Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj hardly needs an introduction any longer to lovers of the highest wisdom. Known as a maverick Hindu sage, Nisargadatta is now generally acknowledged to rank with the greatest masters of advaita teachings, such as Sri Ramana Maharshi of Tiruvannamalai, Sri Atmananda of Trivandrum, and the more recently known disciple of the Maharshi, Poonjaji of Lucknow.
In this latest work, the depth and subtlety of the treatment of the subject combined with the closely reasoned approach (as marvelously exemplified in the chapter "The Experience of Nothingness") make these dialogues virtually unsurpassed in the spiritual literature. On a more mundane level, Maharaj addresses two points many have always found intriguing. People have wondered, and some even complained, about his apparently brusque manner with certain visitors by not allowing them to stay with him for any extended length of time. In this volume Maharaj for the first time reveals the rationale for his actions. It occurred to me this might well have a bearing also on the way one reads these discourses. Optimally, small portions of the text should be digested at any one time, in order to let their significance sink in. Thus, one uses Maharaj more like a catalyst in the flowering of one's own understanding and the consequent development of one's convictions. In this way, the words acquire an extraordinary vitality and there is a corresponding responsiveness in the listener or reader.
The Other point is that it is apparent in the discussions that Maharaj rarely agrees with anyone, even if that person has made an apparently valid statement or given a correct answer to his questions. Maharaj acknowledges this and explains how and why he uses this particular approach as a subtle pedagogic device. The possibility always exists to come up with a more or less correct answer, on the intellectual level, yet be bereft of actual experience or deep conviction. In such cases, to go along with the speaker would only encourage him to believe he has achieved genuine transformation when in fact he is merely repeating mechanically a verbal formula. It is as Maharaj once said: "The realized man knows what others merely hear but do not experience. Intellectually, they may seem convinced, but in action they betray their bondage." And on another occasion he said: "Self-surrender is the surrender of all self-concern. It cannot be done, it happens when you realize your true nature. Verbal self-surrender, even accompanied by feeling, is of little value and breaks down under stress."
**Contents and Sample Pages**
Vedas (1174)
Upanishads (498)
Puranas (627)
Ramayana (746)
Mahabharata (362)
Dharmasastras (166)
Goddess (494)
Bhakti (243)
Saints (1509)
Gods (1275)
Shiva (377)
Journal (184)
Fiction (66)
Vedanta (363)
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Statutory Information
Visual Search
Manage Wishlist