Real You - Not in the Body

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

March 10, 1981

Q: I have longer times when I am disassociated from the body-mind. I don't understand what is happening to me when I see the body act and feel outside of it.

M: What is wrong with that? You must have a strong conviction ; that conviction means practicing. That conviction means not only I AM, but it means I am free from I AM also. 

You know you are, without words. Just be that. You are not to think or imagine anything. Before it occurs to you that something is, you must be. You must be there in order to meditate. When you wake up the first thing in the morning, at that moment you know only you are, emerging from deep sleep to a waking state. Later on you think I am so and so etc.

Q: In meditation I hear sounds and see visions.

M: To hear something you must be there. That state is a most Godly state but it is more important to be your Self.

Q: There is always fear.

M: Fear is because of ignorance. It is not external sound, it is the manifestation of your consciousness. The Godly illumination is there provided the Self-effulgence is there. To see the God, you must be there. To get to know the knower is difficult; it is something like knowing a township; it is not individualistic, it is manifestation.

When you are that manifest consciousness state, it is something else .. deep dark blue state; you are in that homogeneous, deep dark blue Self-effulgent homogeneous state into no-knowingness state - that is your true identity. It is a no-knowingness state, a total, complete, perfect state. In that knowingness state everything is imperfect, it is never complete - that is why you want more and more. In spite of plenteousness, the knowingness state is incomplete.

Q: What is the effect of death?

M: The effect is upon those who know that the person is dead and gone. There is no effect on the one who is dead and gone - he doesn't know he is dead and gone. The body is made of food, the true you is not in this body.

A lot can be said, but you will not be able to receive what I say. Suppose I say that is you are not, the Brahman is not - will you understand? You are so much obsessed by death because of your identification with the body. Because you are thinking of death, death is sure for you, but if you are the Self there is no question of death for you.