Guest guest Posted January 21, 2001 Report Share Posted January 21, 2001 .................................................................... The core of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj's teaching is the knowledge of one's own identity. This knowledge is indeed the pivotal point around which moves everything. It is the crucial truth. And the apperception of this truth arisesonly from intense personal experience, not from a study of religious texts, which according to Maharaj, are nothing but 'hearsay.' Taking his stand on the bedrock of incontrovertible facts and totally discarding all assumptions and speculations, he often address a new visitor in the following words: " You are sitting there, I am sitting here, and there is the world outside -- and, for the moment, we may assume that there must be a creator, let us say God. These three/four items are facts or experience, not 'hearsay.' Let us confine our conversation to these items only. " This basis automatically excludes along with the 'hearsay' the traditional texts too, and therefore there is always an exhilarating sense of freshness and freedom to Maharaj's talks. His words need no support from someone else's words or experiences which, after all, is all that the traditional texts can mean. This approach completely disarms those 'educated' people who come to impress the other visitors with their learning, and at the same time hope to get a certificate from Maharaj about their own highly evolved state. At the same time it greatly encourages the genuine seeker who would prefer to start from scratch. ....Maharaj tells the visitors that it is only about this consciousness or I-am-ness that he always talks. " Pointers from Nisargadatta Maharaj " By Ramesh Balsekar Acorn Press, 1982 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2001 Report Share Posted January 21, 2001 Hi Hur, Thank you for this list, and for what you shared below. It is easy to make a religion of enlightenment, or nonduality, or even of 'self transformation'. It is even easier to make a 'nest' of that stuff. I have certainly recognized how I have done just that these past few years. I'm grateful for the words offered here and at 'ANetofJewels' from Nisargadatta and Ramesh, and from those who speak the same Language. They tend to cut away a lot of the noise and distraction. Melody > " You are sitting there, I am sitting here, and there is the world > outside -- and, for the moment, we may assume that there must be a > creator, let us say God. These three/four items are facts or > experience, not 'hearsay.' Let us confine our conversation to these > items only. " > > This basis automatically excludes along with the 'hearsay' the > traditional texts too, and therefore there is always an exhilarating > sense of freshness and freedom to Maharaj's talks. His words need no > support from someone else's words or experiences which, after all, is > all that the traditional texts can mean. This approach completely > disarms those 'educated' people who come to impress the other > visitors with their learning, and at the same time hope to get a > certificate from Maharaj about their own highly evolved state. At > the same time it greatly encourages the genuine seeker who would > prefer to start from scratch. > > ...Maharaj tells the visitors that it is only about this > consciousness or I-am-ness that he always talks. > > > " Pointers from Nisargadatta Maharaj " > By Ramesh Balsekar > Acorn Press, 1982 > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 21, 2001 Report Share Posted January 21, 2001 Dear Hur, Attempting to follow this, found this part unclear: That " there must be a creator, let us say God " is supposed to be a fact, not hearsay? Does not this supposed fact depend on bifurcating reality into a " created " and a " creator " ? Is this bifurcation not simply " hearsay " itself? Speaking directly from/as " here " , there is not bifurcation into a separate creation and creator. Without a creation assumed to be separated, how could there be postulated a creator? Namaste, Dan >................................................................... > >The core of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj's teaching is the knowledge of >one's own identity. This knowledge is indeed the pivotal point >around which moves everything. It is the crucial truth. And the >apperception of this truth arisesonly from intense personal >experience, not from a study of religious texts, which according to >Maharaj, are nothing but 'hearsay.' Taking his stand on the bedrock >of incontrovertible facts and totally discarding all assumptions and >speculations, he often address a new visitor in the following words: > > " You are sitting there, I am sitting here, and there is the world >outside -- and, for the moment, we may assume that there must be a >creator, let us say God. These three/four items are facts or >experience, not 'hearsay.' Let us confine our conversation to these >items only. " > >This basis automatically excludes along with the 'hearsay' the >traditional texts too, and therefore there is always an exhilarating >sense of freshness and freedom to Maharaj's talks. His words need no >support from someone else's words or experiences which, after all, is >all that the traditional texts can mean. This approach completely >disarms those 'educated' people who come to impress the other >visitors with their learning, and at the same time hope to get a >certificate from Maharaj about their own highly evolved state. At >the same time it greatly encourages the genuine seeker who would >prefer to start from scratch. > >...Maharaj tells the visitors that it is only about this >consciousness or I-am-ness that he always talks. > > > " Pointers from Nisargadatta Maharaj " >By Ramesh Balsekar >Acorn Press, 1982 > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2001 Report Share Posted January 22, 2001 Dear Dan, Technically, you're right. When you consider who Maharaj was talking to, mostly Hindus some of whom were already offended that Maharaj did not have faith in Hindu concepts such as reincarnation, then it brings another perspective. In the Ultimate Medicine by Robert Powell, Maharaj mentions he's invited to a village to talk to the people there. " Will anybody be able to understand this kind of talk, what I am driving at? The problem is, after such a talk, might the people not obtain my address and come to get me? No, the locals may not; they are not such type of people. But the foreigners may try to attack me, because I am criticizing Christ. I have indicated knowing the true position of Christ, because he talks about the same thing...Since my talk will be beyond the scope of their understanding, some of the audience may become very upset and disturbed...When I go to that village, I will have to discourse about God and purity; I must take the devotional approach. " I am not saying Hindus are intolerant. On the contrary, I've always believed that one of the reasons why the school of Advaita flourished in India, especially the South India was due to tolerance. Historically in other parts of the world, the message of non-dualism was much too shocking. For example in the Middle East when the Sufi mystic Hallaj said something as mild as, " I am the Truth, " he was executed. The West was even less tolerant. Gnostic Christian movements were eliminated by the Church within the first few centuries of its existence. Hur Nisargadatta , Daniel Berkow <berkowd@u...> wrote: > Dear Hur, > > Attempting to follow this, > found this part > unclear: > > That " there must be > a creator, let us say God " is supposed > to be a fact, not hearsay? > > Does not this supposed fact depend > on bifurcating reality into a " created " > and a " creator " ? Is this bifurcation > not simply " hearsay " itself? > > Speaking directly from/as " here " , > there is not bifurcation into a > separate creation and creator. > > Without a creation assumed to be > separated, how could there be > postulated a creator? > > Namaste, > Dan > > > > >................................................................... > > > >The core of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj's teaching is the knowledge of > >one's own identity. This knowledge is indeed the pivotal point > >around which moves everything. It is the crucial truth. And the > >apperception of this truth arisesonly from intense personal > >experience, not from a study of religious texts, which according to > >Maharaj, are nothing but 'hearsay.' Taking his stand on the bedrock > >of incontrovertible facts and totally discarding all assumptions and > >speculations, he often address a new visitor in the following words: > > > > " You are sitting there, I am sitting here, and there is the world > >outside -- and, for the moment, we may assume that there must be a > >creator, let us say God. These three/four items are facts or > >experience, not 'hearsay.' Let us confine our conversation to these > >items only. " > > > >This basis automatically excludes along with the 'hearsay' the > >traditional texts too, and therefore there is always an exhilarating > >sense of freshness and freedom to Maharaj's talks. His words need no > >support from someone else's words or experiences which, after all, is > >all that the traditional texts can mean. This approach completely > >disarms those 'educated' people who come to impress the other > >visitors with their learning, and at the same time hope to get a > >certificate from Maharaj about their own highly evolved state. At > >the same time it greatly encourages the genuine seeker who would > >prefer to start from scratch. > > > >...Maharaj tells the visitors that it is only about this > >consciousness or I-am-ness that he always talks. > > > > > > " Pointers from Nisargadatta Maharaj " > >By Ramesh Balsekar > >Acorn Press, 1982 > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2001 Report Share Posted January 22, 2001 Dear Hur, Thanks! Your response has assisted clarity on this issue. Speaking is always in a context for an audience. The truth that forms all contexts has no audience. Dan >Dear Dan, > >Technically, you're right. When you consider who Maharaj was talking >to, mostly Hindus some of whom were already offended that Maharaj did >not have faith in Hindu concepts such as reincarnation, then it >brings another perspective. > >In the Ultimate Medicine by Robert Powell, Maharaj mentions he's >invited to a village to talk to the people there. > > " Will anybody be able to understand this kind of talk, what I am >driving at? The problem is, after such a talk, might the people not >obtain my address and come to get me? No, the locals may not; they >are not such type of people. But the foreigners may try to attack >me, because I am criticizing Christ. I have indicated knowing the >true position of Christ, because he talks about the same >thing...Since my talk will be beyond the scope of their >understanding, some of the audience may become very upset and >disturbed...When I go to that village, I will have to discourse about >God and purity; I must take the devotional approach. " > > I am not saying Hindus are intolerant. On the contrary, I've >always believed that one of the reasons why the school of Advaita >flourished in India, especially the South India was due to >tolerance. Historically in other parts of the world, the message of >non-dualism was much too shocking. For example in the Middle East >when the Sufi mystic Hallaj said something as mild as, " I am the >Truth, " he was executed. The West was even less tolerant. Gnostic >Christian movements were eliminated by the Church within the first >few centuries of its existence. > >Hur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 22, 2001 Report Share Posted January 22, 2001 Dan, <SNIP> > > The truth that forms all contexts > has no audience. It is all the contexts and all the audience and thus has no context or audience. Reminds me... You cannot have anything, for you are everything. Dobeeee, Dobeee, Dooooo or you could even go Laddeeee daaadaaaa deeeee. Sandeep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2001 Report Share Posted January 23, 2001 Dear Sandeep, What do you give to the man who is everything? The gift of nothing-to-give nothing-to-receive... Hummmmmmmmm ..... de dum dum dummmmmmmmm.... Love, Dan >Dan, > ><SNIP> > > > > > The truth that forms all contexts > > has no audience. > >It is all the contexts and all the audience and thus has no context or >audience. > >Reminds me... > >You cannot have anything, for you are everything. > > >Dobeeee, Dobeee, Dooooo > >or you could even go > >Laddeeee daaadaaaa deeeee. > > >Sandeep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 23, 2001 Report Share Posted January 23, 2001 - Daniel Berkow <berkowd <Nisargadatta > Wednesday, January 24, 2001 02:35 AM Re: The Core of Nisargadatta's teaching > Dear Sandeep, > > What do you give to > the man who is > everything? > > The gift of > nothing-to-give > nothing-to-receive... And I thank you Dan for this precious gift. A helplessly delighted Sandeep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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