"The very first step in understanding what this is all about is giving up the concept of an active, volitional 'I' as a separate entity and accepting the passive role of perceiving and functioning as a process." - Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Thursday, August 8, 2019

No Substance in All This

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Q: Can you say that everything, even ignorance and pain, is a pointer to the Ultimate?

M: When you are completely depersonified, you are no more an individual, then whatever is, is an embellishment or a decoration or a puja to the Parabrahman. But so long as you are wrapped up egoistically through some words, no puja can happen.

Q: Knowledge with a capital K, the ultimate knowledge..

M: The Absolute?

Q: Yes, knowingness, I don't know how to call it..

M: But that is no knowingness.. In the Absolute, there is no knowingness. Knowingness is only in the past.

Q: Here we face the difficulty of words.

M: You better not call it knowledge.

Q: Pure consciousness.

M: In that state, there is no knowingness.

Q: But no unconsciousness either. It is not possible.

M: It is unconscious.

Q: From the point of view of the mind.

M: Yes, because you are.. the indication is given with reference to consciousness. That is why you call it 'no consciousness'.

Q: Yes. But in reality, from its own point of view..

M: You are talking of the Absolute. There is no IAMness.

Q: I don't know how to call it.

M: Call it Absolute. The moment you say 'knowledge', the quality comes in.

Q: I don't mean that.

M: You are talking of the nirguna state?

Q: I don't know this Sanskrit term.

M: Guna means I AMness; nirguna means 'No I AMness.'

Q: I AM disappears in the Absolute.

M: Yes, a non-knowing state.

Q: A non-knowing state .. that knows! (laughter)

M: Knowingness appears on the non-knowing state.

Q: Yes, the relative beingness is known, is recorded in the Absolute.

M: Beingness comes in the background of the Absolute. So?

Q: So it is known .. in the Absolute. Beingness is known as an object.

M: If knowingness is not known, who would call it 'knowingness'?

Q: There is nobody to call it anything.

M: That is the reply!

Q: So, have I understood it right this morning: Maharaj advises us to find out who is the witness in deep sleep?

M: All these wordy statements are just to please somebody. Actually there is no substance in all this.

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सर्वानुग्राहकत्वेन तद्स्म्यहं वासुदेवः॥

That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings,
who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the limitless being:
I AM THAT. -- Amritabindu Upanishad