Guest guest Posted January 16, 2001 Report Share Posted January 16, 2001 Hi folks, I'm hoping somebody here can clarify a few puzzling facts about Nisargadatta Maharaj's biography. I'm trying to verify them so we can publish them on our website. According to the biographical note in " I Am That " , Nisargadatta was introduced to his guru, Sri Siddharameshwar Maharaj, by a friend named Yashwantrao Baagkar when Nisargadatta was middle-aged. Nisargadatta himself says later in the same volume that he was 34 at the time, so the meeting would have taken place around 1931. But according to a biography of Sri Ranjit Maharaj, Nisargadatta's younger brother, which somebody posted on HinduNet.org, Ranjit lived with that same guru as a disciple from 1924 to 1936. It seems very strange to me that Nisargadatta didn't meet his brother's guru until a friend introduced him, even though his brother had been living at the guru's house for about seven years at that point. Can anybody shed some light on this? Thanks, Rob (Rob Sacks, http://www.realization.org) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2001 Report Share Posted January 16, 2001 The essence of Nisargadatta was essentially Bhakti. Every evening, for hours he would go to the nearest temple and just sing Bhajans. There was no urge to do anything else but sing. Till Consciousness moved through, this friend who appeared and forced Nisargadatta to come and meet Siddharameshwar Maharaj.Nisargadatta later on mentioned, that even the traditional offering to a Guru by a disciple was bought by the friend. And then rest was history. But the core (Pinda) of Nisargadatta remained Bhakti, and inspite of apperception or awakening, subsequently, Bhajans and singing was always part of Nisargadatta's Satsanghs. My two bits anyway Cheers Sandeep - Rob Sacks <editor <Nisargadatta > Wednesday, January 17, 2001 05:43 AM Biography > Hi folks, > > I'm hoping somebody here can clarify a few puzzling > facts about Nisargadatta Maharaj's biography. I'm > trying to verify them so we can publish them on our > website. > > According to the biographical note in " I Am That " , > Nisargadatta was introduced to his guru, Sri > Siddharameshwar Maharaj, by a friend named > Yashwantrao Baagkar when Nisargadatta was > middle-aged. Nisargadatta himself says later > in the same volume that he was 34 at the time, so > the meeting would have taken place around 1931. > > But according to a biography of Sri Ranjit Maharaj, > Nisargadatta's younger brother, which somebody > posted on HinduNet.org, Ranjit lived with that same > guru as a disciple from 1924 to 1936. > > It seems very strange to me that Nisargadatta didn't > meet his brother's guru until a friend introduced > him, even though his brother had been living at the > guru's house for about seven years at that point. > > Can anybody shed some light on this? > > Thanks, > > Rob > (Rob Sacks, http://www.realization.org) > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 17, 2001 Report Share Posted January 17, 2001 Nisargadatta , " Rob Sacks " <editor@r...> wrote: > It seems very strange to me that Nisargadatta didn't > meet his brother's guru until a friend introduced > him, even though his brother had been living at the > guru's house for about seven years at that point. > > Can anybody shed some light on this? > > Thanks, > > Rob > (Rob Sacks, http://www.realization.org) Dear Rob, I wish you good luck with your work. I'm always interested in stories people have about Nisargadatta. One of my favorite lines from Nisargadatta, when people tried to get biographical information from him was, " I was never born! " Of course it didn't make it easy for the biographers when the Master saw no point in it. I believe Ramesh Balsekar would be a valuabe source of information. I heard that when Ramesh arrived for the first time at the Master's loft, Nisargadatta looked at him and said, " So you've finally arrived. " Ramesh is in his early 80s and still accepting visitors at his apartment in Bombay. I don't really have any hard data to offer as to why Nisargadatta didn't meet his brother's guru till he was 34. If it means anything, my brother and sisters had no interest in Advaita and spirituality. Only recently my younger sister developed interest and now reading the Turkish translation of " I am That. " Best regards, Hur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 18, 2001 Report Share Posted January 18, 2001 Dear Ranjeet, What would Nisargadatta say if he heard you diagnose the core of his being as bhakti? " Maharaj's daily routine includes Bhajans and prayers four times a day, the first one being as early at 5:30 in the morning. During these Bhajans one sees him deeply absorbed in the verses that are chanted. Until recently he even used to sing and dance with great abandon. Now, of course, he's not strong enough to do so. At one of the sessions, a visitor said to him: Maharaj, you may be a perfect Jnani, but when I see you singing Bhajans with such emotion, I feel extremely happy that devotion still clings to you very firmly. Maharaj answered promtly: Everything has its place in the world as well as in our daily routine. The important thing is to understand the position as it really is, to have the right perspective. Devotion and reverence are all right so long as one recognizes them for what they are, i.e. affectively, and to that extent a bondage. And one sees something for what it is, it loses its force, but if one gets involved in it the bondage gets stronger and stronger...one cannot but laugh, and even be apparently irreverent, when one looks at the fantastic superstructure of superstition and mystery that has been built on and around the basic simplicity that Truth is!...Indulge yourself if you like, in devotion and reverence, sing Bhajans, but understand the false as false. " - Ramesh Balsekar, " Pointers From Nisargadatta Maharaj " Acorn Press, 1982. Nisargadatta , " Sandeep Chatterjee " <sandeepc@b...> wrote: > > The essence of Nisargadatta was essentially Bhakti. > Every evening, for hours he would go to the nearest temple and just sing > Bhajans. > There was no urge to do anything else but sing. > > Till Consciousness moved through, this friend who appeared and forced > Nisargadatta to come and meet Siddharameshwar Maharaj.Nisargadatta later on > mentioned, that even the traditional offering to a Guru by a disciple was > bought by the friend. > And then rest was history. > > But the core (Pinda) of Nisargadatta remained Bhakti, and inspite of > apperception or awakening, subsequently, Bhajans and singing was always part > of Nisargadatta's Satsanghs. > > My two bits anyway > > > Cheers > > Sandeep > > > - > Rob Sacks <editor@r...> > <Nisargadatta > > Wednesday, January 17, 2001 05:43 AM > Biography > > > > Hi folks, > > > > I'm hoping somebody here can clarify a few puzzling > > facts about Nisargadatta Maharaj's biography. I'm > > trying to verify them so we can publish them on our > > website. > > > > According to the biographical note in " I Am That " , > > Nisargadatta was introduced to his guru, Sri > > Siddharameshwar Maharaj, by a friend named > > Yashwantrao Baagkar when Nisargadatta was > > middle-aged. Nisargadatta himself says later > > in the same volume that he was 34 at the time, so > > the meeting would have taken place around 1931. > > > > But according to a biography of Sri Ranjit Maharaj, > > Nisargadatta's younger brother, which somebody > > posted on HinduNet.org, Ranjit lived with that same > > guru as a disciple from 1924 to 1936. > > > > It seems very strange to me that Nisargadatta didn't > > meet his brother's guru until a friend introduced > > him, even though his brother had been living at the > > guru's house for about seven years at that point. > > > > Can anybody shed some light on this? > > > > Thanks, > > > > Rob > > (Rob Sacks, http://www.realization.org) > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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