"Is this 'I Amness' the same thing as consciousness?"

[Guest guest]

March 1 1981

 

Questioner:

Is this 'I Amness' which everybody has the same thing as

consciousness?

 

Maharaj:

Other than this consciousness and 'I Amness', what is there that can

claim 'I Am'?

 

Understand that this 'I' is not different at different levels.

As the Absolute it is the 'I' which in manifesting needs a form. The

same Absolute 'I' becomes the manifested 'I'. And in the

manifested 'I' it is the consciousness which is the source of

everything. In the manifested state it is the Absolute with

consciousness.

 

You may think that you consider yourself to be the consciousness,

but you generally keep on wanting something as an entity, even if it

is spiritual knowledge. The body is only an instrument by which

consciousness manifests itself; it has no separate autonomous

identity.

This body, which you love so much, is time-bound and this

consciousness, which depends on the material body, is also time-

bound.

 

The vital breath is the active element which keeps the body in

action. Consciousness is the passive element. The vital breath will

leave the body after a certain span of time and leave dead material;

the consciousness will also leave the body and merge with the

universal consciousness. This is the normal process – within

this,

what is it you consider yourself to be? This is merely a

functioning, there is no separate entity. Actually our true identity

is known to everyone, there is no doubt about it. But because of

identification with the body as an entity, what is definitely known

to us is being forgotten.

 

Listening to what I say may give you a temporary sense of peace and

pleasure, but so long as you consider yourself a separate entity

wanting spiritual salvation, all this is useless.

 

There is no entity that can benefit from the listening that takes

place. What is birth after all? Birth is only the waking state, deep

sleep and sex; suppose the sex is removed, then there will be no

interest. The sex cannot fill your stomach, cannot provide you with

food, but that is necessary. It is easier to understand that the

entire manifestation is of the nature of a dream, or a mirage, but

you interpret the rest of the manifestation as being a mirage and

won't let go of the seer of the phenomena.

The seer is also part of the mirage.

 

 

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from Prior to Consciousness - Talks with Sri Nisargadutta Maharaj

 

 

 

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love

anu