Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Does all this knowledge that is exposed here confuse you? Normally, what is happening is that people assume themselves to be human forms, and they try to understand everything through the filter of that human form; they translate whatever I say into the mode of thinking of a human being, a personalized human being, That is the trouble. I am addressing that principle, that touch of I AM, that consciousness, which is the product of the food essence body.
[To a particular visitor] You are not very clear?
V: I thought I was fairly clear; you can't really judge me from what I say. What I say might belie my understanding.
M: You are of the firm conviction that you understood?
V: No. There are certain things that one understands at certain levels, but from the totality nothing was understood.
M: Did you say the highest level or the totality?
V: Totality.
M: What did you mean by 'totality'?
V: When one remains in the I AM, there is no knowledge, no thought, no movement.
M: When you are only being, are there no thoughts?
V: No.
M: The very consciousness is the potential for thought activity.
V: There is a potential for thought, but if it is not exercised there is no thought.
M: When the consciousness is there, thoughts will spontaneously come or they may not; you have no control over that whatsoever. It is exclusively the business of the consciousness to have thoughts or no thoughts.
V: But we were talking about the universal consciousness as having no thoughts and no mentation. That being so, where then is the thought? If we are told to be and to remain in the I AM, where then is the thought?
M: Leave it for now and stop thinking.