any Nisargadatta Maharaj 'fans' here? :)

[DanielR]

Hello friends,

I cannot say how much I love this man, sorry don't mean to sound disrespectful.

He was a great jnani and he is such an inspiration. His book 'I am that' introduced me to Advaita basically. His later works were quite different and maybe radical but I believe he speaks the truth.

Any other followers here, I know Ramana Maharshi seems to be popular here but Nisargadatta is rarely mentioned IMHO.

Regards

 

[Aupmanyav]

There are many admirers of Ramana, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and Ramesh Balsekar here (me too).

 

[Maya3]

You know I have seen this book at my Ashram bookstore, we´ve always had it. But I never read it.
Now I feel inspired.
I will look into it.

Maya

 

[Aupmanyav]

Maya, do we really need books? Just a line is enough. For example, 'Sarvam Khalu Idam Brahma' (All things here are Brahman). :yes:

 

[Maya3]

Maya, do we really need books? Just a line is enough. For example, 'Sarvam Khalu Idam Brahma' (All things here are Brahman). :yes:

Yes we do need books. Better if they are ebooks though

Maya

 

[DanielR]

Maya, I'm sure you will love his books!

I've read 'I Am That', 'Prior to Consciousness' and 'Pointers' so far.

I would love to read the Ultimate Medicine next, his views are a bit different to traditional Advaita though, imho they are even a bit TAOish !

 

[Aupmanyav]

Tell us some more about his views.

 

[DanielR]

I'm sorry for answering soo late!

Well in I am that he basically talks about classical Advaita as we know it. But I think he calls the Jiva 'Consciousness or the "I am"' and Parabrahman he calls Awareness.

I was more interested in his later works when he already suffered from cancer and his cancer was in the final stage shortly before he died.

He says that Consciousness rises with the body. Without body there is no consciousness. Further he explains that Consciousness or the 'I am' is latently present in Food or 'matter', which I thought was quite interesting.

He also proposes that reincarnation is NOT true. He's very Buddhist in that matter, he says that there is rebirth but not reincarnation. There is no personality he further states. There is no person it's a false perception.

But yes then there is awareness which is not even aware of itself. He says that when we die the body dissolutes the consciousness leaves and merges with the pool of universial consciousness. Nothing remains except Awareness.

He's views in later years were quite radical and unorthodox? from what I can gather.

To be honest his view very much appeals to me, but maybe others can add, imho it all sounds very much like Taoism?

Thats' bascially his 'philosophy' in a nutshell, others feel free to correct me!

regards

 

[Aupmanyav]

He says that when we die the body dissolutes the consciousness leaves and merges with the pool of universial consciousness. Nothing remains except Awareness.

That is where I differ from people like Nisargadutta Maharaj. I believe our consciousness ends with death. The consciousness of 'what exists' is totally different from Human consciousness because 'what exists' (Brahman) in Hinduism also is totally different from any living being. It is like the consciousness/property of an electron (that can be the closest approximation).

 

[DreadFish]

That is where I differ from people like Nisargadutta Maharaj. I believe our consciousness ends with death. The consciousness of 'what exists' is totally different from Human consciousness because 'what exists' (Brahman) in Hinduism also is totally different from any living being. It is like the consciousness/property of an electron (that can be the closest approximation).

Im pretty sure that Nisargadatta would agree with you there. From what i've read, he never taught that the conditioned consciousness of the body is something that continues on.

 

[DanielR]

Im pretty sure that Nisargadatta would agree with you there. From what i've read, he never taught that the conditioned consciousness of the body is something that continues on.

yes, that's true, that's what I meant, sorry it must be my language difficulties