Nisargadatta Maharaj                                   Randolph
                   1897 - 1981

Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj: "Alles wat geobserveerd wordt, is in voortdurende verandering. De veranderde toestand wordt 'gezien', maar het 'zien', verandert niet. En wanneer dat 'zien' helemaal ophoudt, is er de eeuwige toestand.

Wanneer je je niet meer identificeert met lichaam-denken-voelen, ben je het gemanifesteerde beginsel, de Zijnstoestand. Je bent dan geen persoonlijkheid meer, maar uitsluitend bewustzijn.

Wanneer je in die staat van bewustzijn bent, ben je in een positie om de gedachtenstroom te observeren; je observeert alle gedachten die zich aandienen - jij staat buiten die gedachten. Je identificeert je er niet mee. En omdat je het lichaam en zijn handelingen observeert, maak jij daar geen deel van uit; je staat los van het lichaam. Dan ben je in bewustzijn: dat is het eerste stadium. Wanneer je uitsluitend bewustzijn bent, ben je het hele gemanifesteerde bestaan. Dát moet gerealiseerd worden. Dan, ervan uitgaande dat je bent, is alles er: je wereld en je God. Jij bent de eerste oorzaak, de eerste vereiste voor al het andere dat bestaat, of het nu je God of je wereld betreft. Jij verwijlt in bewustzijn. In je aandacht zou alleen bewustzijn moeten zijn. Dat is meditatie.

Verblijf in 'ik ben' en de bron van alle kennis welt in je op en openbaart het mysterie van het heelal. Tijdens dat openbaringsproces zal je individuele persoonlijkheid, die beperkt is tot je lichaam, zich verruimen tot het gemanifesteerde universum. Je zult je realiseren dat jij het universum met jouw 'lichaam' doordringt en omarmt. Dat staat bekend als 'Zuivere Hoogste Kennis'. Ondanks alles weigert de geest, zelfs in de schitterende zuivere staat, te geloven dat hij geen entiteit is.

Nu de volgende stap. Ben je in een positie om bewustzijn te observeren? Dat is ook de laatste stap. Wanneer je in een positie bent om bewustzijn te observeren of er getuige van te zijn - en uiteraard ook van de levenskracht (de adem), het lichaam en zijn handelingen - dan sta je, dankzij die observatie, buiten dat bewustzijn.

Nu komen we tot een zeer subtiel punt. Wat is er in jou dat die kennis dat 'je bent' - of van jouw standpunt bekeken 'ik ben' - begrijpt, zonder dat er een naam, een benoeming of een woord bij hoort?

Nestel je in dat meest innerlijke centrum en neem de kennis 'ik ben' waar en 'wees alleen maar'."

Bezoeker: "Mijn geest is rustig, maar aandachtig. Ik kijk naar dit 'ik ben'."

Maharaj: "Je bent tot het stadium van 'ik ben' gekomen, maar je moet je bestemming nog bereiken. Dat kan alleen wanneer aandacht in aandacht opgaat. Als ze zichzelf had verzwolgen, zou je hier niet zijn gekomen."

Bezoeker: "O, ik begrijp nu dat ik mijn aandacht had moeten 'uitkauwen'."

Maharaj: "Ja. Je bent vastgelopen in het stadium van aandacht. Aandacht moet helemaal verteerd worden. Je spreekt nu vanuit de kennis 'ik ben', die tijdgebonden en tijdelijk is."


Nisargadatta Maharaj was from the spiritual lineage of the Navanathas. He was born in Bombay in 1897, and was brought up on a farm in Kandalgaon, a village south of Bombay. He had an alert, inquisitive mind, and was deeply interested in religious and philosophical matters. After the death of his father, he moved to Bombay in 1918, and in 1924 married Sumatibai, who bore him a son and three daughters. Although he started life in Bombay as an office clerk, he soon went out on his own and started a small business, and in a few years he owned several small shops. A hunger for truth grew in him, and in 1933, due to a friend's urging, he approached the great Saint, Sri Siddharameshwar Maharaj, and was initiated by him. After the death of his Guru in 1936, the urge for Self—realization reached its zenith, and in 1937 he abandoned his family and businesses and took to the life of a wandering monk.On his way to the Himalayas, where he intended to spend the rest of his life, he met a brother disciple who convinced him that a life of dispassion in action would be more spiritually fruitful. Returning to Bombay, he found only one store remaining of his business ventures. For the sake of his family he conducted the business but devoted all his energy to spiritual sadhana. He built himself a mezzanine floor as a place for meditation (this is the room where we all used to gather to listen to him talk).

In his own words, "When I met my Guru, he told me, 'You are not what you take yourself to be. Find out what you are. Watch the sense I AM, find your real Self...' I did as he told me. All my spare time I would spend looking at myself in silence...and what a difference it made, and how soon! It took me only three years to realize my true nature." His message to us was simple and direct with no propounding of scriptures or doctrines. "You are the Self here and now! Stop imagining yourself to be something else. Let go your attachment to the unreal."



Maurice Frydman, a Polish devotee, often acted as translator and the questions and answers were so interesting that tape recordings were made, and in 1973 these were published under the title "I Am That". . As a result, readers from many different countries came to Bombay seeking the spiritual guidance of Sri Maharaj.













From 1978 to 1981, when Sri Maharaj died from cancer of the throat, his talks were so much deeper than in the previous years that, with the help of a few other devotees, the tape recordings were again resumed and I transcribed and edited them, with the blessings of Sri Maharaj, and these were published under the titles of "Seeds of Consciousness" and "Prior to Consciousness"; both titles were suggested by Sri Maharaj.


Hier volgt nog wat interessante info over Maharaj, verzameld door

Cathy Boucher:

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj was born on Hanuman’s birthday, in March 1897, He was given the name, Maruti, in honor of Hanuman. His father worked as a servant and then later bought some land and became small time farmer. After Maruti’s father died, in 1915, Maruti followed his oldest brother to Bombay. In 1924 he married Sumatibai and with her became the parents of three daughters and a son. He started out as a clerk in an office but that did not suit him tempermentally and he soon took to petty trading. He opened a bidi shop (shop for hand rolled coarse cigarettes) and began selling them. He became prosperous. (I Am That, Part I, p.xxvii)

He had a friend named Yashwantrao Bagkar, an intellegent seeker of truth. They would have discussions and one day his friend brought him to meet his Sadguru, Sri Siddharameshwar. Although Maruti was moved by Sri Siddharameshwar, he felt the teaching was beyond him (p.xxvii). Maruti was given a mantra initiation, which is totally in keeping with the Navnath tradition, and instructions on how to meditate. His practice really started to take off between 1933-1936 (p.xxvii).

Sri Siddharameshwar died in 1936 and evoked in Maruti a strong feeling of renunciation which he acted upon. He abandoned his family and bidi businesses and took off for the Himalayas.(pxxviii) Srikant Gogte and P.T. Phadol , in the introduction of I am That say of this, “On his way to the Himalayas, where he was planning to spend the rest of his life, he met a brother-dsciple, who convinced him about the shortcomings of a totally unworldly life and the greater spiritual fruitfulness of dispassion in action..” (p.xxviii) When he returned he found that out of six shops only one remained, but that was enough for the sustenance of his family, Maruti became Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, devoting all his free time to meditation on his guru’s instruction. He actually explained how the name came to him in Consciousness and the Absolute: the final talks of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, edited by Jean Dunn:

Q. How did Maharaj get the name Nisargadatta?

M. At one time I was composing poems. Poems used to flow out of me and, in this flow, I just added Nisargadatta. I was revelling in coposing poems until my Guru cautioned me, “You are enjoying composing these poems too mcuh; give them up!”

What was he driving at? His objective was for me to merge in the Absolute state insteadof revelling in my beingness.

This was the way I realized knowledge, not through mental manipulation. My Guru said, “this is so,” and for me, it was finished! (p.7-8)

So, after a relatively short time he Awoke to the truth. People would line up at the shop to ask spiritual questions and later, his son took over the business and he began to hold Satsang (association with the truth.).

After Sri Nisargadatta became sick in the late 1970’s, his transmission continued but he lost all patience with spiritual imagery and intellectual fencing. His later discourses are piercing and diamond-like in their ability to dismiss the disengenuous and dillitante questioner. Most of all, he truly wanted us to awaken as he had. In Consciousness and the Absolute, edited by Jean Dunn, in one of his last talks, Maharaj said:

I do not want meek and humble disciples, I want them to be powerful as I am. I do not make disciples, I make Gurus. (1994: P100)

These powerful words are a reminder of the true purpose of the Navnath Sampraday. Perhaps, the Navnath Sampraday will take root here in the United States and Europe, amongst those who are quietly inquiring amidst their busy daily lives.