Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Q: What does Maharaj mean by Linga-deha?
M: It is the seed, the chemical, the product of the five elemental essences which give rise to and sustain the consciousness I AM. Just like the seed of a tree, that seed latently contains all future manifestations and expressions of the tree that will sprout out of that seed. You take a fountain pen and on the paper you put a drop of ink, so that drop is the Linga-deha. That drop is the moment of conception; its expression is the thought-free state, like space, in the knowingness state. That is the quality of knowingness, space-like; there is no concept, but its expression is the physical, tangible. Just imagine it is infinitesimal, but its expression is manifest infinity.
Foreigners understand, but when the Indians come, they listen to the talks, but they are still attached to all their bodily relatives.
At linga-deha level, when you worship your Guru, you are the expression of Guru, in so many ways. You will be experiencing so many things at such a level, but all that has emanated out of you only, out of your love and devotion for Guru, and finally, as you evolve, all those expressions merge into you. This is very important, this is the consummation of devotion or Saguna Bhakti.
That linga-deha, that little drop, and the knowledge I AM is the same. What we see is the manifest world which appears in that speck of consciousness. As sweetness is the nature of sugar, so this speck of consciousness is the nature of that drop of linga-deha. The parents, the source of linga-deha, are merely an excuse for preparing that which was conceived. Your true state was there before the body and consciousness arose, is there now and will be there after the body and consciousness go. Somebody may challenge what I am saying.
I have never had any doubt about what you are or who you are, because I have understood my true state - what I am, I know you are.
Some people will spread this illumination, but it will be the foreigners, not the Indians. At a later date people will question, "Was there really such a person who expounded knowledge in this way?"
Foreigners understand, but when the Indians come, they listen to the talks, but they are still attached to all their bodily relatives.
At linga-deha level, when you worship your Guru, you are the expression of Guru, in so many ways. You will be experiencing so many things at such a level, but all that has emanated out of you only, out of your love and devotion for Guru, and finally, as you evolve, all those expressions merge into you. This is very important, this is the consummation of devotion or Saguna Bhakti.
That linga-deha, that little drop, and the knowledge I AM is the same. What we see is the manifest world which appears in that speck of consciousness. As sweetness is the nature of sugar, so this speck of consciousness is the nature of that drop of linga-deha. The parents, the source of linga-deha, are merely an excuse for preparing that which was conceived. Your true state was there before the body and consciousness arose, is there now and will be there after the body and consciousness go. Somebody may challenge what I am saying.
I have never had any doubt about what you are or who you are, because I have understood my true state - what I am, I know you are.
Some people will spread this illumination, but it will be the foreigners, not the Indians. At a later date people will question, "Was there really such a person who expounded knowledge in this way?"
Namasthe Maharaj Ji,
ReplyDeleteMay I know why there is an emphasis on a foreigner and an Indian
Thank you,
Ananya
Namaskaram Ananya. Since this is about the conversation that Maharaj had on a particular day, they don't/can't provide a context for each and every sentence spoke by Maharaj on that occasion. So I guess we don't know why he spoke about Indians and foreigners while he was giving a talk.
DeleteMaharaj could have also hinted that the Indian mind is relatively more emotional and attached to its family, so even when they listen to these talks with respect they find it difficult to shake off that attachment while foreigners who came to Maharaj usually left their homes and country behind in search of spriritual truth.
Hari Aum.