Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
July 1, 1981
Q: I thought no-knowingness means the Absolute.
M: Knowingness and no-knowingness are the expressions of the bodily consciousness. When this food instrument body, together with the consciousness is totally transcended - that is the Absolute.
The light is there, the darkness is there, but what is the background? The space. The space is there which is neither the light nor the dark, but the space is. You have to transcend light and darkness to abide in space. Similarly, one has to transcend the knowingness and no-knowingness - the aspects of bodily consciousness. If you have reached that state you are watching consciousness and no-consciousness. That is called natural samadhi or sahaja samadhi.
Naturally you are in that state, but this psychosomatic instrument of body and consciousness is always available. The moment somebody comes the instrument is being operated - otherwise you revert to the Absolute. It is something like this: in a big hall there is a door, and in the door is a peep hole. That peep hole is the consciousness, but you are at the back.
Suppose that those space ships are going up from the earth: when you are in the space you feel that you have escaped the earth, but it is not so - you are still under the influence of the earthly atmosphere. You must go further into the space where there is no atmosphere. But where is the thought of going there? It is not like that - you are truly the Absolute and these are all the coverings you have gotten.
You know you are but you forget that you are and that forgetfulness is no-knowingness, which is the highest state. You can never describe it by words; that state is never captured by words.
Understanding is necessary and you should not get confused. Suppose you life in a state of knowingness: you should not think that you are a jnani already simply because your knowingness receives many powers in that state. You might think you are a jnani, but it is not so - it is simply the first step. There are a lot of allurements at that stage. When you are only being, without words, you are powerful. Give up the powers, don't possess them.
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
The light is there, the darkness is there, but what is the background? The space. The space is there which is neither the light nor the dark, but the space is. You have to transcend light and darkness to abide in space. Similarly, one has to transcend the knowingness and no-knowingness - the aspects of bodily consciousness. If you have reached that state you are watching consciousness and no-consciousness. That is called natural samadhi or sahaja samadhi.
Naturally you are in that state, but this psychosomatic instrument of body and consciousness is always available. The moment somebody comes the instrument is being operated - otherwise you revert to the Absolute. It is something like this: in a big hall there is a door, and in the door is a peep hole. That peep hole is the consciousness, but you are at the back.
Suppose that those space ships are going up from the earth: when you are in the space you feel that you have escaped the earth, but it is not so - you are still under the influence of the earthly atmosphere. You must go further into the space where there is no atmosphere. But where is the thought of going there? It is not like that - you are truly the Absolute and these are all the coverings you have gotten.
You know you are but you forget that you are and that forgetfulness is no-knowingness, which is the highest state. You can never describe it by words; that state is never captured by words.
Understanding is necessary and you should not get confused. Suppose you life in a state of knowingness: you should not think that you are a jnani already simply because your knowingness receives many powers in that state. You might think you are a jnani, but it is not so - it is simply the first step. There are a lot of allurements at that stage. When you are only being, without words, you are powerful. Give up the powers, don't possess them.
Hari Aum Tat Sat.
No comments:
Post a Comment