Where is your universe?

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

February 1, 1981

The world exists so long as this sense of presence is there. The sense of presence is in consciousness - not my consciousness or your consciousness but universal consciousness. The total manifestation of the universe depends upon this sense of presence, the general sense of presence. When this sense of presence disappears, where is your universe? 

Other than the three stages: waking, sleep and 'I amness', I have no experience, but neither can I give up these three states. I am loaded with them, I cannot get rid of them. They have come without my knowledge. Nobody asked me if I wanted these three states.

I do not consider any of you to be different from me; at the same time, as far as I am concerned, I have wiped out the total existence and therefore, since there is no individuality, there are no bindings on the words that come out of me. With the giving up of individuality, all the poses go - that one is a sannyasi, a jnani or something else. Along with a pose are restrictions, 'I am so and so, I must not say such and such.; The whole thing is an illusion, merely entertainment.

Consider from your own experience, is there anything constant? Even your own image of yourself is always changing.

My own experience is that nothing has really happened in this world. The seeker, the seeking and the sought - none of these three is true. Nothing is happening - everything that goes on in the world is a fraud. When will you come to an understanding or to peace? Only when you understand this fact and understand the spiritual truth, only then will peace descend.

Q: What is the ultimate truth?

M: You. You can get as frustrated and angry as you like, it does not disturb me at all. My state is unchanging.

Q: Are my experiences in meditation the truth?

M: All experiences are in time, time-bound. Truth is not time-bound.