Give Up Concepts

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Q: There is peace in meditation?

M: Why are you going to meditate? To tranquilize the "I Amness." With "I Amness" began all misery. You must spontaneously feel the superficiality of "I Amness."

Q: How?

M: That attention, that "I Amness," is always there in the waking state, but we are not on the alert to watch it. There is no other attention to be followed. Be attentive to that attention "I Am."

Q: Is there something that remains in the deep sleep state?

M: Whatever is there in the waking state merges in the deep sleep and is in a dormant condition.

Q: What is right action?

M: Let the actions happen though you. Don't take yourself to be the doer. There will be actions through you; don't say that these actions are good and those are bad. It is not your responsibility. The one who things he is the doer is a slave to mind-inclinations, mind-conditions. The Jnani witnesses the consciousness acting; he has no involvement in the actions of the consciousness.

Q: It seems to be an addiction of the consciousness to worry about things around.

M: Yes, addiction, and also entertainment. Suppose I spill water. Immediately I take the towel and wipe it up, but I do not feel that I have done something foolish. It has happened. Just as the towel is soaking up the water without thinking that it is doing so.

Q: What a strange love for this "I Amness."

M: Although it is strange, it gets manifested in conscious forms. We all hang onto concepts about saving the world, doing good. With all the great concepts and ideas great people have had, where are the saved and the saviors today? What do you do over there want?

Q: I would like everything to be in harmony, non-chaotic.

M: Don't hang on to name and form. Get rid of name and form.

Q: Why is it so difficult to understand that simple thing?

M: Because whatever you have understood, you are clinging to, embracing. Get rid of that. Whatever you have understood from this world, you are hanging onto. Give it up. The way that you understand yourself, give that up also.