all-embracing love.

When all the false self-identifications are thrown away, what remains is all-embracing love.

nisargardatta - 3 years

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 obeyed him, because I trusted him. I did as he told me. All my spare time I would spend looking at myself in silence. And what difference it made, and how soon! It took me only three years to realize my true nature.

the cause of suffering

The cause of suffering is in the identification of the perceiver with the perceived. Out of it desire is born, and with desire blind action, unmindful of results. Look around and you will see - suffering is a man-made thing.

the world is but a show

The world is but a show, glittering and empty. It is, and yet it is not. It is there as long as I want to see it and take part in it. When I cease caring, it dissolves. It has no cause and serves no purpose. It just happens when we are absent-minded. It appears exactly as it looks, but there is no depth in it, nor meaning. Only the onlooker is real, call him Self or Atma. To the Self, the world is but a colourful show, which he enjoys as long as it lasts and forgets when it is over. Whatever happens on the stage makes him shudder in terror or roll with laughter, yet all the time he is aware that it is but a show. Without desire or fear, he enjoys it, as it happens. = I am That

Q: You are giving a certain date to your realization. ... What happened?

M: The mind ceased producing events. The ancient and ceaseless search stopped - I wanted nothing, expected nothing - accepted nothing as my own. There was no `me' left to strive for. Even the bare `I am' faded away. The other thing that I noticed was that I lost all my habitual certainties. Earlier I was sure of so many things, now I am sure of nothing. But I feel that I have lost nothing by not knowing, because all my knowledge was false. My not knowing was in itself knowledge of the fact that all knowledge is ignorance, that `I do not know' is the only true statement the mind can make. Take the idea `I was born'. You may take it to be true. It is not. You were never born, nor will you ever die. It is the idea that was born and shall die, not you. By identifying yourself with it you became mortal. Just like in a cinema all is light, so does consciousness become the vast world. Look closely, and you will see that all names and forms are but transitory waves on the ocean of consciousness, that only consciousness can be said to be, not its transformations. In the immensity of consciousness a light appears, a tiny point that moves rapidly and traces shapes, thoughts and feelings, concepts and ideas, like the pen writing on paper. And the ink that leaves a trace is memory. You are that tiny point and by your movement the world is ever re-created. Stop moving, and there will be no world. Look within and you will find that the point of light is the reflection of the immensity of light in the body, as the sense `I am'. There is only light, all else appears. - I am that

nothing is

The final answer is this: nothing is. All is a momentary appearance in the field of the universal consciousness. Continuity as name and form is a mental formation only, easy to dispel.

before the world was, conciousness was

Before the world was, consciousness was. In consciousness it comes into being, in consciousness it lasts and into pure consciousness it dissolves. At the root of everything is the feeling "I am". The state of mind "there is a world" is secondary, for to be, I do not need the world, the world needs me.

two bodies: personal and universal

You may say you have two bodies: the personal and the universal. The personal comes and goes, the universal is always with you. The entire creation is your universal body. You are so blinded by what is personal, that you do not see the universal.

stop thinking of the world

The world appears to you so overwhelmingly real because you think of it all the time; cease thinking of it and it will dissolve into thin mist.

the person and the witness

[The person and the witness] both are modes of consciousness. In one, you desire and fear; in the other, you are unaffected by pleasure and pain, and are not ruffled by events. You let them come and go.

who are you?

Discard all you are not and go ever deeper. Just as a man digging a well discards what is not water, until he reaches the water-bearing strata, so must you discard what is not your own, till nothing is left which you can disown. You will find that what is left is nothing which the mind can hook on to. You are not even a human being. You just are - a point of awareness, co-extensive with time and space and beyond both, the ultimate cause, itself uncaused. If you ask me "Who are you?", my answer would be: "Nothing in particular. Yet, I am."

the immensity and infinity of consciousness

You are not the body. You are the immensity and infinity of consciousness

only one self

The self you want to know, is it some second self? Are you made of several selves? Surely, there is only one self and you are that self. The self you are is the only self there is. Remove and abandon your wrong ideas about yourself and there it is, in all its glory

i was never born

As it is my presence, which is always here and now, that gives the quality of actual to any event, I must be beyond time and space. I was never born, nor will ever die. - I am that

empty room

The body-mind is like a room. It is there, but I need not live in it all the time.

seperate the observed from the observer

Realize that whatever you think yourself to be is just a stream of events; that while all happens, comes and goes, you alone are, the changeless among the changeful, the self-evident among the inferred. Separate the observed from the observer and abandon false identifications

this i am not

To myself, I am neither perceivable nor conceivable; there is nothing I can point out to and say: "this I am". You identify yourself with everything so easily; I find it impossible. The feeling "I am not this or that, nor is anything mine" is so strong in me that as soon as a thing or a thought appears, there comes at once the sense "this I am not". - I am That

each moment

Each moment contains the whole of the past and creates the whole of the future.

the law of cause and effect

Scientifically interpreted, the Dhamma may be called the law of cause and effect. These two embrace the entire body of the Buddha's Teachings.

no persecution

"Alone of all the great world religions Buddhism made its way without persecution, censorship or inquisition." Aldous Huxley

pessimism

"Pessimism denotes an attitude of hopelessness towards life, a vague general opinion that pain and evil predominate in human affairs. The original doctrine of the Buddha is in fact as optimistic as any optimism of the West. To call it pessimism is merely to apply to it a characteristically Western principle to which happiness is impossible without personality. The true Buddhist looks forward with enthusiasm to absorption into eternal bliss." - Encyclopaedia Britannica

prayers

"Prayers take the character of private communications, selfish bargaining with God. It seeks for objects of earthly ambitions and inflames the sense of self. Meditation on the other hand is self-change." — Sri Radhakrishnan.

the middle way

The buddha developed "the middle way" and thereby explained that neither self denial nor self indulgence are inherently righteous because detachment is more achievable through moderation. Both self indulgence and self denial are too bound up with the "self" to be succesful.

upstream

The buddha describes the person that doesn't succumb to the usual flow of attachment as one "who goes upstream"

well trained in the ways that lead to light

"For he whose mind is well trained in the ways that lead to light, who surrenders the bondage of attachments and finds joy in his freedom from bondage, who free from the darkness of passions shines pure in radiance of light, even this mortal life he enjoys the mortal nirvana" Dhammapada, 89

bundles of perception

we are all just bundles of perception

within the prison of your world

Within the prison of your world appears a man who tells you that the world of painful contradictions, which you have created, is neither continuous nor permanent and is based on a misapprehension. He pleads with you to get out ot it, by the same way by which you got into it. You got into it by forgetting what you are and you will get out of it by knowing yourself as you are. - I Am That Nisargadatta Maharaj

there comes a time

There comes a time when an individual becomes irresistible and his action becomes all-pervasive in its effects. This comes when he reduces himself to zero. - Gandhi

the ego is like an iceberg

The ego is like an iceberg.
Ninety percent of it is under water.
As we observe it, the submerged
begins to move into the light of observation,
and melts into the light of awareness.
~Meher Baba

remove the obstacles by which you can't see it

Self is always Present, Bliss is always Present.
You are not to work at attaining it,
just remove the obstacles by which you can't see it.
The hindrance is only one: Attachment to the past.
- Papaji

the eternal present

We look backward too much and we look forward too much; thus we miss the only eternity of which
we can be absolutely sure - the eternal present, for it is always now. - William Phelps

longing fir the ending of the dream

Once you have seen that you are dreaming, you shall wake up. But you do not see, because you want the dream to continue. A day will come when you will long for the ending of the dream, with all your heart and mind, and be willing to pay any price; the price will be dispassion and detachment, the loss of interest in the dream itself. - I Am That Nisargadatta Maharaj

spiritual maturity

Spiritual maturity lies in the readiness to let go everything. The giving up is the first step. But the real giving up is in realising that there is nothing to give up..... To be, you must be nobody. To think yourself to be something, or somebody, is death and hell...... When you are no longer attached to anything, you have done your share. The rest will be done for you.
- I Am That Nisargadatta Maharaj

first our individual self must learn peace

If we ourselves remain angry and then sing world peace, it has little meaning. So, you see, first our individual self
must learn peace. This we can practice. Then we can teach the rest of the world . - The Dalai Lama

person is a shadow of reality

Once you realise that the person is merely a shadow of the reality, but not the reality itself, you cease to fret and worry. You agree to be guided from within and life becomes a journey into the unknown..... If you just try to keep quiet, all will come - the work, the strength for work, the right motive. Must you know everything beforehand? Don't be anxious about your future - be quiet now and all will fall into place. - I Am That Nisargadatta Maharaj

try to be

Try to be, only to be. The all-important word is 'try'. Allot enough time daily for sitting quietly and trying, just trying, to go beyond the personality, with its addictions and obsessions. Don't ask how, it cannot be explained. You just keep on trying until you succeed. If you persevere, there can be no failure. What matters supremely is sincerity, earnestness; you must really have had surfeit of being the person you are, now see the urgent need of being free of this unnecessary self-identification with a bundle of memories and habits. This steady resistance against the unnecessary is the secret of success. - I Am That Nisargadatta Maharaj

we do not see things as they are

We do not see things as they are.
We see them as we are. - The Talmud

there is no illness of the body

There is no illness of the body apart from the mind. - Socrates 500 BC

free of the thirst of becoming

He who has realized the Truth, Nirvana, is the happiest being in the world. He is free from all "complexes" and obsessions, the worries and troubles that torment others. His mental health is perfect. He does not repent the past, nor does he brood over the future. He lives fully in the present. Therefore he appreciates and enjoys things in the purest sense without self-projections. He is joyful, exultant, enjoying the pure life, his faculties pleased, free from anxiety, serene and peaceful. As he is free from selfish desire, hatred, ignorance, conceit, pride, and all such "defilements", he is pure and gentle, full of universal love, compassion, kindness, sympathy, understanding and tolerance. His service to others is of the purest, for he has no thought of self. He gains nothing, accumulates nothing, not even anything spiritual, because he is free from the illusion of self, and the "thirst" for becoming. - taken from What the buddha taught by Walpola Sri Rahula

let nature takes its course

"While day by day the overzealous student stores up facts for future use, He who has learned to trust nature finds need for ever fewer external directions. He will discard formula after formula, until he reaches the conclusion: Let nature take its course. By letting each thing act in accordance with its own nature, everything that needs to be done gets done." - Lao Tzu

don't wait for the rain

When clouds form in the skies we know that rain will follow but we must not wait for it. Nothing will be achieved by attempting to interfere with the future before the time is ripe. Patience is needed." - I Ching

believe nothing

Believe nothing merely because you have been told it. Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher. But whatsoever, after due examination and analysis, you find to be kind, conducive to the good, the benefit, the welfare of all beings -- that doctrine believe and cling to, and take it as your guide. - The Buddha

a spoon of salt in a lake

"Let yourself be open and life will be easier. A spoon of salt in a glass of water makes the water undrinkable. A spoon of salt in a lake is almost unnoticed." - The Buddha

your body is precious

"Your body is precious. It is our vehicle for awakening. Treat it with care." - The Buddha

peace comes from within

"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without." - The Buddha

truly dancing

"Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And
when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb. And
when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance." - Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

as you think, so you become

"One who focuses on Freedom is free indeed, As one is bound who focuses on bondage;
Truly it has been said: As you think, so you become." - Astavakra Gita 1.11

i am that

Before the world was, consciousness was. In consciousness it comes into
being, in consciousness it lasts and into pure consciousness it dissolves.
At the root of everything is the pure feeling of I Am. The state of mind,
'there is a world' is secondary, for to 'be,' I do not need a world, the
world needs me." - from I Am That

the most precious gift

The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers. - Thich Nhat Hanh

keeping your body healthy

Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos - the trees, the clouds, everything.

words are boats...

words are boats to the other shore

living inside my head

I'm tired of living inside my head....there's not enough room in there!

purification of our minds

The happiness we seek, a genuine lasting peace and happiness, can be attained only through the purification of our minds. This is possible if we cut the root cause of all suffering and misery—our fundamental ignorance. - The Dalai Lama

My religion is kindness

“My religion is kindness. A good mind, a good heart, warm feelings - these are the most important things.” –The DALI LAMA

nothing missing now

If we tune in right now to this moment, there is nothing, absolutely nothing missing ..... It simply can't be enhanced any further because there is nothing to enhance. If we are going to use the term "awakening", this is what I am referring to. - Peter Fenner

one God, one world, one race and one moral code

For too many of us religion is a vicarious experience, we get our God second hand, we worship ideas as idols, and let labels determine the worth of people. We need to get beyond all of this. We need that direct experience that will free us from the garbage that surrounds so much that passes for religion today. We need to hear the original message of one God, one world, one race and one moral code. We need to meditate and see for ourselves what is true. - Rabbi Rami Shapiro

The ego's loyalty to "me"

When you gat to a point in meditation practice when the ego is screaming "Stop! Don't do this to me!" .... many people quit in order to maintain their loyalty to the label of their birth, or even the more primal loyalty to the label "me". This is something that ultimately has to be surrendered. - Rabbi Rami Shapiro

Real peace is the greatest treasure

Great wealth will not bring you peace. The minute you get it you start worrying you will lose it. Real peace is the greatest treasure.

Desire nothing

Desire nothing. Be content with everything.

It is good not to suffer

It is good not to suffer. But suffering can also be seen to be good because it makes you humble and compassionate. Stop suffering from thinking suffering is only something that makes you suffer.

Cosmic consciousness is our birthright.

Cosmic consciousness is our birthright. The means of attaining this are humility, compassion, and meditation.

Nothing is seperate

There are no separate bodies - there is only one body with many parts.
There are no separate emotions - there is only infinite love and bliss.
There are no separate actions - there is only the experience of eternal love.
There are no separate minds - there is only one consciousness.

The astral body is the body you will take with you when you die.

The astral body is the body you will take with you when you die. The greater the quantity of astral energy, the higher stage of evolution you will be reborn into. You can't have any faith in your body, mind, or emotions surviving death. Only your consciousness, your awareness, has this potential. The astral body is the vehicle that carries it until liberation, and the re-union with everything, everywhere, takes place. This is when you experience the Divine Body and live happily ever after.

Picture your astral body as a balloon

Picture your astral body as a balloon. Your kindness, acts of charity, compassion, prayers, meditations, good intentions, and so on, produce astral energy that fills the balloon. When it is full enough, you will rise out of the confines of your physical body. When it is even fuller, you will escape the pull of Mother Earth's gravity and be able to roam the solar system. This goes on until your astral body fills totally, and the balloon bursts. Your pre-preatomic energy is free to join the infinite divine creative consciousness that permeates the universe, and you are free of all limitations, be they physical or astral.

Freedom is ..

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose,
And nothing don ’t mean nothing, honey, if it ain ’t free. - Janis Joplin

no immortal soul

if you believe that you have (or are) an enduring (immortal) soul then that is duality. If this belief is not held, that is nondual. When I look for my soul, all I can finally see is the whole of existence, the totality of the perceivable. I have no way of knowing where to draw a line so as to say "This side is me, that side is not me". So nonduality is not a belief, rather it is the absence of belief. Andrew Macnab

We are life itself

No, nonduality is not becoming *like* or the same as anyone else. Nonduality is the dropping of the notion of there being any *one* there in the first place. That's the deal. There is only *being* itself. It's not like at the end of some chain of events and experiences that you *merge* or become the same as someone else or even with God. NO! There is no *one* here in the first place. That is what there is to realize. It has nothing whatsoever to do with experience, no matter how blissful. It's the death of the separate one. But yet I LIVE! We discover that we are LIFE itself. Judi Rhodes

different flowers standing in one vase and sipping the same water

Nonduality as the common platform is the state where self is no more. This is what unites all methods, paths and the "self-styled". It is the idea of a bouquet of different flowers standing in one vase and sipping the same water. Jan Barendrecht

Non-duality

nonduality could be called the journey to resolve the relation between you, the other sentient beings and the objects, for once and forever. Jan Barendrecht

The word enlightenment

The word enlightenment conjures up the idea of some superhuman accomplishment, and the ego likes to keep it that way, but it is simply your natural state of felt oneness with Being. It is a state of connectedness with something immeasurable and indestructible, something that, almost paradoxically, is essentially you and yet is much greater than you. It is finding your true nature beyond name and form. The inability to feel this connectedness gives rise to the illusion of separation, from yourself and from the surrounding world. You then perceive yourself, consciously or unconsciously, as an isolated fragment. Fear arises, and conflict within and without becomes the norm. - Eckhart Tolle

Observing your mind

Whenever you are able to observe your mind, you are no longer trapped in it. Another factor has come in, something that is not of the mind: the witnessing presence. - Eckhart Tolle

The present moment holds the key to liberation

The present moment holds the key to liberation. But you cannot find the present moment as long as you are your mind. Enlightenment means rising above thought. In the enlightened state, you still use your thinking mind when needed, but in a much more focused and effective way than before. You use it mostly for practical purposes, but you are free of the involuntary internal dialogue, and there is inner stillness. - Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle one liner

Realize deeply that the present moment is all you ever have.

Eckhart Tolle quote from his website

"To meet everything and everyone through stillness instead of mental noise is the greatest gift you can offer to the universe. I call it stillness, but it is a jewel with many facets: that stillness is also joy, and it is love.

In case you really think you are an awakened one...

In case you really think you are an awakened one, test yourself with these questions:

Master Yueh of Toushuai set up three barriers to question students:

Crossing rivers and passing through mountains to learn and search out the hidden, is only for seeing into the own-nature. Right now, where is your own nature?

Only when you know your own-nature then you can be freed from birth and death. When you are dying,, how will you be free?

When you are freed from birth and death, then you will know where you are from and going to. When the four elements [which composed your body] disintegrate, where do you go? ¹

Why must I meditate in order to achieve enlightenment?

In his "Zen Fables for Today", Richards McLean retells the following story:

"Why must I meditate in order to achieve enlightenment?" demanded the prince of the teacher. "I can study, I can pray. I can think on issues clearly. Why this silly emptying of mind?"

"I will show you," said the teacher, taking a bucket of water into the garden under the full moon. "Now I stir the surface and what do you see?" "Ribbons of light," answered the prince. "Now wait," said the teacher setting the bucket down.

Both teacher and boy watched the calming surface of the water in the bamboo bucket for many minutes. "Now what do you see?" asked the teacher. "The moon," replied the prince.

"So, too, young master, the only way to grasp enlightenment is through a calm and settled mind."