Spiritual Knowledge & Understanding - Nisargadatta

[Guest guest]

Spiritual knowledge should not be studied.

It is knowledge derived from listening.

When the listener hears it,

and accepts it,

something clicks in him.

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What you hear must enter you like an arrow,

and hit something deep within you.

There must be an internal reaction;

without the reaction,

what you hear won't do you any good.

 

You should know it,

when the arrow reaches its mark.

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As our spiritual knowledge grows,

our identification with an individual body mind, diminishes.

And our consciousness expands,

into universal consciousness.

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While I am talking about knowledge,

that is beyond the phenomenal world,

you are trying to understand,

through worldly concept and words.

 

If you continue in the realm of intellect,

you will become entangled,

and lost in more and more concepts.

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Spirituality is nothing more than,

understanding this play of consciousness.

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You must have a thorough knowledge,

of this consciousness.

 

And having known everything about the consciousness,

you come to the conclusion that it is all unreal,

and then it should drop off.

 

Having listened to these talks,

sit and meditate,

" That which I have heard, is it true, or not? "

 

Then you will understand that, this is also to be discarded.

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It is not possible for you to acquire knowledge,

you are knowledge.

You are what you are seeking.

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This kind of knowledge comes only in a rare case,

and is a very elusive kind of knowledge,

where no effort is necessary.

In fact, effort itself,

is a hindrance.

It is intuitive understanding.

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Questioner:

Then should all spiritual disciplines be dropped?

 

Nisargadatta:

At the highest level, this is so.

At the earlier levels, you have to do your homework.

 

Those who are able intuitively to grasp this,

lose their interest in worldly affairs.

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People come here and ask for blessings;

they don't understand,

that the knowledge that one is not the body,

but the consciousness within,

is the blessing.

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The seed of knowledge is planted in you,

by these talks;

now you have to follow it up.

You must nurse it,

ruminate over it,

so that the tree of knowledge will grow.

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A real spiritual seeker,

ponders over these things all the time.

When I have no body,

what am I?

 

What is the Ultimate Reality?

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What are you?

You can not understand,

with your intellect.

 

It is beyond the grasp,

of the intellect.

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How do you understand anything?

 

Any knowledge of any kind,

that you think you have,

can only be in the consciousness.

 

How can the consciousness which came later,

give you any knowledge.

about that state which exists prior,

to consciousness arrival?

 

Any thought that you have reached,

or are going to reach that state which exists prior,

is false.

 

Whatever happens in consciousness,

is purely imaginary, a hallucination.

 

Therefore keep in mind the knowledge,

that it is consciousness in which everything is happening.

 

With that knowledge, be still,

do not pursue any other thoughts which arise in consciousness.

 

What is necessary,

is to understand with sure conviction,

that all is temporary,

and does not reflect your True State.

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