a person begins, what initially seemed inaccessible gradually, through steady effort, becomes something wondrous and spectacular, as one realizes that it can be reached much sooner than one first believed, when it all seemed so far away.

In spirituality, then, there exists this hidden, rapidly accelerating kind of progress. That is why it is important to understand that a person can never say they have started too late. They simply cannot say that. They may have begun later in time than they could have, but if they persist and continue without interruption, they will see that the feeling of being “late” existed only at the beginning. With each new step, that feeling fades.

And when one reaches the point where an unplanned change of an unforeseen nature occurs, something happens that is beyond explanation. Something that people often attribute to God, saying, “God helped me.” That is indeed true, but the condition for God to be able to help is that a person must first begin to change themselves.”

This part, in fact, reminds of an old joke, which is not merely a joke, but carries an important lesson about how any goal or wish can be realized.

And the joke goes like this:

A very devout person prayed to God every day, saying,
“Please, God, let me win the lottery! Please, just grant me this one wish!”

Day after day, year after year, for decades he kept praying, but never won.

When his life finally came to an end and he met God, he asked,
“God, I prayed all my life! Every night I asked to win the lottery, yet you never answered my prayers. Why? Was I not faithful enough?”

God replied,
“Ah yes. Yes, you were faithful enough, and I would even have answered your prayer… but you could have at least bought a lottery ticket!”

And that is why every step we take toward our goal is like a winning lottery ticket, for with it, knowingly or unknowingly, we draw closer to that goal.

At the same time, it is important to remember what was said earlier: as long as a person pursues only external, material goals without including the spiritual dimension and the inner development of life, they will inevitably remain empty and disappointed, even if those goals are achieved. For it is the spiritual dimension that breathes life into everything. Without it, even a materially full and abundant life is empty and lifeless, and eventually dissolves.

It is precisely this tragedy of many people that Novo emphasizes in the continuation:

“There is, therefore, no room for pessimism or disappointment. But this applies only within the realm of spirituality. In the material world, this is not so. When a person builds in the material and remain only with external consciousness, they must watch with their own eyes how what they have invested their time, effort, and far more into than they ever expected, begins to crumble before them. Before their own eyes, they kill it. Before their own eyes, they are powerless to stop what they had once hoped would serve them. And here, it concerns living people, not just material things or objects.”

This arises from the lack of restored awareness of themselves … of their mind, of the mind’s functions, and of the awareness of a deeper, broader existence within us that extends far beyond what the physical body can provide.

All of this shows that there is truly no room for disappointment or discontent. And for this, the only requirement is that a person also connects with spirituality.

As we have said, non-spirituality takes away at least fifty percent, leaving the other fifty percent to be used. In spirituality, however, you have one hundred percent. This is because non-spirituality covers only the external side, whereas spirituality teaches that both sides form a whole and that together they are one. Therefore, one cannot hold on to just one side; one must understand that the two sides are connected. And because they are connected, a person who grounds themselves in spirituality is granted a life free from worry, danger, and suffering.”

Here, Novo finally identifies the very culprit mentioned in the introduction as the source of human suffering - and that is our mind, or more precisely, our lack of awareness of how the mind functions and our improper use of it. As I mentioned in one of the previous episodes, our mind can be an extraordinarily helpful servant, yet an equally dangerous master. Through the mind, we can achieve literally anything, and through it, we can also destroy everything.

For this very reason, each of us bears full responsibility for our actions and their consequences, since all of it stems from our own mind.

Between our mind and our happiness or discontent, there exists another key element, which Novo masterfully weaves into the whole as follows:

“What we desire can only be achieved individually and never through another. It cannot be done by someone else, but solely through ourselves. And that is how it is!”

It is the same as if a person were to eat something poisonous, it is not the neighbor, brother, or father who will be poisoned, but the one who actually ate it. And the same applies here. A person must therefore realize that, in order to experience well-being, they must pay attention to their own proper conduct toward themselves. For if they do not, no one from the outside can help them, not doctors, not gurus, no one can help them. This is because the reason a person suffers originates from their own mind, and their mind is precisely as they have shaped it. Only the one who has distorted the mind can also correct it.

But why is this so? Let me give a simple example to explain why no one can change another person’s mind:

What does a person truly seek from themselves? Whether it is recognition, support, fame, or importance, none of these things truly matter unless they generate an inner experience within the person. For instance, someone might praise us, but if that praise does not create an inner experience, it is meaningless, we are worth nothing.

And what does this mean? It means that we value only the circumstances that bring about experiencing and experience within us. This experiencing is what is called manifestation or actualization.

For if I don’t actually do something myself, it doesn’t matter how many awards or recognitions I receive, they will not create any experience within me. In other words, it doesn’t matter how much someone praises me for being a good athlete or anything else.

If I haven’t mastered the sport to the level for which I’m praised, meaning I haven’t actually demonstrated it, I cannot feel content, because I lack the actual experience.

Or to give an even simpler example: suppose I won a huge sum in the lottery, but I never actually received the money. It’s the same principle. If someone thinks they have won but, in reality, has not, they gain no experience. But the person who actually receives the prize has the experience.

Therefore, a person must realize that what they are truly seeking is experience. Humans can retain only experience, and find contentment in what they have truly experienced. And the experience is called transformation or manifestation. In other words, one must undergo a transformation in order to have the experience.

For example, we might have some delicious food, but if we don’t actually eat it, we won’t have the experience and, consequently, won’t feel content.

The same applies when a person wants to be spiritual: they must manifest it. In other words, spirituality, too, requires manifestation. Or consider someone who wants to drive a car: if they do not actually manifest the act of driving, what use is the car to them?

And manifestation itself is created by our own mind. This means that our mind transforms us into what we wish to be. It transforms us. But if our mind manifests us into something we do not wish to be, it will destroy us - we will suffer, fall ill, and so on. That is why a person must understand that it is manifestation that we are truly seeking.

This means that if we want to achieve something, we must manifest it and work on it. Without this, there is nothing. And by “nothing,” we mean that the experience we desire does not exist within us.

Again, I emphasize: this is created by our mind. We must also realize that our mind can either corrupt and destroy us, or it can uplift us, make us happy, smart, successful, and even enlighten us.

This is the difference, and a person must know that manifestation gives experience, and manifestation is created by the mind. That is why each person must correct and transform themselves.”

With this, Novo reminded us that without the experience arising from the actual manifestation of what we desire, there can be neither contentment nor happiness. But for manifestation to occur, we must invest effort and be persistent. And the power for both lies entirely within our own mind, and it is entirely up to us how, when, and why we use this power. As emphasized earlier, it is particularly important that we also direct this power toward our inner consciousness.

Conclusion

And with that, we come to the end of today’s episode. I would like to once again invite to reflection on the fact that merely dreaming about fulfilling a desire or achieving a goal is one thing, but quite another is whether we have truly earned the manifestation of that desire and the experience it brings, through our own actions, effort, and persistence. This question should accompany every moment of disappointment and discontent.

So, if you feel disappointed over something, or if you’ve been putting something off, go ahead and take the first step toward it with courage. Then, step by step, move from the beginnings of transformation toward the true experience of contentment and fulfillment.

I truly hope that these teachings, these truths, and their internalization bring you as much good and benefit as possible. And if you have any questions about the topics covered in this podcast, or if you’d like to have a more personal conversation with me about how to better internalize and apply them in your life, or if you just need some support, feel free to email me at mitja@nectarofpeace.com.

And if you found this episode interesting and helpful, I invite you to share it with others, possibly helping them to move toward a life of contentment and fulfilment.

And once again, in the spirit of the Nectar of Peace, I send you greetings with the wish for peace.

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The best form of healing is to open the eyes to the truth, for only then can we see the source of the illness.

The noblest form of helping is to offer the truth, for only the truth can reveal the source of troubles.

And the the highest form of contribution to everyone and everything is to truly live the truth.

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In the seventh episode of the Nectar of Peace podcast, we will explore the definition and, at the same time, the important difference between the concepts of duty and obligation. A good and correct understanding of these two concepts is actually more important than it may initially seem. In brief, we will also touch on the concept of spontaneity and why it can be a significant source of peace, contentment, and balance in the life of anyone who knows how to live it.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Two ways of living

• The importance of spontaneity and responsibility

• The difference between duty and obligation

• Why duties YES, while obligations NO

• Lao Tzu and Wu Wei, or effortless action

• An invitation to freedom

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be your host on this podcast, which serves as an invitation to personal and spiritual growth.

Sources:

• Novo: Lectures and Q&A archive

• Jiddu Krishnamurti: Life Ahead: On Learning and the Search for Meaning

  ---

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Episode transcription

Welcome to the Nectar of Peace podcast, which is dedicated to sharing universal truths and wisdom taught by humanity’s greatest teachers and sages.

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be joining you in discovering these invaluable teachings that, if we choose to follow them, lead us to a life filled with the nectar of peace - which is what we all seek and need.

So, let’s see where we can discover and embrace it today.

In life, we entangle ourselves far too much. We get entangled in relationships and activities that later bring about consequences we often don’t want to face or accept.
That is why, in today’s episode, I’ve prepared some teachings that can significantly protect us from this unnecessary entanglement and the consequences that come with it. Specifically, we’ll be talking about duties and obligations, and why one is essential for humans while the other is not.
Clearly distinguishing between these two concepts is extremely important, as they are often considered the same thing, which greatly contributes to the all-present human confusion.
Closely related to this, we’ll also touch on the concept of spontaneity for the first time. A topic to which we’ll also be returning in future episodes.

For clarification and guidance for these topics, I’ve again turned to teacher Novo. And, in direct connection with what Novo shared, I’ve also briefly referred to two other great sages, that is Lao Tzu and Jiddu Krishnamurti.

So, let’s dive straight into the exploration of the meaning of duty, obligation, and spontaneity. Novo began his answer like this:

Teachings

»Life can be lived in two ways: spontaneously or through free will, meaning by initiating action. Living spontaneously, or through observation, means that you react only when you’re compelled to do so from the outside. In other words, when something external compels you to respond, that is called a spontaneous way of living.

However, when you start involving yourself in circumstances or entering them on your own, this is referred to as a willful, deliberate, or active way of living. This means, you are using your will.

In a spontaneous way of living, the following things are included:

For example, when a person is sitting calmly and a strong stream of water rushes toward them, they move aside. They were sitting still, but when the water came, they moved. If there had been no water, they wouldn’t have moved. This is called spontaneously responding to a situation. Or, for instance, someone is sitting in the middle of the road and a car is coming toward them. They get out of the way. If the car hadn’t come, they would have kept sitting there.

Another situation: someone calls them and they respond.
A third: they feel cold, so they put on some clothes. Similarly, when they’re warm, they take some off.

Or, for example, when it’s cloudy, a person opens their umbrella only when it starts to rain.

This kind of action is called a spontaneous way of living. There are, of course, countless other examples. One more such example is: speak only when you are asked. That too is spontaneity.«

Let me add here that Novo used a few simple, even exaggerated examples of spontaneous living to make the concept easier to grasp. Of course, it is unlikely that we will ever find ourselves sitting in the middle of a road or with a torrent of water rushing toward us. But this very exaggeration highlights the simplicity of spontaneity itself, which means a complete surrender to circumstances, allowing them to entirely guide us through life. We merely respond to them, without interference from our own will.

A spontaneous way of living is often mistaken for laziness or a sort of a hippie behavior, but it has nothing to do with that. True spontaneous living is the most natural, grounded, and balanced way of life, because it means wholeheartedly responding to whatever life brings, and at the same time not engaging ourselves based on our will. And all this unfolds moment by moment, without planning or desiring.

In practice, this means that when a person becomes calm and still, they can clearly recognize what life itself brings to them in that moment. Meaning, what they are meant to do or respond to in that moment - without initiating, provoking, or wishing for anything. And that which life brings is always an answer to our true needs. And that with which life confronts us is always a consequence of our past, which we must resolve.

Such a way of living, however, is quite foreign to the modern human, since it is hard to imagine a life without following the impulses of our mind or habits, or the pressures and conditioning of society.

And what we mostly live today, that which is the complete opposite of spontaneity, Novo described as follows:

»An active way of living is when a person initiates something on their own or uses their own will. For example, they go outside and do not like how something is arranged, so they decide to change it. There’s a car standing there, and they move it. If they were spontaneous, they would simply walk past the car, because it would not bother them. However, the moment they wish to change something, it means they will use their own will. This, therefore, is a way of living that involves intentions, desires, seeking, and influencing.

As we said, a person goes outside, is disturbed by a car, and moves it. Or they see something else they do not like and react. They walk past a restaurant, see some food, and say, “I will also order this.” Or they go out on a sunny day and take an umbrella with them, just in case it starts to rain. In other words, they influence the existing situation.

Such a way of living is living according to will, or a way of life in which a situation is influenced. It can therefore be said that such a way of living is living according to one’s desires or one’s intentions.

And a way of living in which a person wants to live according to their desires, intentions, and their activity always carries consequences. The consequences are therefore inevitable. While the other way of living doesn’t carry consequences, because you merely respond and adapt, thereby protecting yourself. But in the active way of living, you create changes. And whenever you cause changes, consequences inevitably follow.

Thus, it follows that if you want a car, you must then take care of that car. If you want something else, for example clothing, you must also take care of it. If you want a house, you must invest in it and maintain it.

Therefore, when we accept such an active way of living, or a life based on intentions and plans, this is called the ability to bear responsibility.

So, what does it mean to bear responsibility? When you begin to live in this way, you accept responsibility for all the consequences. No matter who does wrong. When you are the first to initiate a change in your surroundings, and because of this change consequences arise, then you are the one who bears responsibility. You may argue that you only began, but it was the other person who did wrong. But the one who begins is always accountable.

The awareness that the one who initiates is responsible for all the consequences is called responsibility. In other words, you realize that you must inevitably bear the consequences. And those consequences are yours.

Therefore, the ability to accept consequences is called responsibility. Let me repeat: the ability to accept consequences is called responsibility.«

And as we’ve learned in previous episodes, our actions and their consequences can also be called karma. In light of Novo’s words, it is worth remembering that the word responsibility also means that, when karma comes to us in any given moment, we fully accept and settle it, with the awareness that it is merely the result of our past decisions and related actions or our way of living.

In other words, a truly responsible person is one who calmly and without resistance accepts and resolves the consequences of their actions, that is, their karma.

And closely related to all of this are the concepts of duty and obligation. Novo goes on to clearly define the difference between duties and obligations as follows:

»If there are still consequences from the past that you have not settled, completed, or resolved, meaning consequences that remain unresolved – these are called duties.

If, on the other hand, in the present moment you take on something that will bring consequences in the future, that is called an obligation.

So, the consequences of the past are duties, while the consequences that will appear in the future are obligations.

Therefore, when I have said that you should live according to your duties, it means that you should first complete or fulfill that which needs to be done. At the same time, this also means that you should not create new obligations. Because by creating new obligations, you automatically become bound and dependent. There will come a time when you will have to fulfill both your duties and your obligations. But obligations are not needed. You owe only that which remains unresolved; but for the future, there is no need to take on new actions.

Let me give an example of what a duty means. Suppose you promised someone something three or four days ago and have not yet fulfilled that promise. You will have to fulfill it – in what way time will tell. If at some point you borrowed money from someone and promised to return it, you must return it. If you ever asked for or took something from another person and have not yet repaid or returned it in some way, that too must be given back.

These are duties, which must be returned. For if you do not return them, they wait for you. If you once took something and the other person has neither forgiven you nor given it to you as a gift, they will remember it. And as long as that person remembers, you remain indebted. Or, for example, say you borrowed ten euros two years ago and now tell yourself, “Oh that was two years ago, those ten euros are nothing.” Yes, perhaps it is nothing to you, but the person who lent it to you still remembers. And you still owe them. If you had not taken from them, they would not remember it. For instance, if you were the one who took the money and I did not, they would remember you, but not me.

It is therefore important to know that things must be returned, and they are called duties. This is why it is said that a human must live according to duties.

For example, if you are employed, you have the duty to go to work, because by fulfilling that duty you will receive payment. If you fail to perform your duty, you will suffer a loss.

Or, for example, someone who already has one child and now wishes to have another. Now, having two children, they are obliged to feed both. They cannot say, “I will feed one, but not the other.” They must feed them, clothe them, and the rest of it, and that is called a duty. And that is something from which you cannot be freed. «

Now that the difference between the concepts of duty and obligation is clear, pay close attention to what Novo especially emphasizes regarding obligations themselves and our tendency to take them on. He continues as follows:

»If we take the same example of a person who wishes to have children in the future, meaning they don’t yet have them, but want to. Such a person must be aware that they will become bound or dependent in the future. For if they wish to have children, they will now have obligations. Or, if I enroll in a university, I take on the obligation to study. Or, if you make plans with someone to go skiing in winter. Does anyone force you to ski? There is no need for you to ski. And now, you have the obligation and you become a slave to this obligation: you must remember it, prepare for it, and eventually go. But there was no need to commit to going skiing in the first place. It can even happen that something changes, for example, there is no snow, and you will not even go.

Therefore, an obligation is an unnecessary enslavement of freedom and of living in the present. Because from now until winter, you will instead be living in the future.

When, for example, someone says, “Tomorrow I will go there.” They have not gone yet, but this shows, that they already plan to go. Or, “I will enroll in university.” There is no need to complete it; no one forces you to do so. Or, “I will go there.” Again, there is no need to go.

Thus, obligations are plans for the future, they are future commitments. But since life is not lived in the future, there is no need to have any such commitments. You are not dependent on them.

So, what you need to pay attention to here is that we are not obliged to manifest obligations. For example, I did not need to have children, and therefore I am free. But another person who wishes to have children must face the fact that, once they do, they are bound to feed them, clothe them, teach them, and countless other things until they grow up. They cannot avoid this.

This means that everything you decide and do in the present, meaning your wishes, intentions, and so forth, all this involves obligations. On the other hand, everything that is from the past, until the moment it is fulfilled, remains a duty. It is something you owe, and you must resolve it.«

When Novo says that we cannot avoid duties, this naturally includes the awareness that we can temporarily avoid or postpone them, but sooner or later we will have to face them … usually with some degree of interest. Meaning, even if someone abandons their children, this duty will remain with them until it is somehow settled or forgiven. Children, after all, remember everything that was done, given, or withheld from them.

On the other hand, when Novo says that we are not obliged to manifest obligations, this means that before deciding on an action, we can pause and consider what consequences, and with that duties will follow. And if we do not wish to take on those consequences in our life and future, we can choose to refrain from this action. By not manifesting our ideas, desires, and similar, we avoid unnecessary consequences, and with that, future obligations or duties.

And such refraining from fulfilling wishes, desires, and other impulses gradually and naturally leads us toward a more spontaneous way of living. That is, living based on actual needs and duties. And this in itself also leads to growing peace, lightness, and contentment.

Obligations, however, are not only actions we wish to take for ourselves. Obligations and associated debts arise also from promises and oaths. Novo emphasizes this as follows:

»For example, when a person makes a promise for the future, that becomes an obligation. And a human is not compelled to make promises or take on obligations. Even a promise is an obligation for the future, and there is no guarantee that you will be able to fulfill it.

This also applies to romantic relationships. If he courts her, it becomes his duty to care for her. If she courts him, meaning she is seeking him, that duty is then hers. In other words, the one who seeks enters into an obligation or a duty.

That is why don’t court others with promises or oaths. Don’t reach for the stars you cannot give. Who are you anyway to be able to promise anything … not even God makes promises. Therefore, lovers who make promises are those who are without love.

It is no coincidence that in one song it is written, “Cursed be the one who started first.”

For the one who initiates is the one who avoids debts.«

And not only does such a person attempt to avoid debts, as Novo said, but as we learned in previous episodes, they also create new debts or new karma.

And the verse from the song can also remind us of the biblical story of Adam and Eve, and how, through the choice to act according to his own will, Adam transformed his own paradise into his own hell. It is the tree of knowledge that symbolizes acting according to one’s own will, interfering with the already existing order and perfection. And in precisely this way, each person, from their individual paradise, that is, their own inner peace, creates a hell for themselves - the inner and the outer turmoil and disorder.

At this point, the question arises: “Is it possible to live without obligations or duties?”
Novo answers this question as follows:

»For example, when you buy food or eat because you are hungry, this is already done out of duty. And every time you feel hungry, you will find food. This is a duty, and it must be fulfilled.

However, if you want to buy or eat when you are not hungry, even if you are not aware of it, there is no need to do so. Obligations do not need to be created, because you are not dependent on them. For instance, if you overeat and damage your health as a result, it becomes an obligation to restore your health. If you become ill, you must then think about recovering. Or, for example, if overeating or unnecessary eating makes it harder to fulfill other duties and prevents you from completing them, you are again obliged to respond to those needs with effort and similar.

Let me repeat: the consequences of responsibilities from the past represent duties, and these must be fulfilled. The consequences of responsibilities that would arise in the future are called obligations. Creating these is not necessary; it is all about your choice. And we need to respond to them with acceptance.

We have said, therefore, that if a person lives according to their own wishes, responsibility arises. But if a person lives spontaneously, there is no responsibility, because external conditions dictate the changes in the situation, and you simply respond accordingly.«

To this Novo’s summary let me add that each person is given through destiny only as much as they will be capable of bearing or fulfilling throughout their life. And if a person lives truly spontaneously, meaning they carry out only the duties that come their way and do not create new consequences or obligations, such a person can live their life without unnecessary problems or complications, while at the same time preserving consciousness and peace.

A person who lives an active life, however, that is, one driven by their own will, adds new obligations to the already existing duties or debts of their life. In doing so, they entangle themselves in complications, difficulties, and burdens, the resolution of which can greatly hinder their life, disturb their peace, damage their health, or even cost them their life.

Therefore, the most natural and balanced way of living is the spontaneous way. And at the same time, this is also the way that not only leads to peace but also sustains us in peace.

Unfortunately, as already mentioned, modern humans have moved far from true spontaneity. So if this has awakened your interest in exploring true spontaneity more deeply, one of the really good sources is the fundamental principle of Taoism known as Wu Wei, which was extensively explained by the Chinese sage Lao Tzu. Wu Wei can be translated as “effortless action.” And the following Lao Tzu’s words beautifully express the essence of spontaneity and the way nature itself operates: “Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”

And as I mentioned earlier, spontaneity is also inseparably connected with our inner peace. Novo explains this connection in the following way:

»Let’s take an example: when you are hungry and you eat just enough to satisfy your hunger, there is no responsibility involved. Because once you’ve eaten enough, the hunger subsides and you are at peace. However, if you eat when you’re not truly hungry, or you eat more than you need, there immediately arises responsibility. For when you act spontaneously, eating only as much as necessary, peace naturally follows. But when you’re not spontaneous, by which you surely eat too much or too little, well, then you have responsibility: now you’ll need to take a walk, rest, or something else, because now you’re not at peace.

So, nature itself shows you that as soon as unrest appears, you have some unresolved responsibility or consequence, and this will be expressed through desires or through duties and obligations. But if there is no unrest, meaning you are constantly at peace, then you are living spontaneously, and everything is fine.

That’s why I always say: humans do not need to create new karma; they only need to resolve their old karma. This means that the duties you are fulfilling represent your old karma. So, don’t create new karma, meaning avoid taking on unnecessary obligations.

Society, of course, will dictate that you must take responsibility for this or that, but that is unnecessary. But society will nonetheless dictate this. For example, you must finish school, you must serve others, and so on. All of that is nonsense that pushes toward an unspontaneous way of living. And none of these people live spontaneously; in fact, they are afraid of it. And it is up to you whether you accept it or not. Society is not healthy, because if it were, it wouldn’t try to convince you of anything.

Spontaneity gives you freedom, while unspontaneity takes it away from you. Every human is born to be free. And when that freedom is lost, they begin to search for it.«

At this point, and in connection with Novo’s warning about society, I would like to add a deeply profound message that Krishnamurti left for us in one of his talks. He warned about the widespread abuse of the word “duty”. He said the following:

»Your parents and society use that word duty as a means of molding you, shaping you according to their particular idiosyncrasies, their habits of thought, their likes and dislikes, hoping thereby to guarantee their own safety. «

With this, Krishnamurti warns about the problem of misguided upbringing and conditioning, which leads us to a point where, due to all the false information, we can no longer distinguish between our true duties and the mere will of others.

This is yet another reason why both the learning of truth and self-knowledge are essential in our lives. Only with this can we free ourselves from all the false information we have accepted as truth since childhood, and according to which we guide ourselves throughout life, mostly to our own detriment.

Or, as Novo often emphasizes, encountering even a single truth can dissolve countless related falsehoods.

In connection with Krishnamurti’s warning about the danger of following another’s will, I will also add Novo’s closing words, in which he further highlights the importance of resolving our debts and, at the same time, invites us onto the path toward ever greater freedom. He said the following:

»The only place where true freedom exists is in love. In everything else, where love is absent, there is no freedom. So a person must understand that wherever you are not allowed to choose freely, you have no freedom. And when you have no freedom, you become a slave. And the moment you become a slave, you will drown yourself in desires, obligations, duties, and so on. And in doing so, you will destroy your life.

If a person wishes to come to themselves, to discover, to explore themselves, or to not create new karma, they must live only according to their duties, not their obligations. This is so, because duties are unresolved matters and things from the past that must be resolved. They must be completed because that is from the past. Obligations, however, are plans for the future. And when you live through plans, you take away freedom from life and enslave yourself.

For you do not suffer because of what you are supposed to do in the future, but you suffer because of what you have done in the past. If you clear up the past, all your debts, mistakes, and the rest of it, you are free.

So be careful about what obligations you commit to, what you seek, because that is what will await you.«

Conclusion

With this important message, Novo also brings us to the end of this episode. And with that, I invite you to reflect on everything that has been shared and to meet some of the important questions that may arise from it. For example:

What brings me more peace … having more or fewer obligations?
Is any of my current obligations truly necessary?
And what would it mean if I gradually began renouncing new obligations?

From my own experience, I can say that as my wife and I try more and more to live only according to our needs and duties, and with as little planning and new obligations as possible, the more inner peace, contentment, and simplicity enter our lives. At the same time, we notice that life truly is designed only to be followed, not to be controlled, chased, or escaped from.

So may these teachings, these truths, and their internalization bring as much good and benefit as possible. And if you have any questions about the topics covered in this podcast, or if you’d like to have a more personal conversation with me about how to better internalize and apply them in your life, or if you just need some support, feel free to email me at mitja@nectarofpeace.com.

And if you found this episode interesting and helpful, I invite you to share it with others, possibly helping them to move toward a more spontaneous and peaceful way of living.

And once again, in the spirit of the Nectar of Peace, I send you greetings with the wish for peace.

🎧 Please listen to the audio using the player above.☝️

When negative feelings arise in the form of fear, anxiety, aversion, doubt, or the like, we pause and try to bring awareness to the negative thoughts that accompany them. These thoughts are the food that keep the negativity alive and give it strength.

Negativity itself is what it is, and as a consequence of our past we must allow it time to wear itself out. Therefore, we do not need to fight against the negativity or the feelings that come with it, nor try in any way to change or remove them.

What is important is to stop feeding negativity by dwelling on the related thoughts. When negativity arises and we pause with awareness of the thoughts that surface, we can say to ourselves: “Ah, this is how negativity is being fed. Well, I will not feed it anymore.” After that, we can direct the mind toward objective and equanimous observation of the present feelings and thoughts. If however, we are yet unable to do this, we can redirect our thinking to something positive, for example, to gratitude.

Through the repeated practice of pausing, bringing about awareness, and observing or redirecting our thoughts, we remove the food that gives negativity its energy. In this way, it gradually and naturally weakens until it eventually disappears altogether. But as long as we surrender to the related thoughts in the face of negativity, we not only sustain it but even strengthen it.

Therefore, let us not fight negativity, but simply stop feeding it.

If this whisper resonated with you, consider sharing it with friends or loved ones — you might just help someone on their path.

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🎧 Please listen to the audio using the player above.☝️

… psssssst …

🎧 Please listen to the audio using the player above.☝️

Episode 6: The True Meaning of “Being Here and Now” and Presence

In this sixth episode of the Nectar of Peace podcast, I will explore one of the most important concepts in spirituality: the state of mind in the “here and now,” or the state of presence. A clear understanding of this concept is essential for anyone on the path to peace, contentment, and well-being. And most importantly, as will also be mentioned in this episode, it leads us the true goal of life.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The meaning of the concepts “here and now” and “there and now”

• The meaning of the concept of presence

• The state of non-thinking mind

• The fundamental and true goal of life

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be your host on this podcast, which serves as an invitation to personal and spiritual growth.

Sources:

• Novo: Lectures and Q&A archive

• Satya Sai Baba: Book Sai Baba Speaks to the West

If you found this episode interesting and helpful, I invite you to share the show with others - you might just help someone on their path.

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Episode transcription

Welcome to the sixth episode of the Nectar of Peace podcast, which is dedicated to sharing universal truths and wisdom taught by humanity’s greatest teachers and sages.

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be joining you in discovering these invaluable teachings that, if we choose to follow them, lead us to a life filled with the nectar of peace - which is what we all seek and need.

So, let’s see where we can discover and embrace it today.

Intro to Teachings

In the search for peace, contentment, and happiness, sooner or later almost everyone encounters the emphasis on the importance of “presence” and of “being here and now.” And while we’re quick to agree with this, since it sounds wise and meaningful, very few actually stop to truly realize what it means, or, since we agree with it, whether we know how to practice it and live it.

And that is precisely the focus of today’s episode: an explanation of the meaning of the state of “here and now” and of “presence”.

I didn’t have to look far for this explanation, as teacher Novo offered a clear answer to this question. To that, I will also add a few practical suggestions to help integrate his teaching more easily. And at the end of the episode, you’ll be met with a beautiful invitation to peace from the avatar Sathya Sai Baba.

Teachings

It is therefore best that we dive straight into the very essence of today’s episode. When asked the question, “What exactly does it mean to be ‘here and now’?”, Novo gave the following answer:

»Under the word now, it is understood that the mind is neither in the future nor in the past. That is the state of »now.«

The state of now applies when our mind is held only on what we are focused on. Only on that. The concept of now therefore means that there is no thinking about either the future or the past. That is “now”.

The concept of here, however, means that attention is within us, from the skin inward, no matter how deep.

I emphasize again: entering into ourselves means from the entire surface of the skin inward. So, not outward, but inward. Not behind us, not to the left or right, but directly inward. This means that our awareness is within the entire extent of the skin.

And if we have the ability to go even deeper into ourselves, then first all the internal organs are released, after which attention can turn to observing the mind, until thoughts disappear. At that point, we have neither thoughts nor emotions.

And having attention within us, a state of pleasantness arises. The deeper inside we are, the more this pleasantness increases. Presence within ourselves itself creates a true pleasantness. If the mind is not inside, this pleasantness is reduced or conditioned. It is therefore not comparable to when the mind is within us. The greatest pleasantness comes when the mind is within us, from the skin inward.

And so, when the mind is within us, and as said, it is then necessary to go even deeper - that represents the concept of “here”. Meanwhile, as we said, now stops time. This means that if you are not in the future or the past, you are in the present - it stops time.

If, however, you turn outward from yourself, outward from your skin, then you can be in the present, but you cannot be here. In that case, you will be outside yourself, and everything outside yourself is called there. So not here, but there.

It is called this way because, for example, if I am currently speaking to you or about you, I can be in the now, but I cannot be here, since my attention must be directed on you in order to see how you receive, perceive, and accept. And if I notice that your minds are bending aside, I must use explanations that keep your mind within the understanding. Therefore, when I attend to you, my attention must be there.

The same applies to you: when you want to do something, and what you want to do is outside of you - whether planting, mowing, writing, or reading—your mind must be there.

For example, if you need to write an informative text but your mind is inside yourself, your awareness and comprehension for writing the text fade away—you might even forget the alphabet, even your own first and last name ... meaning, you cannot produce the text.

So, in situations where you want to turn outward, your mind must be directed outward – in this example, toward the text, the work plan, the book, or whatever else.

And when the mind is there and in the present, you receive and comprehend directly. And if you then bring that back into yourself, you will once again return to here and now. But if you take it to someone else, you are now and with the other person - or now and there.

Thus, there is a difference between »here and now*«* and »there and now«.«

At this point, I want to draw attention to one important word that, throughout Novo’s explanation, never changes, and that word is »now«. Regardless of whether our attention is “here” or “there,” or whether we are in a state of inactivity or activity, the mind must remain in the “now.”

This is essential for truly understanding the meaning of presence. It represents a state of mind in which it is fully focused on what is happening at the moment. And this state of the mind is also a prerequisite for carrying out or understanding anything fully or totally.

The word presence therefore represents two distinct states of mind: “here and now” and “there and now.” Anything outside these cannot be considered presence.

Presence - and especially the state of here and now - is not some modern spiritual trend, but a fundamental and indispensable part of natural, inwardly peaceful, and healthy life. Thus, the path to such a life, as well as sustaining it, lies in continually bringing the mind back to itself.

Or, as Novo says:

“If the mind is kept in the here and now, then no matter what changes are taking place, the state of peace and inner peace remains unchanged. Thus, peace always and continuously exists as long as we can separate the mind from thoughts, or we make use of the non-thinking mind.

The quickest way to sustain a continuous state and presence of peace is by living in here and now or by returning to here and now. If the mind escapes from here and now, we must bring it back. If a person notices the mind has wandered from the here and now, they should return it. If it escapes again, they should return it again, and so on. The more often it is brought back, the more the intervals in which the mind does not wander gradually lengthen. In other words, the time of the non-thinking mind, or of the mind separated from thoughts, grows longer.”

At this point, Novo also spoke about one of the key states that anyone on the path to self-knowledge eventually reaches: the non-thinking mind. When asked what exactly this means, Novo replied:

“When we recognize within ourselves that the mind is in thoughts - and thoughts exist when one is thinking about the past or the future - we see, in such moments, that the mind is not only in the present. Because, in the present, the mind has no thoughts.

The term has no thoughts does not mean that we do not listen, watch, or similar. Rather, when a person is listening or watching something, no other thoughts should arise outside of what they are listening to or watching. If thoughts arise that are unrelated to what they are listening to or watching, then these are distracting thoughts.

When there is »me« and the object of observation, and other thoughts pass before me - and they, so to speak, prevent me from being continuously connected with the object of observation - then such mind is called the thinking mind. And it must be returned, meaning we must repeatedly return it to the object we are observing.

A thought, however, that is linked to what a person’s attention is focused on, is natural. It is completely natural to have such a thought, just as it is natural to watch or to listen. This is entirely normal. But when one is listening, one must listen only to that; when watching, one must watch only that.

If a person cannot free themselves from the thinking mind, then when they try to watch something, and when they do, other thoughts arise and disturb them.

It is therefore not necessary to remain completely without thoughts. It is true that one can reach such a state as well, but this requires reaching a higher level than that which is now. Such a state does exist. However, the state of the non-thinking mind is also considered as such when we are concentrated or focused, and there is nothing between us and the point of focus - or when we are connected with the object of watching or listening, and only we and the object exist. This state, too, is good.”

If all of this feels overwhelming or difficult, or if bringing the mind back to yourself or to a single object is something you are trying for the first time, I suggest starting slowly in the following way: take a few minutes when you know no one will disturb you. Close your eyes and relax. Then redirect the attention of your mind to your breathing … without trying to change or control it in any way. This means holding your attention entirely on the breathing. Simply observe the breathing, be aware of it … the inhale and the exhale, the touch of air in your nostrils, the movement of the body caused by breathing. Just observe, without controlling. And as soon as you notice that the mind has wandered, equanimously and with kindness to yourself bring it back to breathing.

Later, when you are able to keep the mind on the breath for a longer time, say for about a minute, you can shift this attention to bodily sensations. Start with the sensations on the surface and then gradually move to deeper, inner bodily feelings.

Dedicate some time for this … ideally every day, at the same time, for at least a few minutes. Let it become a regular daily activity.

This will however, at least at first, most likely feel extremely difficult and unfamiliar. The mind will indeed constantly wander in all directions, thinking about what to have for lunch today, or complaining about why the neighbor is mowing the lawn at this very moment, disturbing your observation of the breath. And on top of that, you might suddenly feel itches everywhere. All of this is a normal experience, and the only important thing is not to give up on yourself.

Let this practice truly become an important daily activity. At the same time, it should not become an empty routine, where you sit for five minutes with the aim of getting it over with as quickly as possible, and then after two minutes pat yourself on the shoulder, pleased with having completed this annoying task.

Instead, gift yourself these few minutes of the day and accept them as something genuinely meaningful. Let it be a time, regardless of the mind’s constant wandering, in which you each time sincerely and seriously intend to experience the true state of presence and, with it, peace.

Or, as Novo emphasized:

“… all the necessary and sufficient condition for maintaining peace is to live in the here and now. Or, if this state is lost, to return again to bringing the mind back to the here and now.”

With the concepts of presence, here, and now hopefully made somewhat clearer, let us briefly look a little deeper. As I have already mentioned, this is not some modern trend or triviality. These concepts are inseparably connected with the very meaning and purpose of our life. And Novo, for today only briefly, explains it like this:

“When we speak of here, it means precisely from here, where you came from. And from here, from where you came, where your being resides, here you are present. And when you are present there, from where you truly came, it becomes more and more pleasant - more pleasant and ever more pleasant.

And if you remain in the here and now continuously until the end, you will come to fully know yourself and everything that you are. And when even all of that is exhausted, in the end you come to an experience incomparable to anything else. You come to a kind of inner elation, to something that exists nowhere outside of you. At that moment, you also realize that you wish to return, because you know this is where you came from.

Thus, here and now means that you are at the point from which you truly originate, from where you truly came, and to where you can return.

This means that for your complete realization, for your full manifestation, for attaining the true goal, for returning to that goal, the only way is here and now.

From this, it becomes clear that a human being’s fundamental, unique, and primary goal is not to be occupied with things outside of oneself. That is not essential for human. As we have said, the discovery of the goal takes place in here and now, not in there and now.

For if you are not there, someone else will be. For example, if a person seeks help from someone, and that help is not received from that individual, it will be received from someone else. This means that matters concerning there are taken care of by someone else.

But when it comes to the question of ourselves, we must remain continually in here and now until we reach the end, our very being. And when we do reach our being, when we have returned to where we truly are, when we know from where we come and where our true existence lies - by knowing this, we can then return and engage with there and now.

Then, if you wish, you can use there and now to help another without wrongdoing, because by that point you have already fulfilled and realized here and now.

It is like, for example, two people going to a certain place. One of them knows the way to this place, and therefore has no need to ask either for directions or about the place itself, because he knows the way. There is no need for him to search. Thus, the one who knows this and also knows approximately how long the journey will take, can afford some luxury. He can linger elsewhere, because he knows the way.

But the one who doesn't know the way, and therefore probably doesn't know how long the journey might take, this one will wander. And if he also allows himself the luxury by thinking, “I have time to find this place,” it may turn out that, although the path itself could be short, since he does not know where to go, he will have to search in all directions … left, right, back, forward and in doing so, he will lose the way.

And unlike the one who knows the way and for whom it may be short, for the one who does not know it, the path will turn out to be very long. And in this way, he will lose his entire life.

That is why a human must know that one must first live in here and now, and only then in there and now.«

Let me add here that by this, Novo does not suggest that, for the sake of living in here and now, we should neglect our duties. What is meant by the statement that one must first live in here and now, and only then in there and now is that it is best to dedicate all of our free time to here and now. When, however, we have duties that we must attend to, we naturally shift into there and now. And once those duties are completed, it is best to return once again to here and now.

If we manage to live in this way, and also carry out our duties in this way, we may notice that the number of duties gradually decreases and the time available for here and now grows. And if we truly use this time as intended, the depth of penetration into ourselves also increases.

It is clear, however, that such a way of living is extremely unfamiliar and difficult for a person who constantly lives in the mind. If we simply reflect on the usual state of our mind, its restlessness and the endless stream of thoughts, we can quickly realize that holding attention in here and now is indeed the hardest thing.

Namely, our thinking mind is extremely powerful and, most of the time, it controls us rather than the other way around. Or as the wisdom goes: “The thinking mind is a useful servant, but an extremely harmful and dangerous master.” If we are its servant, which most of us are, it constantly pulls us from the future to the past and back again, from one activity to another, from one person to another, from one worry to another, from one fantasy to another, from one problem to another, and so on. Even saying this out loud is exhausting, let alone the unimaginable waste of energy caused by our constant and unnecessary thinking.

And it is precisely the thinking mind that continuously drains one's energy and, at the same time, leads us away from what can truly bring peace, contentment, and happiness.

Therefore, anyone who has truly resolved to bring peace and contentment into their life will sooner or later realize that these cannot be found outside ourselves, for the external is not dependent solely on us and is constantly changing. Moreover, it is not the true source of our energy; rather, it is where our energy is being spent.

And it is exactly this returning to oneself and to the recognition of our origin that Novo highlights as the fundamental purpose of our life. In a similar way, Sai Baba invites us to recognize the goal of our life within ourselves, rather than looking outside ourselves. As he put it:

»Always keep in mind that it must be your goal to live entirely without aggression: in peace with yourself and therefore with your fellow man and your environment.

See and respect God in everything and in all people, and you will feel how your life changes.

Happiness and peace will enter you, and you will experience the unity of creation more and more.

This is peace. This is bliss. This is the fulfillment of your life which you have been searching for unsuccessfully long enough, somewhere else.«

Conclusion

With this beautiful invitation to return to ourselves, Sai Baba also brought us to the end of this episode. And with that, I am certain he would encourage you, once the episode ends, to devote at least a few minutes of your full attention to the “here and now.”

Of course, as I mentioned earlier, the beginning of the path towards “here and now” can be very challenging, since the restless mind constantly pulls us outward and away from the present. But, as Novo said, the more often we bring the mind back, the more this habit, and the restlessness, begin to soften, making entry into the state of true presence easier and more accessible. So never give up - instead, we must continue with courage and trust … step by step … breath by breath … until at last, we breathe in the fragrance of the true nectar of peace.

If you have any questions about the topics covered in this podcast, or if you'd like to have a more personal conversation with me about how to better internalize and apply them in your life, or if you just need some support, feel free to email me at mitja@nectarofpeace.com.

And if you found this episode interesting and helpful, I warmly invite you to share the episode with others, and perhaps help them experience more frequent moments of presence.

And once again, in the spirit of the Nectar of Peace, I send you greetings with the wish for peace.

🎧 Please listen to the audio using the player above.☝️

The wise say, “Work liberates, work is bliss.”

While the deeper part of our being recognizes this as truth, the more superficial, thinking part of us wants to resist it. It struggles to find meaning and satisfaction in it.

In such cases, the following might be helpful:

First, regarding bliss … if bliss is a state of freedom, then any action that liberates us in any way inevitably leads to greater bliss.

Now, regarding work … if we associate work with hands, and hands with holding, then it follows that to work, we must first free our hands. In other words, we must let go of everything else. Here, working with the hands is, of course, only a symbol for any useful and necessary activity, including mental work.

And finally, regarding the mentioned wisdom … while it has only one essence, this essence can be realized from different points of view. And one of these is the following: every emotional, mental, and physical burden or dependency diminishes our freedom. So long as we cling to desires, worries, fears, tension, and the like, we lose our freedom, and with it, our blissfulness. And these are not always easy to simply release.

However, when we work with full attention and presence, we naturally let go of everything else. This, in itself, brings contentment and relief.

The more we approach work in this way, the more the negativities within us are cleansed. And what is that, if not gradual liberation - and with it, ever-greater bliss?

Thank you for listening / reading Nectar of Peace publications! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

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In the fifth episode of Nectar of Peace podcast, we will meet the extraordinary sage Osho for the first time, who presents the law of karma in a more psychological way - through the lens of our mental experience of the consequences of our actions. At the same time, Novo reveals to us the immense complexity of karma and why it is practically impossible to fully read it, let alone record it. There will also be practical advice on how to avoid accumulating negative karma.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The law of karma, this time presented through the lens of our mind or psyche

• Recording the consequences of our actions

• Why karma cannot be fully described, recorded, or read

• Practical examples of the influence and expansion of karma

• Practical tips for protecting yourself from creating negative karma

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be your host on this podcast, which serves as an invitation to personal and spiritual growth.

Sources:

• Novo: Lectures and Q&A archive

• Osho: The Wisdom of the Sands, Vol 1 - Chapter #2

If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with friends or loved ones - you might just help someone on their path.

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Episode transcription

Welcome to the fifth episode of the Nectar of Peace podcast, which is dedicated to sharing universal truths and wisdom taught by humanity’s greatest teachers and sages.

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be joining you in discovering these invaluable teachings that, if we choose to follow them, lead us to a life filled with the nectar of peace - which is what we all seek and need.

So, let’s see where we can discover and embrace it today.

In the previous, fourth episode, we, for the first time in this podcast, encountered the concept of karma. We learned that karma is a natural mechanism which, independently of us, ensures that every action is followed by an appropriate consequence. Of course, this is an overly simplified description of karma, yet it serves as a good basis for further understanding. At the same time, we learned that these very consequences largely determine who we are as individuals, how we experience things, what we are gifted with in life, and what we are deprived of.

So, karma plays an important role in the life of every individual, and therefore it is truly useful to at least be aware of it and its functioning—if not having a deeper understanding.

And to help us gain a better awareness of karma and its functioning, today we will be helped by the remarkable modern-day sage Osho and the teacher Novo, whom, of course, I personally cannot leave out.

So, it’s best to release all mental blockages and allow me to guide you through the second part of our exploration of that which accompanies us through life, both in the good and in the bad.

Teachings

When, on the path of discovering the truths about life, we encounter various teachers, we can quickly notice that—at least on the surface—there may be significant differences between them. This can often be seen most clearly in the way they present these truths and teachings.

Some lay them out for us in a more abstract manner, speaking of God, love, or final liberation, while others choose a more rational approach, focusing instead on human psychology and our concrete, everyday challenges. And then, there are also those who present these truths in both ways at the same time… good examples of such teachers being Osho and Novo.

So, with that in mind, let’s see how Osho, in a very rational way, presents karma through the lens of our mind and psyche. It is his answer to a question from one of his visitors, who asked him: “What is the law of karma?”

Osho replied to him like this:

»It is not in fact a law, because there is nobody behind it as a lawgiver. On the contrary, it is intrinsic to existence itself. It is the very nature of life: whatsoever you sow, you reap.

But it is complex, it is not so simple, it is not so obvious.

To make it more clear, try to understand it in a psychological way, because the modern mind can understand only if something is explained in a psychological way. In the past, when the law of karma was talked about -- when Buddha talked about it and Mahavira talked about it -- they had used physiological, physical analogies. Man has gone far away from that; man has moved far away from that. Now man lives more in the psychological, so this will be helpful.

Every crime against one's own nature, every one, without exception, records itself in our unconscious - EACH crime.

And what is a crime? It is not because the court of Manu says it is a crime, because that court is no more relevant; not because the Ten Commandments say it is a crime, that too is no more relevant; not because a certain government says it is a crime, because that goes on changing. Something is a crime in Russia and the same thing is not a crime in America. Something is a crime according to the Hindu tradition and the same thing is not a crime according to the Mohammedan tradition.

Then what is crime? There has to be a universal definition for it.

My definition is: that which goes against your nature, that which goes against yourself, your being, is a crime.

And how to know that crime? Whenever you commit that crime it records in your unconsciousness. It records in a certain way: it records and starts giving you a feeling of guilt. You start feeling yourself despised by yourself, you start feeling yourself unworthy, you start feeling yourself not as you should be. Something inside you becomes hard, something closes inside you. You are no more as flowing as you have been before. Something has become solid, frozen; that hurts, brings pain, and brings a feeling of unworthiness.

Karen Horney has a good word to describe this unconscious perceiving and remembering. She says "It registers". I liked it... it registers. Everything that you do registers itself automatically. If you have been loving it registers that you are loving; it gives you a feeling of worth. If you have been hateful, angry, destructive, dishonest, it registers and gives you a feeling of unworthiness, a feeling of being something below human, a feeling of inferiority. And whenever you feel unworthy you feel cut off from the flow of life. How can you flow with people when you are hiding something? Flow is possible only when you expose yourself, when you are available, TOTALLY available.

If you have been cheating your woman and seeing another woman, you cannot be with your woman totally. It is impossible, because it registers: deep in your unconscious you know that you have been dishonest, deep in your unconscious you know that you have betrayed, deep in your unconscious you know that you have to hide it, that you are not to reveal it. If you have something to hide, if you have something to keep secret from your beloved, there will be distance -- the bigger the secret, the bigger the distance will be. If there are too many secrets then you are completely closed. You cannot relax with this woman, and you cannot allow this woman to relax with you because your tenseness creates tenseness in her, her tenseness makes you even more tense, and it goes on, creating a vicious circle.

Yes, it registers in our books, in our beings. Remember, there are no books which God is keeping: that was an old way of saying the same thing. Your being is the book! Whatsoever you are and whatsoever you do is constantly being registered. Not that there is somebody writing it; it is a natural phenomenon. If you have been lying it is registered that you are lying, and now you have to protect those lies, and to protect one lie you will have to tell one thousand lies, and again to protect those one thousand lies you will have to go on and on and on. You become, by and by, a chronic liar. Truth becomes impossible for you, because to tell one truth will be dangerous now. See how things go together: if you tell one lie then many lies are invited -- the same attracts the same -- and now truth is unwelcome, because the darkness of the lies will not like the light of truth. So even when your lies are not in any danger of being exposed you will not be able to speak truth. If you speak one truth, many other truths are invited -- the like attracts the like.

If you are naturally truthful it is very difficult to lie, even once, because all that truth protects you. And this is a natural phenomenon. There is no God keeping a book. You are the book. You are the God; your being is the book. Abraham Maslow says, "If we do something we are ashamed of, it registers to our discredit. And if we do something good, it registers to our credit." You can watch it; you can observe it. The law of karma is not some philosophy, some abstraction. It is simply a theory which explains something true inside your being.

The net result: either we respect ourselves, or we despise and feel contemptible, worthless and unlovable.

Every moment, you are creating yourself; either a grace will arise in your being or a disgrace: this is the law of karma. Nobody can avoid it. Nobody should try to cheat on karma, because that is not possible.

Watch... and once you understand it things start changing. Once you know the inevitability of it you will be a totally different person. «

In the way Osho presented this teaching, you may have noticed that he referred to what is given, for example, in the Ten Commandments as irrelevant. But this by no means means that Osho denied the value and importance of these commandments. He was simply aware that people have drifted so far from their own moral compass that they no longer recognize what lying, stealing, violence, and the like really are. That’s why he wanted to present karma from the perspective of our inner, psychological experience of the consequences of past actions. And this is something we all feel, even though we hardly admit ourselves to be their source.

At the same time, he led us to another important key for a better understanding of how karma works. Namely, the vicious cycle that Osho pointed out shows that the karmic system does not only include the direct consequences of our actions, but also the consequences of those consequences, and so on. Karma is, in fact, a living process that is constantly changing and responding.

And precisely because of this, once we are caught in this cycle, it is extremely difficult to break free, since the consequences of our actions—beyond our awareness or control—can spread very far. This very aspect of karmic functioning is explained by Novo, who in the process also points to the remarkable complexity of the karmic system itself. He says the following:

“Karma is a unique phenomenon in life that cannot be explained, one about which no books can be written, because no one can explain it based on life. This is because karma has an incredibly huge way of expansion, for which there is no way to explain it through books or words—not even in ten years, twenty years… in fact, not even over the course of several lifetimes.

Let me explain why this is so.

For example, let’s say we do something evil to another person. If, as a result of this evil deed, only that person suffers, then at that moment it can be seen that we have created karma only toward that person. That much is visible, and someone who is a karmic theorist or researcher would conclude that you have karma only towards that person.

However, if this person to whom we have done karma has, for example, a family, then the moment the family learns that an evil deed has been done to this person—that they have been in some way wronged or injured—this information will also affect them; it will change them.

So, if before the family knew about it, someone who knows how to read karma told you that you had created karma only toward that one person, then now, if they truly know how to read karma, they would see that this karma is no longer the same—it has now spread to the family. Now the wife, children, and others are also suffering because of it.

And if we continue along this line… for example, if because of this karma the person is no longer the same and is now unable to help their children—say, they cannot provide them with schoolbooks—then the children will start complaining that they have no books because their father has no money. In this way, the karma spreads to the children. And they, in turn, will now create karma toward others. Namely, because the children in this case don’t have the awareness of who is truly to blame, they will blame their father, saying, “Because of him I don’t have books,” and out of their own distress, they will affect other children.

That is why I want to convey that karma is a unique phenomenon that cannot be controlled in life.

What a human must understand is that whether their action will be good or bad is not dependent on them. So, what then is dependent on a human? What is within a human’s control is the awareness that there is no need to initiate an action (but for this, a certain level of consciousness must be reached), or, if they do choose to act, they must understand that they must become the victim of various consequences. They must be aware of this.

No matter how good one is—they may be a guru, a saint, or whatever—if they initiate an action, it can cause various kinds of harm to themselves or to others. There is no guarantee.

Therefore, a human must learn that they can only have control over themselves. They cannot control others. And they can never guarantee in any way that they will be able to make others either happy or unhappy, because everyone reacts to an action based on their own free will.

Let me emphasize again that karma is fundamentally a living process that can expand or change in any situation, and that the initial action alone is not enough to conclude that it has produced a specific amount of karma.”

In connection with this teaching from Novo, I would like to specifically point out one immensely important aspect of karma—namely, that although we choose our own actions, the consequences remain beyond our control.

For example, if we put someone in a bad mood, we have created negative karma toward that person. And if that person, because of their bad mood, then harms someone else, that harm also goes onto our negative karmic account. And then, those who were indirectly harmed may continue this negativity… and all of that, too, is added to our karmic account.

So, potentially, even from an apparently harmless action, through consequences that are outside our control, we can accumulate a significant negative karmic debt. This, of course, applies when the consequences are negative. If the consequences are positive, then we likewise add to our karmic account—but in that case, the positive karma. Or, as mentioned in the previous episode, we thus reduce the negative part of our karma.

And precisely because we have no control over the consequences of our actions, it also follows that there is no guarantee in life that a single action—no matter how good—will bring only good consequences, since this also depends on the other person’s karma.

Novo laid out this crucial part of understanding the functioning of the karmic system like this:

»If you create good karma, this will trigger good karma in those who desire goodness. However, there are people who, even if you create good karma, do not wish for good karma because they are inclined toward bad karma. In such cases, they will begin to act against good karma with bad karma.

For example, someone might do a good deed, but another person may not like it, and because of this, they become angry and, from that good deed, will now cause negative consequences. On the other hand, if this good deed suits someone, they will trigger a positive consequence.

Take, for instance, a criminal and an honest person. If the criminal wishes to engage in dishonest activities, while the honest person wishes to act honestly, then when someone does something good, it will be acceptable to the honest person but not to the criminal. And because this good is not in the criminal’s interest, the criminal will now start actions which are even more noticeably negative, possibly even killing—just to protect his criminal intentions.

Or, put another way: a good person seeks the company of other good people, while a bad person or a criminal does not seek the company of good people. They prefer their own criminal company because they are not satisfied with the company of good people. They know that a good person will not allow them to continue as a criminal. They would rather destroy the good person simply so they can continue with their dishonest life.«

By explaining that another person’s reaction to our action depends on their karma, Novo also indirectly invited us to be extremely mindful of what kind of company we choose in life… since this too has a significant influence on the shaping of our own karma. Or, as Osho put it: the like attracts the like.

And once we truly internalize today’s teaching, we will begin to notice that—unless we know another person really well, and even then there is no guarantee—we truly have no control over how that person will respond to our action. And so, we can never know in advance what chain of consequences our action will trigger.

With this aspect of karma in mind, I invite you to revisit the first episode, where Novo lays out three key steps for living. Without this understanding of karma, these steps might sound rather meaningless or even heartless. But with this knowledge, the reason why Novo presented these three steps becomes clear, as well as how, if we follow them, they constantly protect us from the risk of creating negative karma.

For additional protection against creating negative karma, Novo offered one more practical approach. He suggested that we make the effort to always leave the person we are in contact with in a better state than they were before.

Conclusion

And so, we have reached the end of the second part about karma. Here, I must add that sometimes people lament to me that all of this is too complicated and that they cannot spend so much time dealing with it or thinking about it.

My answer to that is: as long as we strive to live righteously and morally, and every day try to notice in ourselves where we still do wrong — and then gradually let go of these habits or reactions — we don’t really need to concern ourselves with a deeper understanding of karma… for karma works independently of us and our understanding of it. It is a completely natural and practical mechanism that continuously works towards balance throughout all of creation.

And through this, it sooner or later brings anyone who causes imbalance in any way or with anyone to bring that imbalance back into balance themselves—whether through good or through pain.

And, so that we can increasingly experience this return to balance as something pleasant rather than painful, instead of living through Karma, we are each day given the opportunity and the ability to choose instead to live according to Dharma.

That is step by step, realization by realization … until, at last, we can truly taste the real sweetness of the nectar of peace.

If you found the episode interesting and useful, I invite you to leave a like or comment, or even better, share the episode with others - possibly helping them choose a better way of living. For notifications about new episode releases, you are welcome to sign up for free at www.nectarofpeace.com.

If you have any questions about the topics covered in this podcast, or if you'd like to have a more personal conversation with me about how to better internalize and apply them in your life, or if you just need some support, feel free to email me at mitja@nectarofpeace.com.

And once again, in the spirit of the Nectar of Peace, I send you greetings with the wish for peace.

🎧 Please listen to the audio using the player above.☝️

For anyone whose consciousness is trapped in the external and superficial,
that is, in the world and in sensory stimuli and pleasures,
it is of vital importance that one begins with active self-observation and the discovery of truths.

By doing so, one takes important steps toward self-knowledge
and the gradual cleansing of the body, mind, and emotions.

And when the mind becomes sufficiently cleansed and thus calmed,
consciousness intuitively begins to shift and penetrate in a new direction,
away from the worldly and superficial.

It is then that one, for the first time, feels and recognizes where this newly discovered direction truly leads,
and what the heart has been calling for all along.

What one feels and recognizes is, in fact, the path back to oneself - back home.

And, if this whisper resonated with you, consider sharing it with friends or loved ones — you might just help someone on their path.

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🎧 Please listen to the audio using the player above.☝️

In the fourth episode of Nectar of Peace, we explore the world of karma - often regarded in the Western world as part of Eastern religions, or even something mystical or exotic. But as we will learn, karma, or causality, applies to all of us, regardless of where we live or which religion or culture we belong to.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The meaning of the word “karma”

• When do our actions inevitably lead to consequences?

• Good, bad, and mixed karma

• The root of everything we are and have

• Understanding karma, as natural law, makes life easier

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be your host on this podcast, which serves as an invitation to personal and spiritual growth.

Sources:

• Novo: Lectures and Q&A archive

• Satya Sai Baba: Book Sai Baba Speaks to the West

• Swami Vivekananda: Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda - Volume 1: Karma-Yoga

• Swami Sivananda: Understanding Karma

If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with friends or loved ones - you might just help someone on their path.

Share

Episode transcription

Welcome to the fourth episode of the Nectar of Peace podcast, which is dedicated to sharing universal truths and wisdom taught by humanity’s greatest teachers and sages.

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be joining you in discovering these invaluable teachings that, if we choose to follow them, lead us to a life filled with the nectar of peace - which is what we all seek and need.

So, let’s see where we can discover and embrace it today.

In the previous episode, we learned that Dharma—that is, righteousness or the collection of cosmic laws—has only one side, meaning that acting according to Dharma leaves no consequences. This means, for example, if I don't steal, there will be no consequences. The same applies when I face and settle the consequences of my past actions according to the principles of Dharma; in that case as well, I remain without consequences and at the same time do not create any new ones.

Let me add here that if you haven’t listened to the previous, third episode, or if the concept of Dharma is unfamiliar to you, it would be good to first listen to the third episode, as it provides an important foundation for today’s content—namely, the other side of life, which is living outside of Dharma.

And so, what is this other side of life that affects us all and concerns everyone? What is this so often emphasized causality, or in another, more universal word, karma?

This concept, namely karma, is what we will touch on today - hopefully in a way that is as understandable as possible. And through this we will be guided by a teacher Novo, avatar Satya Sai Baba, Swami Vivekananda, and Swami Sivananda.

And since the topics covered in this podcast usually sink in more effectively when we’re not overwhelmed with too much information at once, I want to keep the length of the episodes within a certain time frame. With that in mind, I’ll divide the explanation of the concept of karma and karmic system into several shorter episodes.

At the same time, for the best listening experience and a deeper understanding of the content, I propose that while listening, you avoid trying to analyze or mentally grasp the information being shared. Instead, try to listen in a state of relaxation, and with an open mind and heart. These universal teachings penetrate into our subconscious in any case, but the more relaxed we are while receiving them, the deeper they reach - and the more quickly they lead us to actual, not just intellectual, understanding.

With that said, let’s go ahead and dive into a somewhat more complex world of karma.

Teachings

Before I can even begin to talk about karma and how it operates, it's important to point out that, especially in the Western world, we tend to associate the word "karma" with certain religions, and therefore we’re either not very interested in it or we believe it doesn’t concern us.

That’s why, in the previous episode, I chose to use the word “causality” instead. Because every person, regardless of where they live in the world or which religion or culture they belong to, can hardly deny that the consequences of their actions affect them.

It would be the same as, for example, a Christian claiming that putting a finger in boiling water wouldn’t affect them—because karma, as causality, supposedly only applies to Hindus, Buddhists, and followers of similar religions.

That’s why it’s important to dispel, right from the start, the belief that karma is something exotic or something that only applies to a specific group of people. Causality—or karma—is something that fundamentally concerns everyone and everything that exists in the material world.

The purpose of these several episodes about karma is to help us, together, gain a better understanding of this universal law of nature and to recognize within ourselves how it works and how it affects us and our lives. By doing so, we can significantly ease the way we deal with various challenges and, at the same time, lead our lives toward greater inner peace and contentment.

And to make the word karma feel less foreign or off-putting, we can translate it—just like any other word. The word karma literally means “action” or “deed.”

And for the first teaching in today’s episode, I’d like to share the words of Satya Sai Baba, who, in a very simple way, explains karma like this:

“It means that everything you do has consequences. If you do good the consequences are good; if you do bad they will be bad. This teaching is simple and can be verified everywhere. If you cook using poor ingredients the meal will also be poor. If you do not care about the cooking time and if the food burns then you will either have to throw everything away or have a meal that tastes very bad. That is the teaching of karma: As you act so will you live. There is nothing mysterious, scary or vague about it. You can track the law of cause and effect throughout the entire creation. No wonder then that it also determines your own actions.”

And indeed, karma shapes or influences our everyday actions, as they are conditioned by the consequences of our past deeds. In other words, our conduct, behavior, responses, reactions, feelings, and more depend on how we acted and lived in the past.

With that, it is also important to emphasize that words like action, conduct, deed, or work don’t refer only to our physical activities. When we speak of karma, this includes our thoughts and words as well. So, every thought leaves a consequence. And likewise, every word leaves a consequence.

This is also recognized, for example, in a Christian prayer that begins like this: “I confess to almighty God, and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned through my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done, and in what I have failed to do; through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.”

And it is precisely this sinning—as a form of our actions—that leads to consequences, which we then experience as pain or suffering. In other words, the actions whose consequences we later feel, together make up what we call karma.

However, karma does not refer only to negative actions and their consequences—that is, sin and suffering. That is just one type of karma. Of course, there is also good karma.

This, teacher Novo explains it this way:

“If an action causes or leads to evil or harm, bad karma is created. If an action causes or leads to good, good karma is created. If an action results in both good and bad consequences, a mixture of good and bad karma is created.

If more bad than good karma is generated, the good karma will be cancelled out by the bad, and what remains is leftover bad karma—meaning the end result is still bad karma.

If, on the other hand, an action produces more good than bad karma, the bad will be cancelled out by the good, and what remains is good karma.

That’s why we must understand that anyone who initiates an action—and since every action leaves consequences—creates karma. In other words, everyone creates karma. It’s not possible for one person to initiate an action and for another to be held accountable. That’s simply not how it works. Whoever initiates the action must face one of three consequences: good karma, bad karma, or mixed karma—both good and bad. These outcomes are inevitable; one of them must occur.”

The consequences of our actions are often more far-reaching than we might imagine. The karmic system, as the law of cause and effect, determines what kind of people we are as individuals, what gifts or limitations we are born with, where and under what circumstances we find ourselves in life—and also how we respond to all of this in our daily lives.

On this note, I’d like to share a brief excerpt from a teaching by Swami Vivekananda—or more likely, one given through him by his teacher and guru, Sri Ramakrishna. He said the following:

“The word karma is derived from the Sanskrit “Kri”, to do; all action is Karma. Technically, this word also means the effects of actions. In connection with metaphysics, it sometimes means the effects, of which our past actions were the causes.

All this is determined by Karma, work. No one can get anything unless he earns it. This is an eternal law. We may sometimes think it is not so, but in the long run we become convinced of it.

A man may struggle all his life for riches; he may cheat thousands, but he finds at last that he did not deserve to become rich, and his life becomes a trouble and a nuisance to him. We may go on accumulating things for our physical enjoyment, but only what we earn is really ours. A fool may buy all the books in the world, and they will be in his library; but he will be able to read only those that he deserves to; and this deserving is produced by Karma.

Our Karma determines what we deserve and what we can assimilate. We are responsible for what we are; and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.”

In such a clear and practical way, Swami Vivekananda invites us to reflect on the fact that what we are, as we are—our body, thoughts, and emotions, and with that, character, health, behavior, and similar, as well as everything we have or experience—is nothing but the consequence of our own past actions—and these arise both as positive and negative—but always as a response to our past way of living.

Therefore, whenever we find ourselves complaining about something, it’s good to remember that we are the creators of our own destiny—that is, of all that has passed, all that is present, and naturally, of all that follows.

And it is exceptionally important for each of us to continuously learn how to face difficulties in the right way—and here, once again, living according to Dharma patiently awaits us.

By following the knowledge of Dharma—or the right way of living—we can protect ourselves in advance from unnecessary negative consequences. This knowledge can come through our own insights or through the teachings and wisdom of others … in either case, applying it is a sign of intelligence. That means being true to it in our thoughts, words, and actions.

Unfortunately, experience shows that many people often learn to act righteously only through intense pain or suffering.

Satya Sai Baba also pointed this out with the following words:

»Some are so blinded that only experience will change them. This explains the wise saying: “Karma lets the blind see.” ”

This is precisely part of the reason why the negative type of karma is often emphasized, also in teachings—because it arises from our negative actions, which are certainly best to eliminate, and whose consequences each individual experiences as some form of discomfort or suffering. Meanwhile, the beautiful and pleasant aspects of life are usually not seen as problematic and therefore typically do not require our attention.

And Novo pointed out the problem of negative actions and their consequences with the following words:

”In karma, there is not a single action that does not have a continuation. This means that whatever you do, it immediately has a second part.… so it does not end with the action itself, but the action is immediately followed by obligation and dependence, at least to the extent of the action itself.

Karma means dependence, that is, what we do inevitably causes consequences—and this is called dependence. Karma is at least dual in nature, meaning that if a person initiates an action through individual will, which means disrespecting Dharma, the person engages in wrongdoing.

Why is this so?

If you live according to Dharma, you do not bear consequences. But if life is lived according to karma—that is, according to human will, human desire, if it is lived by triggering actions—then karma is created.

Or, put differently, everything done outside of Dharma, and everything done by human will means it was initiated outside of Dharma. Because if you live according to Dharma, there is no need for engagement, as everything is given to you. So, when you trigger an action, or in other words, when you disrespect Dharma, at that moment you create consequences, or karma. And karma is something that does not need to be created.

Why? Because it makes you unfree and dependent on consequences.

Karma we create ourselves, while the consequences are separate from us… they give back to us, or in quotation marks, ‘punish us’ as the consequences of our actions.

Here I will add two comments.

By Novo’s words, “if you live according to Dharma, there is no need for engagement, as everything is given to you,” it is meant that our engagement comes from our restlessness, which is itself a karmic consequence. Namely, when you are truly at peace, you will notice there is no need for engagement. And everything we truly need comes to us on it’s own—that is, what we must give back and what we must receive. Both always as a consequence of our past actions, that is, karma.

And the more we live according to Dharma, the more we feel calm within ourselves and become aware that everything arrives at the right time and for the right purpose. Along with this, the desire for engagement gradually fades, as life itself becomes easier, simpler, and filled with greater contentment and peace. This is not idealism—it is the actual experience of such an approach to life.

Secondly, it is important to emphasize that when Novo says, “karma we create ourselves, while the consequences are separate from us,” we need to understand that this means the actions we initiate by our own will are those we have chosen or decided upon ourselves. However, once the actions are done, we no longer have a choice regarding their consequences—we have no control over when, how, or to what extent we will face them.

But regardless, we must always keep in mind that consequences inevitably follow—every action and for everyone. And for this second part of our actions, instead of us, full and complete care is taken by the so-called karmic system.

Therefore, it is extremely important that, as long as we live by our own will, we remain as aware as possible of how this natural law of karma works.

With this in mind, to conclude, I would like to share some encouraging words from the great Swami Sivananda, who says the following:

»The captain of a steamer who has a mariner's compass, who has knowledge of the sea, the routes and the oceanic currents can sail smoothly. Otherwise his steamer will drift here and there helplessly and be wrecked by being dashed against some icebergs or rocks. Likewise, a wise sailor in the ocean of this life, who has a detailed knowledge of the laws of karma and nature can sail smoothly and reach the goal of life positively. Understanding the laws of nature, you can mould or shape your character in any way you like. "As a man thinketh so he becometh", is one of the great laws of nature.«

Conclusion

Alongside this sailor metaphor from Sivananda—which on it’s own serves as an important reminder in our daily sailing through life—I would add that when encountering the concept of karma, especially in the Western world, we often run into doubts about the fairness of the entire karmic system itself.

Quite often, we suffer and experience things that we simply cannot believe are the result of our own actions. It is especially this doubt that I will try to address in the next episode. So, you are warmly invited to join me next time as well.

Before I end this episode, I would like to remind you that if there is something you didn’t fully understand, don’t let that be a problem or think that this is not for you. As mentioned at the start, this knowledge flows into each of us in different ways and at different times. And if you wish, you can listen to the episode multiple times… you will notice that each time a new whisper of deeper understanding may arise. So patience and the willingness to continue are essential. Namely, as long as we keep going, step by step, nothing will be lost. Internalize and use what you do understand, and leave the rest to come your way when the time is right. So, step by step, whisper by whisper.

So! Whatever good you have taken from this episode, that probably means good karma, right? 😊 If you found the episode interesting and useful, I invite you to leave a like or comment, or even better, share the episode with others - possibly helping them avoid accumulating negative karma. For notifications about new episode releases, you are welcome to sign up for free at www.nectarofpeace.com.

And if you would like to approach facing your karma in a more personal way with me, or if you have any other questions regarding the topics covered in this podcast, you are welcome to write to me at the email address mitja@nectarofpeace.com

And once again, in the spirit of the Nectar of Peace, I send you greetings with the wish for peace.

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In life, it is essential to recognize what leads us to greater inner peace and what leads us away from it.

And if we take this recognition seriously, it tends to deepen naturally, and over time we begin to more easily and quickly perceive what—and to what extent—something will bring us and what this will mean for us as well as for others. That is, not only the positive aspects, but also what kind of responsibilities, debts, risks, and other consequences our engagement in it may bring.

Even though it might initially seem that what we desire will bring us more peace and contentment, with this clearer recognition we can begin to see in advance whether it might actually lead to more restlessness, dissatisfaction, and worry. In other words, we’re developing the ability to recognize in advance the price that will need to be paid for what we want—and whether it is truly worth it.

And over time, as this recognition increases, things that do not lead to greater peace — or those through which we cause or remain in unrest — naturally begin to fall away, gradually and on their own.

With clearer recognition and broader awareness, we gradually keep or choose only those things that lead to deeper inner peace. The rest falls away.

What is especially important in all this is that we learn to how to let go of things we once held dear or aspired to. This means that when certain interests, possessions, even relationships and the like naturally fade, we do not regret them or through our attachment sustain them.

This recognizing, choosing, and letting go are therefore essential and completely natural steps on the path toward ever-deeper inner peace.

Thank you for listening / reading Nectar of Peace publications! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

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Originally posted on July 21st, 2025

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In the third episode of the Nectar of Peace podcast, we will delve into the concept of Dharma, or righteousness. Dharma, as the essence of the right way of living, is a key element on the path to peace, contentment, and freedom. This time, we will be guided into living according to Dharma by three great teachers: the avatar Sathya Sai Baba, the great sage Jiddu Krishnamurti, and the already familiar teacher Novo.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• The meaning of the word Dharma

• Living without creating consequences

• Examples of the right way of living

• The importance of patience

• The importance of religiosity and behavior

• Prayer as part of responsibility

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be your host on this podcast, which serves as an invitation to personal and spiritual growth.

Sources:

• Novo: Lectures and Q&A archive

• Satya Sai Baba: Book Sai Baba Speaks to the West

• Jiddu Krishnamurti: Colombo 5th Public Talk 27th January 1957

If you found this episode interesting and helpful, I invite you to share the show with others - perhaps you’ll inspire them to live according to Dharma.

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Episode transcription

Welcome to the third episode of the Nectar of Peace Podcast, which is dedicated to sharing universal truths and wisdom taught by humanity’s greatest teachers and sages.

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be joining you in discovering these invaluable teachings that, if we choose to follow them, lead us to a life filled with the nectar of peace - which is what we all seek and need. So, let’s see where we can discover and embrace it today.

In the first episode, we touched on three practical steps toward embracing the right way of living. Today however, we will focus on the very essence that holistically encompasses this way of life - an essence of which those initial three steps were only a part. Namely, we will explore the laws of life and righteousness.

And regardless of whether you consider yourself an atheist or a believer, regardless of which religion or spiritual tradition you may follow, and regardless of where in the world you live or which culture you are a part of, these laws apply to everyone and to everything that abides in the material existence. Therefore, we can also refer to them as universal or cosmic laws, or simply as Dharma.

The word Dharma, just like words Shanti and Amrita, originates from an ancient language Sanskrit. The root of the word itself means to hold or to support, from which follows something that is established or firm. Thus, the word Dharma is translated as duty, cosmic law, or righteousness.

And to lead us into the life of Dharma, we will today draw upon the teachings of three great teachers: namely we will be joined by Avatar Satya Sai Baba, the great sage Jiddu Krishnamurti, and of course, now already familiar teacher Novo.

So let's begin with Novo, who introduces us to the world of Dharma in the following way:

Teachings

“At first everything was made so that it is easy … and everything was easy. To everyone, consciousness was easy, understanding was easy, insights were easy … everything was easy. Original life was easy both for awareness and understanding, as well as for living based purely through insights … and such a way of living is called Dharma.

The word Dharma also means divine laws or a collection of laws that do not cause problems if one lives according to them. Therefore, living in such a way, problems are not created, everything is easy, joyful, and pleasant.

Thus, the word Dharma can also be understood as divine life, righteous life, or life—or existence—without wrongdoing.

Disregarding consciousness, understanding, and insights is called wrongdoing—or creating consequences.

This means that living according to Dharma, consequences are not created … and conversely, not living according to Dharma, consequences are created.

It is somewhat like when a person walks a path that is filthy or clean … Dharma means that if you do not wish to become dirty, go along a clean path … in other words if you go along a clean path, you don’t take responsibility for anything, you bear no consequences. So, you make sure to walk the clean path and are thereby without consequences.

Meaning, Dharma protects you, always gives one, because the other (namely consequences) is not within Dharma, and therefore it is also presented as the first or primary teaching, and is partially, in some instances even holistically, conveyed in spiritual teachings—such as, for example, in the Ten Commandments or in yogic doctrines. But Dharma is most prominently reflected in folk sayings or proverbs.

Some examples are, for instance: do not steal, do not lie, do not interfere with the will of another, do not desire and do not take what belongs to another, turn your attention inward, live in love, do not lean on others, do not expect from others, do not impose your will on others, be content with what you have… these are examples of general laws of Dharma.

But there also exist more complex laws. And in order to reach these more complex laws, a person must know all the things one must not do in life—or what is not for humans. And by living according to the basic, simpler insights, a person slowly comes to ever deeper insights, until finally they realize what God truly means. Until that moment, one might think they know or understand what God is, but in truth, they do not know. They only comfort themselves and unconsciously lean on the idea of God.”

Let me add here that the insights which Novo speaks of are an extraordinary human ability and a window into the deepest mysteries of our existence. However, this ability is accessible to a person in direct proportion to how much the individual lives in accordance with the laws of Dharma. So, the more we dedicate our life to Dharma, the clearer and deeper the insights into life and truth become. And insights are what reveal things as they truly are. When a person recognizes things as they truly are, they cannot do wrong — or there is no longer a need for wrongdoing.

And with this, any doubt about whether or when one is doing wrong is also removed … or as Novo explains:

“When you ask yourselves how to recognize causality or wrongdoing, the answer is that if you live according to Dharma, you have total insight in every situation. And with that, such questions are no longer necessary, because in every situation, with total insight, you also have a complete answer on how you must act — so there is no need for knowledge or thinking about consequences. These questions only arise when we lack insights.

What is meant by insight is seeing, perceiving, and recognizing the situation as it truly is. So, when you recognize the situation as it truly is, you are in Dharma. When you live in Dharma and move in your own rhythm, you finish as you begin, without getting tired … the beginning is the same as the end.

But when you start with an action that comes from your own will — for example, you want to speed up … the faster you go, the more the need arises to stop or slow down. The same applies if you slow down too much. That again brings effort, specifically, the effort to slow down … it may be easy at the beginning, but the more or longer you are slowing down, the more difficult it becomes. For example, you can lie down and fill yourself with energy, but then you must get up, you must move again.

So Dharma — or in other words, spontaneity — means acting within the boundaries of what is allowed and light, and at the same time does not trigger, as a consequence, a change in mood. If the mood changes, it means one is not acting according to Dharma.”

At this point, where spontaneity or the importance of acting in one’s own, natural rhythm was mentioned, I will add the words with which Satya Sai Baba touched upon Dharma. He said the following:

“When you are in harmony, your actions are also harmonious, or in other words, you are in Dharma, you are righteous. You act or you stop when it is appropriate. And with that, your actions will be successful.

Everything has its time. There comes a time when you must be active, and a time when you must rest. A time comes when you must go, and a time when you must stay. The same goes for learning and working, speaking and silence, eating and fasting.

True balance is Dharma or righteousness, and this is the essence of life.

Everything has its time. You cannot smell a green bud and expect it to be fragrant. You cannot milk a calf and expect to bring home milk. You cannot expect a puppy to already be a guard dog.

Everything has its time. Everything needs its own time for its own development.

If you act outside of this time, you will either fail or have to invest much more energy than if you had waited for the right moment. That is why acting in Dharma or righteousness means acting at the right time. Patience and the ability to wait are the salt of life.

Always keep in mind that patience must be the foundation of your actions. Patience represents the greater part of success in life. Patience and the recognition of when and where to act are the foundations of Dharma or righteousness.”

Thus, Sai Baba has beautifully highlighted another of the laws—or essential aspects—of Dharma, and that is patience.

And indeed, patience is one of the key qualities that can protect us from wrongdoing and thereby from negative consequences. While wrongdoing itself and causality are not the main focus of today’s episode, you may have already noticed—and as it will become even more evident further on— they are difficult to avoid mentioning when speaking about Dharma, even though Dharma in itself does not contain them.

In this way, Novo on the one hand strictly separates Dharma from wrongdoing, yet on the other hand reconnects it to causality—through destiny. He says the following:

“The aforementioned knowledge or rules of Dharma are thus given, and regardless of the extent to which people study and verify them, they represent something called an axiom in science, meaning a permanent law that operates but cannot be proven.

These rules originate from or represent Dharma, and not wrongdoing, although someone could describe them as such, in the sense of ‘if you steal, I will punish you.’ That is indeed true—you will be punished, and this truly belongs in the realm of wrongdoing or causality. Because, causality means that to every action inevitably follows a reaction, just as night and day are connected… inevitably after a night comes a day. So action and reaction are connected — or in other words, this is causality, causation, or consequentiality.

In causality, there is not the slightest action that is not followed by continuation… so the action itself does not end with that action alone, but immediately after the action follows obligation and dependence, at least to the extent of the action itself.

But in Dharma, this is not so… in Dharma there is only one… causality has at least two sides, Dharma has only one.”

And as I already mentioned earlier, causality leads back to Dharma, because it is closely connected to our destiny—which itself is an essential part of causality. The concept of “destiny” itself will be addressed separately in one of the other episodes, but what is important for today is that Dharma is part of destiny, and according to Novo’s words, in the following way:

“If destiny is given to us to be served or settled, Dharma, within that, shows us how to correct what we have up to that point done wrong. For example, if someone was stealing in the past, Dharma tells them ‘don’t steal.’ So Dharma shows us how to not create new consequences.

And destiny is given to us with the purpose to be depleted, not to be multiplied.

Destiny, as the sum of our good and bad deeds from the past, together forms Dharma, which says the following: Where you did good, continue. Where you did bad, stop—there start doing the opposite. And with this, all problems as the consequence of our own past work positively, they teach us.”

So, as we can see, it is by no means a coincidence that Dharma in general is considered a present, or a divine gift, for it guides us on the path of righteousness—or toward the right way of living. This wonderful gift of life shows us at every step how not to engage in wrongdoing—or if and where we still do that, how to stop doing so. And what could be a more beautiful gift for life than that?

And since God was already mentioned, I should add that when speaking about Dharma, we cannot ignore the fact that Dharma is also synonymous with what represents a true spiritual life. And this is something that, if people lived according to Dharma, religiousness would also represent.

And it is from this perspective, that Dharma is approached by the great Jiddu Krishnamurti, who in one of his talks connected righteousness, or Dharma, with faith or religiousness and with truthful action, which he simply calls behavior.

About Dharma or righteousness he said the following:

“To inquire into the whole question of what is true religion, one must first understand what behaviour is. The foundation of right inquiry is surely behaviour, which is righteousness; and righteousness is not merely the cultivation of virtue. A man who cultivates virtue ceases to be virtuous; a man who practices humility is no longer humble.

Righteousness or behaviour is not something to be gained, to be arrived at, but it must be understood from moment to moment in the actuality of daily living. That is why it is important to have self-knowledge, to know how you think, how you feel, how you act, how you respond to another. All that indicates the manner of your approach to life, and therein lies the foundation of righteousness, not in some Utopia, ideal or organized belief. The actual foundation must be laid in our daily living.

So a man who would inquire into what is true religion must lay the foundation of righteousness by being without envy, without ambition, without the greed for power. This is an actual possibility, I am not being idealistic. Ideals and actuality are incompatible.

That is why it is important to lay the foundation of righteousness, which is to step out of the present society. Stepping out of society does not mean becoming a hermit, a monk, or a sannyasi, but being without greed, without envy, without violence, without the desire for position and power.

To understand righteousness it is necessary to step out of the pattern of society. By society I do not mean the organized means of communication, of supplying food, clothing, shelter, and so on, but the whole psychological or moral issue which is involved in society. A person who seeks to inquire into what is true religion obviously cannot belong to a society which accepts greed, envy, the pursuit of personal ambition, the search for power, fame, and all the rest of it. To belong to a society based on cruelty and the pursuits of self-interest, and still be religious, is obviously impossible.

So the man who would be religious cannot belong to any organized belief, which only conditions the mind, but must be concerned with behaviour, which is righteousness - his own behaviour, not that of others. Most of us are so eager to reform others and so little concerned with the transformation of ourselves. What matters is not how others behave, your friend, your wife, or your husband, but how you behave.”

In such an exceptionally direct and grounded way, Krishnamurti reminds us of the importance of self-knowledge, which through careful observation plainly shows where we have strayed from living according to Dharma and how to return to that path. We will definitely meet Krishnamurti again, as for more than six decades he served humanity in his unique way and, in doing so, left for us a vast collection of invaluable knowledge—especially about the importance of living according to Dharma.

And with Krishnamurti highlighting the important connection between Dharma and our behavior — and thus the problem of the lack of foundations of righteousness in society — I would like to add that people like to believe that we mostly live decently, justly, honorably, and that we don’t do wrong … that we generally live, for example, according to the Ten Commandments. But in doing so, we often resort to self-justification, saying things like, "Well, I'm not that bad, I live honestly, I don't sin that much…” and so on. This mindset is very present and widespread.

At the same time, if we are sincere enough, we can also observe in ourselves how the problem of society that Krishnamurti speaks of is also present within us. With just a bit of attention and awareness, we can quickly notice — if not those big ones, then at least the small lies, gossiping, envy, competitiveness, manipulation, control, demanding attention, dwelling on the past, worrying about the future, pseudo-altruism, and so on… and all of this is, in more or less subtle forms, present in our daily behavior.

But often, we don't want to see this as wrongdoing; we don't view it as necessarily something bad. After all, this is just how people are — and that's completely normal, right?

However, this kind of mindset or self-justification is extremely dangerous and harmful. These denials become such subtle habits of the mind that, over time, we no longer recognize them — or if we do, we no longer see them as problematic.

And this is something anyone can check for themselves... if you ever tell yourself, “Well, this isn’t such a big deal,” then, if it truly isn’t such a big deal — next time refrain from doing it. Try it out. If you succeed, great — continue not doing it. But if you fail, you will realize just how powerful such habits can be, and how quickly, even when we intend to act differently, we get pulled back into old patterns before we even realize it or stop.

That’s why we must never underestimate, justify, or even encourage wrongdoing — neither with ourselves nor with others. Because small wrong deeds become habits, and those lead to long-term wrongdoing, or even greater wrongdoing. And the longer it lasts and the bigger it becomes, the harder it is to find the way and the strength out of it.

This is where the immense importance of self-observation which leads to self-knowledge becomes clear — that is, recognizing where we ourselves are not pure, where we still do wrong. The essential thing is that through self-knowledge, we come to recognize ourselves as we truly are… not as we think we are, not as we wish to be — but as we actually are. Deep down, we already know this, but we’ve been taught to hide it from ourselves, to run away from it, to justify our wrongdoings in one way or another. Because, for the most part, that is the only way we know how to cope with ourselves.

But this in no way resolves the acute problem of wrongdoing — and it certainly does not make us righteous. Hiding from ourselves does not mean we are living according to Dharma. Quite the opposite.

Another important point to highlight when we speak of Dharma is our tendency to shift responsibility onto others. Namely, it is the belief that if I sin, I confess in church, to the priest, or to God, and my mistakes, my sins, will be forgiven.

What is positive in this is that if we already feel the need to confess, it means we are at least aware that we’ve done something wrong. And this awareness is crucial if we truly want to stop doing wrong.

Confession — whether it’s to God, in church, to a guru, a partner, a friend, or to ourselves — carries a double meaning. The first is that it relieves us of our sense of guilt. Unfortunately, for most people, this is where confession ends.

But to fulfill its complete purpose, confession must also include the second part: that is, sincere remorse for what was done, and at the very least our desire — if not the decision — to not do the same again.

And it is precisely this lack of the second part, this genuine intention to change oneself and truly stop wrongdoing, that Krishnamurti sought to point out when he spoke about society. Because today’s society, which truly is far from Dharma, constantly binds us to its immoral patterns.

The path out of these social patterns may not be easy — at least not at first — but it is absolutely necessary and worthwhile. And each person must choose this path for themselves, by themselves. In this, however, the teachings of great masters, spiritual traditions, and the support of others already walking this path can be an invaluable source of strength and guidance.

And one of the first, important steps back to living in accordance to Dharma is that we begin taking the responsibility for our own actions. For when we seek forgiveness from God, a guru, saints, and similar, it means that we don’t really want to bear the consequences of our own actions ourselves, but we want to shift that responsibility onto another, even onto God.

It’s important to understand that if and when someone else takes on the consequences of our actions, this actually directly encourages us to continue with wrongdoing and to not change. The very fact that we must take responsibility for our own actions is a completely natural way that leads us to stop wrongdoing. So God does not take away the consequences of our actions - we must face and settle them ourselves.

And we can do this mainly in two ways: one is, to accept the consequences as they are and face them with equanimity. That is, to have no aversion, to not oppose the consequences, to not try to escape or postpone them to another time. And the other way is to do good and thereby negate the negative.

In this, a prayer or requesting help from God or the Global Will makes sense… namely, in helping us find strength, will, courage, and clarity to face the consequences of our negative actions more easily. So, not to erase the consequences, but to help us calmly face and accept them. This is the meaning and power of prayer.

In this, it is recognized how Dharma itself represents an important mechanism in our lives, because it guides us to live a righteous, natural, and proper life, and with that to stop with wrongdoing, meaning stop creating new negative consequences. And at the same time, through good deeds, we negate the consequences of our past negative actions. In this way, Dharma both protects and helps us.

And the more we walk the path of Dharma, the more life truly becomes light, relaxed, and simple. Or as Novo, through practical examples, describes it like this:

“I emphasize again that in Dharma you have the understanding, freedom, happiness, love, you have wealth or better put fulfillment. Namely, when you live according to Dharma, wealth is not a quantitatively defined concept, but it is relative… this means that in Dharma the concept of wealth applies always and everywhere. For example, if you take or measure something by quantity, you usually say that if it is bigger, it means greater wealth, while a small amount is seen as poverty or as insufficient. Well, that holds true in causality, meaning under conditions that are outside of Dharma.

In Dharma, this concept does not exist in the same way. In Dharma you can notice that the big and the small are the same. For example, if someone wants to drink two glasses, and another only half a glass, both the one with half a glass and the one with two glasses will be equally quenched. This is strange, but in Dharma that is how it is. Or, for example, look at a mother when a child comes and eats more than usual, and for the mother, for example, there is not enough left or less than she needs. And yet all she will say is, “Well, son, are you full? Great!” and she will take what is left, and that will be enough for her.

This is that quality that does not arouse even the slightest emptiness in you. The same, for example, when you love someone… whether they took more than you or less, it actually doesn’t matter to you. That is living according to Dharma. Therefore, looking from a quantitative perspective, what applies in the nature of causality does not apply in the nature of Dharma. Even if the quantities are different, in Dharma it has no influence and does not play a role, because whether you took little, more, nothing, it is all the same to you. Dharma does not arouse a feeling of lack in us.

If a person does not realize that they have enough, they will continue to think that they will never have enough, and such a person cannot be content with anything. In Dharma, a human is given everything one needs at any given moment.

If a person lives in righteousness, which means respecting the laws of Dharma, they are in unity and harmony with everything and everyone. And they will live out the entire destiny of this life, no matter what it is, in a divine way.

This is the truth about Dharma.”

Conclusion

With these beautiful words and profound insights, Novo has also brought us to the conclusion of this episode. As you could see from the example of these three different teachers, the concept of Dharma can be approached in various ways. If a person is close to it, Dharma is extremely simple and natural. But when a person distances themselves from it, its understanding becomes more complex and difficult. In both cases, however, it remains of exceptional, if not the greatest, importance for our life. Therefore Dharma, as the essence, foundation, or guidance, will be subtly interwoven with the content of all episodes of the Nectar of Peace podcast.

Before concluding the episode, I would like to especially highlight the book from which the words of Satya Sai Baba were taken. It is a beautiful and important book titled Sai Baba Speaks to the West, in which Sai Baba offers a short teaching for each day of the year. These teachings cover all aspects of our daily lives and subtly guide us toward a deeper recognition of the right way of living. And what happens when the year comes to an end and we’ve read all the teachings? Just like with the New Year - we start again. You will be able to notice that some teachings have become clearer, that you yourself have become more open to receiving them, and more ready to internalize them. So I truly recommend this book to everyone; it is also available in English.

As an introduction to the next episode, I can add that in today’s excerpt of Novo’s teachings, I took the liberty - at my own responsibility - to replace one key word. Namely, the word karma, which I substituted with its synonym causality. This is because the word karma is still quite unfamiliar and mostly insufficiently understood by today’s, especially Western, person, whereas causality, which represents the same thing, is much closer. To clarify this concept as much as possible, at least for you, listeners of this podcast, the word karma will be the topic of the next episode.

So, if you found this episode interesting and useful, I invite you to leave a comment, like or even better share the podcast with others and possibly direct them towards living the life according to Dharma. If you would like to be notified about new episode releases, feel free to subscribe at www.nectarofpeace.com.

If you have any questions about the topics covered in this podcast, or if you'd like to have a more personal conversation with me about how to better internalize and apply them in your life, feel free to email me at mitja@nectarofpeace.com

And once again, in the spirit of the Nectar of Peace, I send you greetings with the wish for peace.

Originally posted on July 15th, 2025

🎧 Please listen to the audio using the player above.☝️

Where there is a lack of trust, doubt appears.

When there is doubt, fear appears.

With doubt and fear, a wish for control and change appears.

And a person who engages in control and the changing of circumstances, nature, animals, and other humans is a person who inevitably engages in wrongdoing.

By wrongdoing, a person distances themselves from stability, peace, health, and themselves.

And when we’ve distanced ourselves from all that — and most of us have — trust that all is as it should be, and that all that is happening is happening for a reason, also means a return to the awareness that, aside from ourselves, it is not on us to control or change anything or anyone.

Therefore, a return to trust is a return to peace and the self.

Thank you for listening / reading Nectar of Peace publications! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Subscribe now

And, if this whisper resonated with you, consider sharing it with friends or loved ones — you might just help someone on their path.

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Originally posted on July 3rd, 2025

🎧 Please listen to the audio using the player above.☝️

In this second episode of Nectar of Peace podcast, we will touch on the question of the proper way of living - namely, living a truly natural life. A life as it was originally given to us, which we all have the right and capability to live.

This time, teacher Novo reminds us how far we’ve distanced ourselves from such a life and invites us to awakening and to return to what is naturally ours, and for which we all, consciously or unconsciously, crave.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• Importance of discovering what truly matters in life

• The importance of proper rest and the key to balance

• Natural phases of life

• Einstein and Peter Deunov

• Health and natural immunity

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be your host on this podcast, which serves as an invitation to personal and spiritual growth.

Sources:

· Novo: Lectures and Q&A archive

If this episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with friends or loved ones - you might just help someone on their path.

Share

Episode transcription

Welcome to the second episode of the Nectar of Peace Podcast, which is dedicated to sharing universal truths and wisdom taught by humanity’s greatest teachers and sages.

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be joining you in discovering these invaluable teachings that, if we choose to follow them, lead us to a life filled with the nectar of peace - which is what we all seek and need. So, let’s see where we can discover and embrace it today.

If the previous episode was more practical, with clearly laid-out steps that we all can follow, today’s episode will be of a more general nature, but still important. But, not to worry, there will also be a slight practical suggestion, which will serve as an orientation to determine whether we are living our life in the right direction. In today’s episode, we will touch on the question of the proper way of living - namely, living a truly natural life. A life as it was originally given to us, which we all have the right and capability to live.

The insight into this more general picture of such a life, as well as the practical tip, will again be given by teacher Novo. Not only will it serve as a reminder of how much we’ve distanced ourselves from such a life, but mainly as an invitation to start awakening and with that, to return to what is naturally ours, and for which we all, consciously or unconsciously, crave.

Teachings

Therefore, it’s best to start … start with waking up … and with that Novo says:

“It is important for a modern human to recognize their own discontent, which originates from the fast-paced, dynamic way of living, and a lack of awareness about where that leads them.

The first thing to realize, therefore, is where their way of living is leading them. Because from that arises an important discovery of everything one doesn’t need, but is yet unaware of that. For example, if one has secured financial means for a normal living, it is necessary to reduce ambitions in this direction. One must know that money is part of external means, which play just a small part of life, and is definitely not something crucial … just a small part. In the same way a house is also just a means, and plays a small part of life. Meaning, it is not all about the house. If for example you don’t have a house, you find an apartment ... for it serves the same function.

Money can indeed buy us everything that can be bought. But regardless of how much we’re used to money, we still cannot spend our whole day only with and around money. It doesn’t work like that.

There is something more important … and that is the right attitude toward life. That is what is missing or is not properly understood … the right way of living. And that way means that when you are engaged with something, your awareness must be present, and you must be relaxed.

If a person, throughout their day, lacks relaxation, lacks presence in what they are doing, they don’t really live their life, and they destroy themselves. In other words, the absence of such proper way of living is destroying humans, and doesn’t offer anything beneficial. Over time (possibly even in a short time), certain bodily functions will fail or slow down. One’s brain, heart, and other key organs will get damaged, and that will bring one to an even worse condition.

If, however, a human lives with relaxation, is aware of what and how much they are working, and takes necessary rest when tired, then the entire inner experience changes and one becomes content with oneself. And this self-contentment, without the frantic wandering, is a clear indicator that one is living life in the right way. For when you live in the right way, you are content with yourself as well as life itself. In such a state, you don’t feel aversion, you don’t question why things are the way they are … life becomes contentment, joy, happiness … and with that, health is also restored. In this way, and with such an attitude toward life, all vital organs function healthily in the long term.”

And the aforementioned awareness during our engagement with work is exactly what enables us to dedicate the required time and space for the other, equally important side of work … which is rest. The issue is that, if we work with a lack of presence and unawareness, or if, for various reasons, we push ourselves over the limit when tiredness begins, we lose balance in the body as well as in the mind. To maintain this important balance, even while we work, Novo lays out the following:

“In the moment when we recognize excessive effort or first signs of tiredness, we stop … and calm down. For, if we stop only after a longer period of effort and tiredness, we will need a longer rest. But, if we recognize it and take it into account earlier, this will result in a shorter period of needed rest. If however, we recognize this at the very start, meaning at the moment when tiredness first appears, for which an exceptionally delicate sensitivity must be developed, we will need only a small amount of time for rest.

That is also the secret to work situations when a manager pushes you to overwork … to pause immediately at every instance when you recognize the slightest sign of tiredness or excessive effort … it may be a second, two or three, and then you resume working. This will appear as if you are continuously working, but in reality you are also continuously resting, just in really small intervals. This is why some people appear as if they are constantly working, yet never seem to get tired. All they do, is they catch the very beginning of tiredness and immediately and every single time stop for a brief rest. And then they can work for long periods of time without tiring themselves. If, however, in the same situation you work with tiredness already in progress and then take a rest for a half an hour, that rest will be noticed by others, and some managers may not like it.”

Herein lies the answer and important guidance to all who are looking for a way out of the modern burnout phenomenon and the workplace pressure. But, if you’re already in this serious state of excessive exhaustion, don’t expect that the next time you feel tired, a short break will be enough. First, you must make up for all the past deficits in rest. And that is necessary! The sooner you pay attention to this, and the sooner you give yourself the much-needed rest—meaning calmness and relaxation—the sooner you will be able to enjoy the previously mentioned harmony between work and rest.

People in general don’t give enough importance to balance or harmony and are overburdened with other people and unimportant things. It is hard to find a person, who is materially rich and at the same time completely relaxed, content, healthy, and at peace — at peace even when entering old age. Novo beautifully touches on this with the following:

“A modern person must therefore learn not to overwork or overburden themselves, not to dwell on the things they can not attend to in this moment, to know that in life everything material, whatever it may be; food, clothing, money … is needed only in small quantities, and plays a minor part of life, even though people today consider these things as most important … but that is not so. Because when you give these things such an important meaning, you will find yourself entering a state of discontent, restlessness, agitation, and chaos. And that will make life appear as difficult, while in reality life is not difficult or hard … it is easy, always and everywhere.

This is what needs to be discovered! Few people have come to this discovery and knowledge, but those who did are continually content with everything and never with anything discontent. They feel at home everywhere they go, and everywhere their life is the same. They always feel secure and live the way they want to, regardless of where on Earth they live.

But, that needs to be experienced. Take for example children … wherever you take them, they always play. And that experience holds true for all, meaning, life is the same for all, old and young. Being young, one cannot say that the older person doesn’t know anything. That wouldn’t be true, because if you abstain from wrongdoing in life, the adulthood will not prevent you from having what children have. All it does is make you more experienced, richer, stronger, and more mature. That is what adulthood brings.

It is true that we cannot avoid naturally given periods of life, namely childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age. These cannot be stopped, but that doesn’t mean that childhood is the best part of life. Then youth, adulthood, and lastly the old age, as the worst and the hardest. This is not so.

Quite the contrary … life remains pleasant in childhood, as in youth and adulthood, but it gets even better with old age. It truly is beautiful to be a child, for life is organized in such a way that others take care of us. As a teen, you have greater awareness, and part of the responsibility a child didn’t have, you take onto yourself. And with that, since you are able to take some of the responsibility, realistically, in relation to a child, you become more joyous. Then maturity comes. And that is an even better period of life, because maturity means you have everything. And by “everything,” it is meant that you are now able to wholly take care of yourself, not depending on others—not your father or mother, not society or the state, not colleagues or friends … no one. This is what maturity means, and that brings even greater joy. So, childhood is a small joy, youth is a bit bigger, and adulthood is an even greater joy.

And after adulthood comes old age.”

Here I need to make a note, since Novo refers to the word “old” as something that means a star, something that shines. In his language, the word “old” literally translates to the word “star.” And from this, he playfully uses the translation for the word star, meaning old, as something that shines. That is why he says that:

“Not many people know the meaning behind the word ‘old’ (or ‘star’) … it means that in your old age you must shine like a star and not feel dissatisfied. And a star is something that continuously shines. In adulthood, you can’t be constantly happy, since you are faced with situations that require effort, and you need to attend to things. But in old age, such a need for activity is no longer necessary. All that is left is that you continuously shine … and that is a period of the greatest joy.

This is how we should develop through life … this means to truly live life. And going through life in this way, there is also no fear of death, for you recognize death merely as a dream, not as something to fear because it is unknown. All it is is just a sweet dream.

What I have exposed here also holds true for some people today, but they are exceptionally rare. Not many know this. But those who do have incomparably higher intelligence than any current civilization. Even the so-called great minds, revered by these civilizations, like, for example, Einstein and Tesla, didn’t come to know the true goal of life. They also sought out such people, because one thing they did realize is that life without permanent, continuous contentment and joy is a missed life.”

Here I want to add one interesting, but also beneficial, story from Einstein’s life, a story that is generally quite unknown.

During Einstein’s lifetime, there was a great and enlightened teacher living and working in Bulgaria, and his name was Peter Deunov. Einstein is said to have become one of his—how should I say this—followers, students … anyway, prior to meeting Deunov, it was known that Einstein did not believe in God, that he was an atheist. But upon seeing with what completeness and precision, depth and clarity, a person who had never written a single sentence in the scientific fields Einstein was expert in, could present and clarify to him even the most complex phenomena in the fields of astronomy, physics, and others, Einstein said “so, now that you have conceptualized and clarified all the questions that were burdening me my whole life, and now that all these are clear, I can say, that although I didn’t believe in God until now, I now believe 100 percent. I saw and met God.”

After meeting Peter Deunov, Einstein is said to have come to see God in him, as Deunov was able to lay out with full clarity all that Einstein had pursued his whole career.

Herein lies a demonstration of the greatness of a human who really knows how to live life in the right way. And until we fully realize this for our own life, it remains crucial that we turn in the direction that leads to it.

Now back to Novo, who continues with the following:

“Humans must therefore turn in this direction. With that, their health will also be restored by itself. That is to say, health has the capacity to fully preserve its own immunity. External means like medicine, food, massage, and similar methods are only means of temporary help. And until we reach a state where the body preserves its immunity by itself, we can never be fully or completely healthy … regardless of what medicine, healthy food, or other we use … it simply can’t happen.

Just look at children … by themselves, they are completely healthy. They don’t give much thought to whether they ate today or not … for when they play, they don’t budge from it. When they immerse themselves in the game, a thought of food doesn’t cross their minds, for the game itself feeds them.”

One interesting remark here … Novo tends to be extremely strict when it comes to discussions about the right and natural upbringing of children, especially emphasizing the importance of protecting children's pristine consciousness as well as intelligence … which exist in the purest and most perfect form in each child that is born. Unfortunately, due to a lack of consciousness and proper knowledge among the people around them, this is often destroyed during their upbringing.

And when great teachers refer to children as an example of purity, innocence, intelligence, and the most refined senses and feelings, they, of course, refer to children who were allowed such natural and correct development throughout their childhood and youth. Today, such cases are, of course, rare, regardless of the best intentions of parents, caretakers, and others. When a person loses most of their awareness, intelligence, and purity, it is inevitable that they will err in their relationship with themselves as well as others … and raising children is no exception to this. This, of course, is transmitted from generation to generation … which makes the awakening of each and every one of us even more important.

Novo has shared a lot of knowledge about how to properly raise children to protect their purity. Therefore, if this topic interests you, I will definitely share these teachings in future episodes.

By preventing children from going through the natural development and growth, we cause negative consequences, which are then expressed in a restless mind, unstable emotions, and damaged physical health. Therefore, a part of our journey to awakening also means a gradual return to our health — that is, the natural balance in our body. And on that, Novo concludes that …

“… it is of great importance to retain our own immunity throughout childhood, youth, adulthood, as well as old age. Immunity itself never leaves a human being, but a person loses it through the wrong way of living. If you live properly, your body will always give you protection and immunity and will take care of its health. Health is never destroyed from the outside, but it gets destroyed due to the loss of its own immunity, which is a consequence of improper living.

If, however, we turn in the direction of the right way of living mentioned earlier, we will realize what life really means. And the sooner you realize it, the better. Most importantly, you should do this before you bring yourself to a situation where you’ve already damaged yourself too much or made yourself dependent on others.

Making a shift in this direction, towards the right way of living therefore represents a gradual awakening for each individual.”

Conclusion

There! If you’ve managed to stay awake during the episode, that is good and can represent a small step on the path to full awakening. And that is my earnest wish for all. As Novo likes to emphasize: “It doesn’t matter how far the goal is or where we are on the path to it. What matters is that we don’t stop. What matters is that we constantly move towards the goal. Because, regardless of how many steps will be required, we can only reach the goal by taking each of these steps. And that is a guarantee of certainty that we will arrive.”

As this episode comes to an end, take with you the awareness about the importance of relaxation and lightness. And if these are not felt, remember that there is a part in your current activity, or in your attitude towards it, that calls for a change, for a recalibration in the direction that leads back to balance … step by step.

With today’s episode being more of a hint and encouragement towards a proper way of living, we will, in the next episode, look at this more thoroughly as we venture into the so-called life of Dharma. If you found this episode interesting and useful, I invite you to leave a comment and like it, or even better, to share it with others so that it may hopefully help them.

And if you haven’t yet subscribed to receive notifications about new episode releases, I invite you to do so as well.

And with that, and in the spirit of the nectar of peace, I send you a wish for peace.

Originally posted on June 30th, 2025

🎧 Please listen to the audio using the player above.☝️

When we find ourselves consumed by jealousy, competition, anger, or similar emotions in relation to others, we must first acknowledge how severely this drains our energy.

This recognition allows us to retain some of that energy, which we can then redirect toward understanding the source of these feelings.

This shift turns our attention in the right direction — inward, toward self-inquiry.

What we come to realize is that others are not the source of these feelings, but that these feelings are merely superficial expressions of our own lack of self-esteem, discontent, and disappointment.

This process of self-inquiry itself brings relief, conserves energy, and gradually dissolves the negativity.

Thank you for listening / reading Nectar of Peace publications! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

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Originally posted on June 30th, 2025

In this very first episode of Nectar of Peace, I’ll introduce the podcast and share its purpose. I’ll also share one essential teaching - simple yet powerful that, when followed, naturally leads to greater inner peace and lasting contentment.

What you’ll hear in this episode:

• A warm welcome and introduction to the Nectar of Peace podcast

• 3 key steps that can guide you toward peace and contentment

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be your host on this podcast, which serves as an invitation to personal and spiritual growth.

Sources:

· Novo: Lectures and Q&A archive

If this opening episode resonated with you, consider sharing it with friends or loved ones - you might just help someone on their path.

Share

Episode transcription

Welcome to this first episode of the podcast called Nectar of Peace, which is dedicated to sharing universal truths and wisdom taught by humanity’s greatest teachers and sages.

My name is Mitja Žibert, and I’ll be hosting this program as an important part of my vocation which is to share these teachings that I myself try to live by as well.

This podcast also serves as an invitation to all modern people, regardless of their age or life conditions, who feel there is something missing in their daily lives: a sense of prolonged peace, balance, contentment, and purpose.

Most of us reach a point in life when we realize the need to make a certain shift, but somehow we keep getting pulled back into old habitual patterns and the destructive sociocultural conditioning. And the more we repress this realization and paper over the cracks, the more we are drawn into discontent, anger, and confusion.

This call for a shift is sincere and originates from our deepest innate intelligence, yet our willingness to follow it easily falters. To succeed, we must approach it with care, faith, persistence, and, above all, the right guidance. Where better to look than to the greatest teachers and sages of humanity, who have, since time immemorial, each in their own way, shared universal truths about all aspects and dimensions of life.

And so, I would like to, even in this first recording, share one seemingly simple, but yet profound knowledge, which beautifully opens this program. This knowledge was shared by a teacher, Novo, who supportively guides me, like many others, on our path and whom I consider to belong to the aforementioned group of teachers.

Since his teachings are largely accessible to modern humans in terms of content, reasoning, and feeling, yet remain inaccessible to the public at large, they will form the core of these episodes. Novo has also encouraged the idea of me sharing his teachings in this manner. I will, however, share the teachings of other great teachers as well. And, when I say “great teachers” or “sages,” I am referring to those who have truly reached final liberation, self-realization, or so-called enlightenment. Alongside Novo's teachings, we will therefore also explore the teachings of:

• Gautama Buddha

• Jesus Christ

• Satya Sai Baba

• Jiddu Krishnamurti

• Osho

• Ramana Maharshi

• Lao Tzu

• Peter Deunov

• Ramakrishna Paramahansa,

• Swami Vivekananda

• Paramahansa Yogananda

• Swami Satyananda

• and so on …

Each of these teachers, along with their own teachers or spiritual traditions, has profoundly contributed to humanity's well-being. And, as we will see, there are many more such self-realized teachers to explore.

Two short notes, before we touch on the first teaching, which will serve as a beautiful introduction to all future recordings.

First, I want to emphasize my intention to share knowledge and truths in the original and unaltered form, as much as possible. This is of key importance if we want to retain the teachings and their essence. I will, however, when deemed necessary or useful, add notes or additional explanations to the given content. These, too, will be based on the teachings of the same teachers. The fact is that when exposed to this knowledge, we may sometimes feel a certain lack of clarity or even feel it to be incomplete or irrelevant to us. But later on, when we encounter that same knowledge on some other occasion, in a different way, or simply when we are more ready, the pieces gradually fall into place. And these pieces will form the basis for my commentaries.

Second, in these episodes, we will encounter certain words that are often misunderstood or completely misinterpreted, so I will try to gradually clarify their meanings. To give a few examples: happiness, which we often believe can be found in sensual pleasures; intelligence, which is mistakenly considered equal to intellect; and meditation, which is often considered to be an active concentration, yet, as we will learn, that is not what meditation truly is. I could also add words like love, karma, freedom, destiny, prayer, mantra, chakra, and so on. As we will see, there are many such terms, and our lives are often shaped by the meanings we assign to them.

Teachings

But, let me get back to Novo. For this first episode I chose something which we can all relate to and can be truly useful to everybody. I chose a question posed to Novo by a lady, where she asks him to give practical steps that lead to becoming like Novo, or to reaching the goal. But to not give something currently unreachable, but something basic and accessible.

To her request, Novo gave the following answer:

“First step: you must not deal with other people. You must not waste time thinking about other people or be interested in other people. That is the first step.

Second step: deal only with that which is for you to deal with, meaning deal only with your own matters. That is step number two.

And step number three: turn your attention to others only when you are asked to, when you are called for, or when you are requested to help. That is step number three.”

Here, I must add that Novo is clearly aware of the meaning of duty and responsibility. This means that when someone has a certain responsibility to others—for example, their children or their customers—this responsibility carries an inherent request for help, support, or cooperation.

And, like all other great teachers, Novo also strongly emphasizes the importance of doing good and serving others. As a useful addition to his answer I shared earlier, he said in some other conversations, that when we want to do good and help others, we can do that risk-free as long as we know in advance that the other wants it or will take it positively. But if we don’t know that, then it is important we first ask for permission to do so. This means we first ask the other, for example, “Can I help you with this?” If the other accepts, we help. But if they refuse, we must accept that, without bad feelings or thoughts, and we refrain from helping.

In his answer, he gave to the lady, he was referring to cases when such inherent responsibility or the necessary awareness doesn’t exist. In such cases, we should deal with others only when they ask us to. Or, put otherwise, when it is not about our own need, it is best to turn to others only when it is wanted or appreciated by them.

The basis for this kind of answer lies in the recognition that, as long as we have a limited consciousness, we cannot fully perceive the consequences of our self-initiated actions. Therefore, even though we may have the best intention to help, we may still do more damage than good and cause additional complications for both sides. For that, we carry the responsibility and the deeper consequences that come with it.

We will definitely learn more about this and why it operates like that in the future episodes, because understanding this clearly is of great importance for our life.

To this third step, about turning our attention to others only when asked, same lady also added a question: “But what if no one calls, seeks, or asks for anything from others? Like here, I don’t want anything from anyone, so no one should also seek nothing from me.”

To this, Novo replied: “If no one needs you or asks anything of you, you are free … which is great. This would mean that you don’t owe anything to anyone, and no one owes anything to you. But as long as anyone has anything unresolved in relation to you (good or bad), they will come. They will help you, do damage to you, ask from you, advise you … even the positive. What matters is that you don’t deal with others unless you are asked for … not by your initiative, but only by the initiative of others.”

Based on other discussions with Novo, I will add here that his reply doesn’t mean we shouldn’t seek help from others when we are in need. While it is beneficial and necessary to keep developing ever-higher levels of independence, as long as inability, dependency, or co-dependency exist, it is, of course, necessary to cooperate or ask for help. Regardless of this, it is good to remember, that only one that needs also seeks. One who doesn’t need, doesn’t seek. Therefore, if anyone asks anything from you, and if you can, and it doesn’t harm anyone, including yourself, give or help them to your best capability.

Novo concluded his answer by asking: “So, how does all this appear … difficult or not?” And, upon receiving confirmation that it seems easy, he added: “Yes, it really does seem easy, but when you try to put it into practice, it turns out to be extremely difficult.”

And it really is difficult—not only because our minds have strong inclinations and habits to deal with others through gossip, comparison, idolizing, competition, assimilation, expectations, judgment, and so on. There is also a general lack of self-knowledge and self-respect, a lack of perception into our deeper interconnectedness, and, of course, our limited understanding of life as a whole. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that we dedicate our time and will to deepen our realizations, and where better to look than to those who have already attained the final realization.

I invite you to put these three steps to the test in your daily living and see how much you’ve already internalized them, and where they still pose a challenge. Regardless of what you discover, let these steps serve you as an important guidance and inspiration on the path to self-knowledge … which, in itself, leads to a better and more beautiful life.

Conclusion

I like to believe that most of us share a deep understanding of how the teachings of these great teachers open a new perception of ourselves, others, and life itself. They can help us make positive changes, but they can also trigger a sense of aversion and doubt, which is completely normal, as they shake the deeply rooted foundations of our beliefs. This is necessary, useful, and one of the key reasons why we will return to these teachings in more depth in the episodes to come.

If you find this introduction intriguing or even inspiring, I warmly invite you to join and listen to the Nectar of Peace podcast - and, to be notified about the release of each episode, do sign up for notifications.

So, may in this beautiful spring, which awoke nature throughout Europe to bring new inspiration to people, this program also awaken and inspire us with the will to answer that call for change and with small, gradual steps, make the shift to a new way of living. This joint journey will take us through the discovery and exploration of profound knowledge, wisdom, practices, and occasional inspiring stories. From my own experience and from those with whom I have or still closely work, I can testify that this is a path that leads all who seek depth over distraction, intelligence over intellect, and peace over fleeting pleasures to a space where the mind settles, the heart opens, and life is filled with the nectar of peace.

I truly hope you will join me in the next episode and until then and in the spirit of the nectar of peace I send you my warmest greetings.

Originally posted on June 30th, 2025

🎧 Please listen to the audio using the player above.☝️

To gain new experience in life is not important.

What is important is to learn how to properly be with the experiences of each given moment, which always comes as the consequence of our own past.

That is what is important.

That is what truly makes us rich inwardly—with calmness, contentment, and freedom.

If this whisper resonated with you, consider sharing it with friends or loved ones — you might just help someone on their path.

Share

Thank you for listening / reading Nectar of Peace publications 🙏 Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.