A Buddhist teacher's encounter with Nisargadatta Maharaj

[Guest guest]

Thanks to " Dharma Troll " at alt.philosophy.zen forum, I found this

interesting account of a Buddhist teacher's experience with

Maharaj:

 

Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield describes his encounter with

Nisargadatta Maharaj in " The Eightfold Path for the Householder, " a

wonderful set of talks found online at:

http://cedar.evansville.edu/~mb62/errata/8path.htm

 

There's something in us, in our nature, which compels us to

discover. I remember a very powerful moment with the old guru who I

studied with, Nisargadatta Maharaj, who taught the way of Nisarga

Yoga. " Nisarga " means natural. The basic translation of

his name was " Mr. Natural " . He was this 80-year old

cigarette-smoking man. He had a little cigarette stand. He was kind

of a combination like Krishnamurti and Fritz Perls. He would put you

on the hot seat when you came in and ask you about your spiritual

life.

 

One day we were in a room about this big. People were coming in

and asking questions. Somebody came in and asked a question and was

a little bit dissatisfied and left. And another person raised their

hand and said, " Maharaj, what will happen to that person who came

and asked that question and left? Is it all over for them in this

life? They didn't stay here. You are a great guru, and they

weren't interested, and they went home. " And he twinkled at

that moment, he really lit up, and he said, " It's too late. Even

the fact that they put their foot in this room, even if they hadn't

asked the question, means that somewhere in there there's a seed of

really knowing who we are and what this life is about. Not what you

were taught in elementary school or what's on TV or the newspapers,

but a deep seed of knowing our true nature, that wants to discover;

it's like coming home. The fact that he just walked in the room means

that that seed has started to sprout. And no matter if he tries to

forget it and goes back and gets lost, sooner or later that will

manifest in awakening.

 

....I'll read you a passage from Nisargadatta Maharaj, the old

bidi wallah who I studied with in Bombay; wonderful old teacher. He

sold little Indian cigarettes on the street corner, and he was fully

enlightened somehow at the same time. He had these classes. He died

a couple of years ago. He was a wonderful old man.

 

Someone asks:

 

What can truth or reality gain by all our practice?

 

He uses truth and love interchangeably. He says:

 

" Nothing whatsoever, of course. But it is in the nature of

truth or love, cosmic consciousness, whatever you want to call it, to

express itself, to affirm itself, to overcome difficulties. Once

you've understood that the world is love in action, consciousness

or love in action, you will look at it quite differently. But first

your attitude to suffering must change. Suffering is primarily a

call for attention, which itself is a movement of love. More than

happiness, love wants growth, the widening and deepening of awareness

and consciousness and being. Whatever prevents that becomes a cause

of pain, and love does not shirk from pain. "

 

The Eightfold Path for the Householder:

Ten talks by Jack Kornfield,

transcribed from audio tape

http://cedar.evansville.edu/~mb62/errata/8path.htm

[Guest guest]

The Natural Man is Wrong when He Says... " The fact that he just walked

into the room means that the seed has started to sprout. And no

matter if he tries to forget it and goes back and gets lost, sooner

or later that will manifest...! "

 

Take a Look around...Not all Seeds come to Fruition...that's the Real

Fact of Life...not a Fanciful Notion from an Old Man that has Seen

His Better Days...!

----------

 

Nisargadatta , " Hur " <Hur1@a...> wrote:

> Thanks to " Dharma Troll " at alt.philosophy.zen forum, I found this

> interesting account of a Buddhist teacher's experience with

> Maharaj:

>

> Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield describes his encounter with

> Nisargadatta Maharaj in " The Eightfold Path for the Householder, " a

> wonderful set of talks found online at:

> http://cedar.evansville.edu/~mb62/errata/8path.htm

>

> There's something in us, in our nature, which compels us to

> discover. I remember a very powerful moment with the old guru who I

> studied with, Nisargadatta Maharaj, who taught the way of Nisarga

> Yoga. " Nisarga " means natural. The basic translation of

> his name was " Mr. Natural " . He was this 80-year old

> cigarette-smoking man. He had a little cigarette stand. He was

kind

> of a combination like Krishnamurti and Fritz Perls. He would put

you

> on the hot seat when you came in and ask you about your spiritual

> life.

>

> One day we were in a room about this big. People were coming in

> and asking questions. Somebody came in and asked a question and

was

> a little bit dissatisfied and left. And another person raised their

> hand and said, " Maharaj, what will happen to that person who came

> and asked that question and left? Is it all over for them in this

> life? They didn't stay here. You are a great guru, and they

> weren't interested, and they went home. " And he twinkled at

> that moment, he really lit up, and he said, " It's too late. Even

> the fact that they put their foot in this room, even if they hadn't

> asked the question, means that somewhere in there there's a seed of

> really knowing who we are and what this life is about. Not what

you

> were taught in elementary school or what's on TV or the newspapers,

> but a deep seed of knowing our true nature, that wants to discover;

> it's like coming home. The fact that he just walked in the room

means

> that that seed has started to sprout. And no matter if he tries to

> forget it and goes back and gets lost, sooner or later that will

> manifest in awakening.

>

> ...I'll read you a passage from Nisargadatta Maharaj, the old

> bidi wallah who I studied with in Bombay; wonderful old teacher. He

> sold little Indian cigarettes on the street corner, and he was fully

> enlightened somehow at the same time. He had these classes. He

died

> a couple of years ago. He was a wonderful old man.

>

> Someone asks:

>

> What can truth or reality gain by all our practice?

>

> He uses truth and love interchangeably. He says:

>

> " Nothing whatsoever, of course. But it is in the nature of

> truth or love, cosmic consciousness, whatever you want to call it,

to

> express itself, to affirm itself, to overcome difficulties. Once

> you've understood that the world is love in action, consciousness

> or love in action, you will look at it quite differently. But first

> your attitude to suffering must change. Suffering is primarily a

> call for attention, which itself is a movement of love. More than

> happiness, love wants growth, the widening and deepening of

awareness

> and consciousness and being. Whatever prevents that becomes a cause

> of pain, and love does not shirk from pain. "

>

> The Eightfold Path for the Householder:

> Ten talks by Jack Kornfield,

> transcribed from audio tape

> http://cedar.evansville.edu/~mb62/errata/8path.htm

[Guest guest]

" David Walkowski "

 

The Natural Man is Wrong when He Says... " The fact that he just walked

into the room means that the seed has started to sprout. And no

matter if he tries to forget it and goes back and gets lost, sooner

or later that will manifest...! "

 

Take a Look around...Not all Seeds come to Fruition...that's the Real

Fact of Life...not a Fanciful Notion from an Old Man that has Seen

His Better Days...!

--------------

 

~ Dear Dave

 

Haven't you noticed: we're not done yet.

Some seeds take many seasons to spout.

 

Xan

[Guest guest]

Xan...When You Say... " Haven't You Noticed: We're Not Done Yet...Some

Seeds Take Many Seasons to Sprout. " ...Yes...I've Noticed...Xan...Some

Seeds Take Many Seasons to Sprout and Some Seeds Get Eaten by the

Birds...!

----------

 

Nisargadatta , Xan <xanma@e...> wrote:

>

> " David Walkowski "

>

> The Natural Man is Wrong when He Says... " The fact that he just

walked

> into the room means that the seed has started to sprout. And no

> matter if he tries to forget it and goes back and gets lost, sooner

> or later that will manifest...! "

>

> Take a Look around...Not all Seeds come to Fruition...that's the

Real

> Fact of Life...not a Fanciful Notion from an Old Man that has Seen

> His Better Days...!

> --------------

>

> ~ Dear Dave

>

> Haven't you noticed: we're not done yet.

> Some seeds take many seasons to spout.

>

> Xan