More Pointers From Nisargadatta Maharaj

I DON’T TELL A LIE: WHATEVER EXISTS HAS NO SUBSTANCE. IT IS UNREAL. THE PRESENT MOMENT IS UNREAL.

WHEN YOU KNOW THE SOURCE OF THIS BEINGNESS OR “I”-CONSCIOUSNESS - THAT IS LIBERATION. NOT UNTIL THEN.

YOU ARE NOT EVEN THE UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS (BRAHMAN) BUT THE PARABRAHMAN, THE WITNESS OF THAT UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS.

IN REALITY THERE IS NO DEATH BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT THE BODY. LET THE BODY BE THERE OR NOT BE THERE. YOUR EXISTENCE IS ALWAYS THERE. IT IS ETERNAL.

YOU KNOW YOU ARE. HOW DO YOU KNOW IT? AND WITH WHAT DID YOU KNOW IT? THIS IS THE SUM TOTAL OF MY TEACHING NEEDED TO PUT YOU ON THE RIGHT TRACK, ITS VERY QUINTESSENCE--- FIRST OF ALL YOU WITNESS THAT YOU ARE. STAY PUT THERE- ONLY WITH THIS “YOU ARE.” JUST BE THERE. THEN WITH THE HELP OF THIS “YOU ARE” YOU ARE WITNESSING THE WORLD. STAY PUT THERE. YOU MUST BE PRESENT THERE ONLY, AT THIS POINT - THE “YOU ARE” POINT, BEREFT OF ALL CONCEPTS.

DON’T PRACTICE THIS THING- ONLY DEVELOP YOUR CONVICTION- STABILIZE IN THE CONVICTION: I AM THE KNOWLEDGE “I-AM.” AT THAT STAGE YOUR INDIVIDUALITY IS COMPLETELY EXTINGUISHED. YOU NO LONGER HAVE A PERSONALITY. IN PLACE OF THE LOST INDIVIDUALITY HAS COME THE MANIFEST TOTALITY- BUT YOUR TRUE NATURE IS UTTERLY APART FROM EVEN THE MANIFEST TOTALITY.

YOU ARE TO TRANSCEND CONSCIOUSNESS.

THERE IS NO VOLITION AS FAR AS AN INDIVIDUAL IS CONCERNED. THINGS HAPPEN ON THEIR OWN. WHEN THAT IS SEEN, THERE IS ALREADY A CERTAIN PEACE OF MIND. NOTHING REMAINS TO BE DONE. THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN OR NEED DO. WHATEVER HAPPENS IS A MERE MOVEMENT IN CONSCIOUSNESS.

UNLESS THE CENTER OF PERCEIVING ITSELF IS CHANGED TO THE NOUMENON YOU WILL NEVER GET AN IDEA OF YOUR TRUE NATURE- ONLY WHEN “I-AM-NESS” DISAPPEARS WILL YOU BE FREE OF CONCEPTS.

WHEN ONE STOPS THINKING THAT ONE IS LIVING, AND GETS THE FEELING THAT ONE IS BEING LIVED, THAT WHATEVER ONE IS DOING, ONE IS NOT DOING, BUT ONE IS MADE TO DO, THEN THAT IS SORT OF A CRITERION.

WHATEVER YOU MAY THINK YOU HAVE UNDERSTOOD, WHATEVER IS YOUR KNOWLEDGE, IT IS ALL A CONCEPT. YOU ARE NOT THE CONCEPT BUT THE KNOWER OF THE CONCEPT.

UNDERSTAND THIS FIRST MOMENT, WHEN YOU UNDERSTOOD “I-AM.” ONCE YOU GRASP THIS, THEN YOU ARE THE HIGHEST OF THE GODS, THE POINT AT WHICH EVERYTHING ARISES. ONCE YOU UNDERSTAND THIS, YOU ARE RELEASED FROM THAT POINT- I, THE ABSOLUTE, AM NOT THIS “I-AM-NESS.”

NOTHING IS TO BE DONE. MERELY SIT IN CONTEMPLATION AND LET THE CONSCIOUSNESS UNFOLD ITSELF, UNFOLD THE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT ITSELF.

THERE IS NO DOER AT ALL, NO ONE HAS AN IDENTITY TO DO ANYTHING. IN THE FIELD OF CONSCIOUSNESS, EVERYTHING JUST HAPPENS.

THERE IS NOTHING. YOU ARE NOT.

ONCE YOU REALIZE THE TRUTH THAT CONSCIOUSNESS HAS COME OVER YOU, YOU WILL NEED NOTHING ANYMORE.

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE AN ENTITY “I.”

WHEN YOU ARE IN A POSITION TO OBSERVE CONSCIOUSNESS, YOU ARE OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS. THEN YOU ARE THE AWARENESS STATE, THE VIJNANA OR JNANA STATE. ARE YOU ABLE TO FATHOM YOUR OWN IDENTITY? COULD YOUR IDENTITY DAWN UPON YOURSELF?

THE “I-AM” IS THE CONSCIOUS-LIFE FORCE. BUT I AM UTTERLY BEYOND THAT. I AM THE PRINCIPLE, THE ABSOLUTE, THAT MAKES THAT POSSIBLE.

FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PRIMARY CONCEPT “I-AM.”

(Adapted from Powell, R. ed. The Ultimate Medicine. San Diego: Blue Dove, 2001)