Why Nisargadatta's teachings are preferred by the foreigners

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Visitor: Why is there such a divergence between different gurus,

rishis, and realized yogis? Perhaps they're not realized?

 

Maharaj: No, this is to be explained as follows. Although

consciousness is universal and the knowledge " you are, " and whatever

knowledge there is, is all common, its expression through the body

and the mind is individualistic; there everything is different.

Therefore, the path expounded by each sage will be different; it is

bound to be so.

 

V: All those several paths lead to the...

 

M: They will all lead to the same. It is not that all paths lead to

Delhi? The paths will be different, but the destination is the

same. So you can't compare the path or what I am expounding with

somebody else's.

 

V: In your method--may I call it a method?--have you noticed any

siddhis...

 

M: No. But that is my own doing, because of the commands of my

guru. My guru told me, although you are realized, you will have to

expound knowledge only. No siddhi powers for you. I was very

eager...I thought, " I'll get certain powers, do miracles, remove the

sickness of people. " At first I was thinking along those lines, as

an initiate. But my guru told me, " Nothing of the sort for you. You

have to expound knowledge only. " There were no powers for me. And

then he also told me, " You must repeat all these bhajans three or

four times a day. You have to do it. " He said, for the sake of the

ignorant people, we have to do this.

I do not want to take you by the traditional, conventional,

tortuous ways. That is why my teachings are better liked by the

foreigners, because none of this traditional, conventional thing is

there.

 

V: The worshipping, the rituals, nothing is there.

 

M: That is the devotional path. But what I am giving you is atma-

yoga. I am not " doing " bhakti yoga; that is, bhajans, etc: It is

happening, going on by itself! Bhakti-yoga mean (a devotee) trying

to link up with God. It is not only going on here; it is going on

everywhere right from the ants. This means everybody has that

bhakti, even an ant wants to live, which is the same as bhakti. But

that ant does not know it. Only a human form...

 

V: My question is, even a jnani bhajans are devoted to some God, say

Krishna, which takes for granted saguna bhakti. [To the interpreter:]

Are you convinced by the answer? Then in turn you can convince me.

 

Interpreter: What has happened is this: as a jnani he would have

remained unknown to the world. that is what his guru thought. So he

told him, when Maharaj asked how he could repay his debt after he got

realization, you cannot repay this anyway. But if at all you want to

repay, you must do bhajans four times a day. Now the purpose of his

guru's command was that when some bhajan goes on somewhere, people

were alerted to the fact that this is a place where worship of God is

taking place. So that is how people started coming here. Initially,

there were mainly Indian people who were not primarily interested in

knowing themselves, but who had faith in God. Those people came

first, then subsequently others started flowing in, like Maurice

Frydman. And thereafter that book [referring to I Am That] was

published. Ultimately, you came to know of these teachings because

of him. So the purpose of this bhajan was indirectly to let people

know about him; otherwise he would have remained absolutely

unknown....Eventually, when you get true knowledge, ultimate

knowledge, then only will you come to understand that bhakti and

jnana yoga are one.

 

From " The Ultimate Medicine "

As Prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Edited by Robert Powell

Blue Dove Press, 1995

 

bhajans: devotional song

bhakti yoga: the devotional way, the practice of loving God.

jnani yoga: the way of knowledge; the practice of contemplation on

the impersonal Absolute as identical with one's real Self.

siddhis: psychic powers