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The Nonduality
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Quotes from
'Consciousness and the Absolute'
by Nisargadatta
Maharaj
from http://nisargadatta.co.cc/pages/quotes_consciousness_and_absolute.html
-- All these
activities go on, but they are only entertainment. The waking and
deep sleep states come and go spontaneously. Through the sense of
"I", you spontaneously feel like working. But find out
if this sense of "I" is real or unreal, permanent or
impermanent --
-- The Ultimate state in
spirituality is that state where no needs are felt at any time,
where nothing is useful for anything. That state is called
Nirvana, Nirguna, that which is the Eternal and Ultimate Truth.
The essence and sum total of this whole talk is called Sat-guru
Parabrahman, that state in which there are no requirements --
-- People identify me
with their concepts and they do what their concepts tell them. It
is consciousness which is manifest, nothing else. Who is talking,
who is walking, who is sitting? These are the expressions of that
chemical "I Am". Are you that chemical? You talk about
heaven and hell, this Mahatma or that one, but how about you? Who
are you? In meditation, one sees a lot of visions. They are in
the chemical, the realm of your consciousness, are they not? All
these things are connected only to that birth-chemical. You are
not this chemical "I Am" --
-- The essence of the
body is the essence of the foodstuff, and this consciousness lies
dormant in it from the very beginning. In that state of
consciousness is the entire universe. Having seen this, whoever
has understood is bound to be quiet, knowing that this is only a
transient happening. An enormous structure of concepts being
taught to us as knowledge is based on the simple appearance of
consciousness --
-- Recite the
sacred name, that is all right, but the important thing is to
recognize and understand what is the presiding principle by which
you know you are and by which you perceive everything else. You
must look at yourself, get to know yourself. The riddle of
spirituality cannot be solved by your intellect. At the most,
your intellect can provide you with livelihood --
-- Any thought that you
have reached or are going to reach that state is false. Whatever
happens in consciousness is purely imaginary, an hallucination;
therefore, keep in mind the knowledge that it is consciousness in
which everything is happening. With that knowledge, be still, do
not pursue any other thoughts which arise in consciousness. What
is necessary is to understand with sure conviction is that all is
temporary, and does not reflect your true state --
-- You are afraid because
you have assumed something as ‘I am’, which actually
you are not. Suppose you find a diamond ring on the road and you
pocket it. Since it is not yours, a fear overcomes you. When you
put on an identity that is not yours, you are afraid. When you
are the pure ‘I amness’ only, there is no fear.
Presently you are this ‘I am’, but this ‘I am’
is not the truth. Whatever you are prior to the appearance of
‘I am’, that is your real nature --
~ ~ ~
For more about Sri
Nisargadatta Maharaj, visit this new website: