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NISARGADATTA MAHARAJ

Life

When asked about the date of his birth, Nisargadatta Maharaj replied casually that he was never born ! However, some of his elderly relatives say that he was born at Bombay in April, 1897, on a Full Moon day. It was also the “Hanuman Jayanthi ” – the birthday of the “Monkey God” of “Ramayana” fame. To associate his birth with this auspicious day, his parents named him “Maruti” (another name of ‘Hanuman’). During his boyhood years, he worked on his parent’s small farm, in the nearby village. Although he grew up with little or no formal education, he was exposed to religious ideals by his father's friend -- a pious and learned Brahmin.

Maruti's father died when the boy was eighteen, leaving behind his wife and six children. Maruti and his older brother left the farm to look for work in Bombay. After a brief stint as a clerk, Maruti opened a shop selling tobacco and leaf-rolled cigarettes, called beedies. The shop was modestly successful and Maruti was married in 1924. A son and three daughters soon followed.

When Maruti was 34, he met his Guru, Siddharameshwar Maharaj.

Nisargadatta Maharaj himself narrated what transpired between him and his Guru :

“My Guru ordered me to attend to the sense 'I AM' and to give attention to nothing else. I just obeyed. I did not follow any particular course of breathing, or meditation, or study of scriptures. Whatever happened, I would turn away my attention from it and remain with the sense 'I AM'. It may look too simple, even crude. My only reason for doing it was that my Guru told me so. Assuredly, it worked!”

As Sri Bhagavan would say : “Just to BE . Not to be ‘this’ or ‘that’. Just BE .”

While seriously practising, something exploded within Maruti, as it were, giving birth to a Cosmic Consciousness – a sense of Eternal Life – and thus, emerged the illuminating personality “Nisargadatta Maharaj”.

Within three years, Maruti realized the Truth and took the new name “Nisargadatta”. [‘Nisargadatta’, means “naturally (nisarga) given (datta)” or, more loosely, “one dwelling in the natural state.” It also means, “Nis-arga” “without parts,” and suggests “the unfragmented, seamless, solid state of Awareness of a Sage” ]. He became a sadhu, roamed about in the Himalayas and walked all over India, but eventually returned to Bombay where he lived for the rest of his life, earning for himself and family through his beedi shop where he gave spiritual discourses. Some called him Beedi Baba.

Maurice Frydman

Thanks to the untiring services rendered by Maurice Frydman, his teachings were first translated into English in the book “I Am That ”, which was first published in 1973. It made him well known across the world and brought many Western devotees to his humble tenement, where he had started giving Satsangs. Maharaj once told Frydman “You have done to me what Paul Brunton did to the Maharshi ”.

He was 84 years old, when he attained Mahasamadhi in 1981.

Some Quotes of Nisargadatta Maharaj

“Sometimes I know that I am ‘everything’, and I call that “Love”. Sometimes I know that I am ‘nothing’, and I call that “Wisdom”. Between “Love” and “Wisdom” my life continually flows.”

“Don't you see that all your problems are your body's problems — food, clothing, shelter, family, friends, fame, name, security, survival — all these lose their meaning, the moment you realize that you may not be a mere body.”

“When you are no longer attached to anything, you have done your share. The rest will be done ‘for’ you. By whom? By the same ‘Power’ that brought you so far, that prompted your heart to desire Truth and your mind to seek it. It is the same ‘Power’ that keeps you alive. You may call it ‘Life’ or the ‘Supreme’. Remember that language is an instrument of the ‘mind’, it is made by the mind for the mind.”

“It is the ‘mind’ that tells you that the ‘mind’ is there. Don't be deceived. All the endless arguments about the ‘mind’ are produced by the ‘mind’ itself, for its protection, continuation and expansion. It is the blank refusal to consider the convolutions and convulsions of the ‘mind’ that can take you beyond it.”

“Our usual attitude is of : ‘I am this’. Separate consistently and perseveringly the ‘I Am’ from ‘this’ or ‘that’ and try to feel what it means to be – just to BE – without being ‘this’ or ‘that’.

“To know the world you forget the Self, to know the Self you forget the world.”

“Don't pretend to be what you are not, don't refuse to be what you are.”

“If you do not care for ‘pleasure’, you will not be afraid of ‘pain’.”

“What you need will come to you if you do not ask for what you do not need.”

“The essence of saintliness is total acceptance of the present moment, harmony with things as they happen.”

“Desire is the root cause of all suffering. We suffer more by the desire for things than by lack of things.”

“As long as you are a beginner, certain formalized meditations and prayers may be good for you. But, for a seeker of ‘Reality’, there is only one meditation - the rigorous refusal to harbour ‘thoughts’. To be free from ‘thoughts’ is itself Meditation."

“Because you know you are, you know the world is. You also know that God is. If you don't know you are, where is the world and where is the God?”

“This itself is the greatest miracle, that I got the news "I AM." Have you any doubts that you are ?”

“As I tell you, abide in yourself, be your ‘own being’, then only you will get that peace and quietude. Just be what you are. When you abide in your own Self, all your questions will be dissolved by the knowledge "you are."

“Establish yourself firmly in the awareness of ‘I AM’. This is the beginning and also the end of all endeavour.”

“Relax and watch the ‘I AM’. ‘Reality’ is just behind it. Keep quiet, keep silent; it will emerge, or rather, it will take you in.”

“What matters supremely is sincerity, earnestness.”

“The desire to find the ‘SELF’ will be surely fulfilled, provided you want nothing else. But, you must be honest with yourself and really want nothing else.”

“How long do you do this type of meditation? Until you stabilize in the conviction: I am the knowledge "I AM." At that stage your individuality is completely extinguished; you no longer have a personality. And "you" denotes the manifested. In place of the lost ‘individuality’, has come the manifest ‘Totality’.”

Nisargadatta Maharaj

MAHARAJ AND ME

In the 1970’s, I received letters from the two reputed writers and spiritual seekers - Wei Wu Wei and Douglas E. Harding - telling me about Nisargadatta Maharaj and his book “I Am That ”. They said that after Sri Bhagavan’s “Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi”, they admired this book the most. Both of them urged me to visit Maharaj and share my experiences. As I felt that I had the privilege of being Sri Bhagavan’s devotee, I wondered why I should take time off to visit other Gurus. At any rate, who was I to comment on Saints and Sages?

Whenever I visited cities and big towns on Ashram work, I would never fail to devote one day to visit the Old Devotees of Sri Bhagavan living there, who have had the great good fortune of having Sri Bhagavan’s darshan or being with Sri Bhagavan. I would prostrate to them and spend some time with them. Mrs. Soona Nicholson, daughter of Framji Dorabji, a Parsi devotee of Sri Bhagavan, was one of them. When I reached her house on one of my visits to Bombay, she asked me to hop into her car. On the way, she told me that she was taking me to a Saint, without naming him. She said, “Ganesh! Don’t expect the countenance of Sri Ramakrishna or Sri Bhagavan. In fact, he looks like a village farmer.” Instantly, within my Heart I prostrated to that Saint, for, it never mattered to me whether a ‘Saint’ was male, female, learned or illiterate.

That Saint turned out to be Nisargadatta Maharaj. He was sitting alone in his room. The moment Maharaj looked at me, I felt a flood of peace and quietude flowing into me. Soona was right. Maharaj could easily pass for a rustic farmer. But what a powerful unmistakeable spiritual presence! I prostrated to Maharaj. Maharaj lifted up his right hand, the index finger pointing somewhere up. My eyes were riveted on his. The more I was with him the more ecstatic I became.

Maharaj spoke only in his mother tongue Marathi or in Hindi. I knew neither. Soona acted as my interpreter. Maharaj said to me, “Ask some question.” Soona translated his words. I heard them but could not respond. Soona again insisted, “Ask Maharaj some question.” I kept silent. When Maharaj repeated himself for the third time, Soona nudged me and asked me to say some thing. Looking deeply into the eyes of Maharaj, I said :“I have no questions to ask, Maharaj. But, I would like to listen to you!” Maharaj laughed loudly and tapped forcefully on my lap.

Then, suddenly, he became very serious. He directed his pointed look at me. Words rushed out from him! “Just as an orthodox Brahmin will look down upon a non-vegetarian dish, a sadhaka (seeker) should look down upon the ‘I-am-the-body-idea’” ! He repeated it thrice and each time Soona translated it into English. I felt I was being pushed inwards and felt a mental peace which I have never had before. At that very moment, I lost my body-consciousness; and, sat silently for quite sometime. Then, Maharaj smiled broadly, touched me and looked at me with approval and affection.

Soona introduced me as the grand-nephew of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Then, Maharaj gestured to me to look above his head.

There was a large framed photo of Sri Bhagavan. I then remembered that his raised finger had pointed to it even while I prostrated to him earlier. He then said that Sri Bhagavan and he were brothers. So, I was his grandson, as well. When I expressed my desire to offer money in homage, he said that according to Hindu custom only elders can give ‘gifts’ to youngsters and not the vice versa. He wanted me to visit him every time I was in Bombay. He also told his family that I should be allowed to meet him at any time, any day! I felt immensely blessed!

Maharaj always received me with tender love and great affection. Once, when I was with him alone, a few Americans came in. They said that they had already read “I Am That” and would love to hear him talk. There was no interpreter with us. I did not even know a smattering of Hindi. Maharaj told me, “Tell them that I will be talking in their language this evening at the J.J. School of Arts grounds. Ask them to come there.” They said “J. Krishnamurti is giving a talk there this evening. Is Maharaj also going to speak ?” Maharaj smiled and told me, “Tell them. We are three brothers. Ramana Maharshi, J.Krishnamurti and I. We give the same teaching in different languages and styles. Ask them not to miss listening to Krishnamurti!”

In September, 1978, the Board of Trustees of Sri Ramanasramam deputed me to tour all over India. I was to visit major cities, meet the Old Devotees of Sri Bhagavan and gather their suggestions on how best to celebrate Sri Bhagavan’s Birth Centenary in 1980. Dates for my travel by train were all fixed and the necessary ticket reservations made. I went to Bombay and met the devotees there. The next day, I was to leave for Baroda on the next lap of my journey. I went to take the blessings of Maharaj in the evening.

Seeing me, he expressed joy and said, “I want you to stay with me for eight days. You should be with me continuously for eight days, without a break.” I was stunned. I had not yet told him that I had to leave for Baroda the next day as part of my All India tour. Maharaj must have read my thoughts, for he hurried to add, “Not necessarily this time but I do want you to stay for eight days with me, sometime!”

On January 18, 1979, I reported myself to Maharaj in the evening and waited for his instructions. He commanded me, “Come tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock sharp!” I prostrated to him and took leave. This is what I had written in my diary [the only time I ever wrote a diary — never before have I done so].

19-1-1979 (Diary Entry)

Morning 6.40: Left home at Juhu and boarded train at Andheri; reached Grant Road station and walked to Maharaj’s house. When I stepped into his room, the wall-clock chimed. It was 8 o’ clock !

[ Maharaj had asked me to be with him between 8 and 10 a.m. for 8 continuous days ]

Maharaj was alone. Just after his bath, with a towel around his waist, he shone like the early morning Sun. He was fresh and full of energy. His daughter-in-law came and started making preparations for the puja, like making garlands, etc. He placed a cushion on the floor and asked me to sit on it. When I looked at him enquiringly, he added reassuringly, “You need not do anything. Just keep looking at me!” He went to the other side of the room and performed puja, with meticulous one-pointed attention.

“…..Maharaj was alone at his place of puja…..”

After 10 a.m. Maharaj asked me to stay next to him and offered me tea. He again placed a cushion next to him and bade me sit on it. Then he commenced his talk. Pointing me out to the audience he said that he was giving a special talk in my honour. The essence of the talk was on Atman [ ‘I AM’ ] and how it is nothing but one’s own ‘simple being’. After a long, torrential outpouring, he turned to me and said, “I will put you a question and you have to answer me, clearly.” Then he asked: “Do you agree with all that I said?” When I, overwhelmed with emotion, said, “Yes”, Maharaj turned to the audience and said: “All the time, the talk delivered today was given by ‘That’ which just now said ‘Yes’!”

He turned to me and said firmly, “You should give talks daily at Sri Ramanasramam. What you speak does not matter. Whatever you talk will be Sri Bhagavan talking.” I pleaded, “Maharaj! I am incompetent, incapable of giving talks. I can’t!” Maharaj thundered, “The one who says I can’t talk is not going to talk. Open your mouth and ‘That’ will deliver the talk!” He added, “The one who sees the Sun rise, was before it – that one is ‘I AM’, that one is ‘That’, that one is the ‘Truth’ .”

On the 20th, 21st and 22nd of January too, I reached Maharaj’s house at the stroke of 8 o’ clock and meditated, sitting on the cushion Maharaj had promptly laid for me. On the 23rd, 24th & 25th Maharaj was away at Nasik. I, however, went to his house and meditated. On 26th I meditated while Maharaj performed his usual puja.

On that day, after being seated on the cushion placed for me by Maharaj, my attention was completely pivoted on him. His usual routine was to take from the closed shelf the small idols of Gods, clean and bathe them, clothe them, apply sandal paste, kumkum and ‘attar’ (Indian perfume containing rose essence), and finally perform puja to them. He would then carefully replace the idols with absolute reverence. After this was completed, he would climb on a small ladder laid for him by his daughter-in-law (who was totally devoted to him, as a disciple would be to a Guru ) and repeat this process with all the pictures of Sages and Saints that adorned the walls in the hall. He did this meticulously and perfectly, as I watched with rapt attention.

Suddenly, while Maharaj was applying ‘attar’ (perfume) with his finger to each of the glass-framed pictures of Sages and Saints, a thought arose in me, ‘Why was he applying ‘attar’ on those pictures, as only living people use this?’ The moment the thought arose in me, from a distance, still up on the ladder, Maharaj gave me a piercing look and asked, “Pictures? Are they only pictures? Look more closely!” When I looked at the thirty and odd framed pictures, lo, all of them became ‘alive’ as if truly animated! I was thrilled! Then, he climbed down, came and sat next to me and said: “One’s ‘bhava’ (inner attitude) of surrendered devotion, is most important while doing puja or witnessing a puja. If you see God-forms as ‘idols’, they will certainly look like mere idols. If you treat them as ‘pictures’, they will only appear as pictures. Change the ‘bhava’. Wholeheartedly treat them as ‘alive’ and approach them with reverence.

“…..he expounded Saint Jnaneswar’s ‘Jnaneshwari’…..”

“Then, they will certainly turn ‘alive’ and shower their blessings on you. That is how Sages and Saints worship God, in the idols they have. However, always remain pivoted on the ‘essence’ - that the one who witnesses the puja or the one who performs the puja is the same Truth, since it is only God that resides in him or her. There exists no falsehood at all, for, everything including ‘you’ is the ‘TRUTH’.”

Maharaj then gave me a pat on my back, and added, “Has Sri Bhagavan not pointed out the spiritual truth that God resides in one’s Heart, namely, the right side of the chest? Yes! He resides here!” Maharaj put his right hand on the right side of my chest. I felt totally elated. He further added: “From now on, put ‘attar’ on your attire covering the right side of your chest!” I continue to apply perfume on my Heart, every day ! What an extraordinary blessing!

The eight days were thus successfully completed.

On 27th, I couldn’t go as I was indisposed. On 28th & 29th I went at 10 a.m. and attended Maharaj’s talks. Mrs and Mr. Sapre were there.

I was busy with Ashram work until February 8 evening. In the evening, along with P.V. Somasundaram, at the request of Maharaj, I attended the Marathi session of Maharaj where he expounded Saint Jnaneswar’s “Jnaneshwari ”. He performed a ‘miracle’. There was quite a crowd of local people. He asked me to come and sit directly in front of him, at his feet. He was standing. He bent towards me and said, “Listen to every word I speak, attentively.” He spoke in Marathi of which I don’t know a word. For 45 minutes he spoke very fast, without a moment’s pause, in Marathi unmixed with Hindi. When he completed, there was a thundering silence. Slowly he again bent down towards me and asked: “Did you understand?” ‘Something’ in me replied: “Yes, Maharaj! I understood every word you spoke!” I was surprised, for, though these words came out of my mouth, I felt I was only a ‘listener’ of those words and not the ‘speaker’ of those words. Maharaj laughed aloud and said, “Yes! It is for this that I made you come, this evening!” [That was the only evening session he permitted me to attend.] As I was leaving, he said with all affection, “Come and meet me tomorrow positively. I have kaam (business) to do with you!”

9-2-1979 (Diary Entry)

When I entered Maharaj’s room it was 11.30 a.m. All eyes were on me; I was surprised. Mrs. Sapre slightly chided me, “Maharaj has been expecting you from 10 o’clock onwards. He was frequently casting his glance at the stairs.” As I was about to sit, Maharaj swiftly directed Mrs. Sapre to make a pile of huge cushions and then guided me towards it and asked me to sit on it. A plate full of puja materials was handed over to Maharaj. He applied tilak on my forehead and perfume on my chest. He garlanded me. I was in a state of awe, wonder and suspense. A large plate containing a woolen shawl, terry-cotton shirt cloth, dhoti and an envelope containing Rs. 51/- was given to me and Maharaj requested me to accept them. Then, what Maharaj did took me unawares. He fully prostrated before me. He turned to the audience who were witnessing all that, with amazement [I learnt later Maharaj had never done such a thing ever before] and said, “This is how in Bharat [India] a Jnani greets another Jnani.” I got up immediately and prostrated to Maharaj, tightly holding his feet. When I got up, he pleaded with me that as soon as I returned to the Ashram, I should start giving talks. I just kept quiet! (End of Diary Entry)

There were many occasions when Maharaj demonstrated to me his unique, natural, inborn genius. I want to mention one of them: After an inspiring talk by Maharaj, a middle aged affluent looking American went up to Maharaj and offered $ 1000/- in cash as his offering. Maharaj smiled but politely refused to accept it. The American pleaded, “Maharaj! Please accept it! For the wisdom I received from you today I can’t but pay my homage. I am a wealthy man and to me these are but peanuts. Kindly do not decline.”

Maharaj answered, “I know, I know! You Americans are very rich and very prosperous. I will tell you an ancient story. It is from the epic, Ramayana. Lord Rama’s wife Sita was abducted by the demon, Ravana. Rama sought the help of the monkey king, Sugriva. Their leader, Hanuman, guided the monkeys to recognize the greatness of Lord Rama. All of them pledged their support to Rama. In due course, Lord Rama vanquished Ravana and was triumphantly returning to his capital Ayodhya in India along with his rescued wife Sita. The monkeys also wanted to accompany them to Ayodhya as they were eager to witness the coronation ceremony of Lord Rama. When they reached Ayodhya, the monkeys as was their wont, made an enormous commotion. The coronation was successfully conducted. The next day, early in the morning, Lord Rama asked Hanuman, “Why is there such silence and stillness? What happened to all your clan?” Hanuman replied, “My Lord! When they pledged support to you, they also took a severe vow that they would not eat or sleep until you are crowned as King of Ayodhya. Yesterday, they witnessed the coronation. Their vow completed, they ate to their hearts’ content. They felt so exhausted from lack of sleep that they are now fast asleep.” Lord Rama was very moved by the sacrifice the monkeys had made of giving up of their pleasures of food and sleep.

Sri Rama blessing Hanuman

Maharaj suddenly stopped his narration and said, “Till now the original story. Now, I am going to add my own version.”

“So, Lord Rama gave a boon to all the monkeys: “All the monkeys deserve great pleasure and prosperity. So, may they all be reborn as ‘humans’ in America, where they will enjoy all this in plenty!”

Maharaj turned to the American and the audience and added, “I know, you Americans revel in plenty and prosperity and are generous. You enjoy pleasures. Yet, I can’t accept your money. I am a grihastha [house-holder]. In our Hindu dharma, only brahmacharis [bachelors] and sannyasis [renunciates] are permitted to accept alms and donations. Grihasthas [active, house-holders] and vanaprasthas [retired, house-holders] are not permitted.”

Noticing the disappointment in the face of the American, Maharaj consolingly said, “You Americans will have material prosperity in great abundance in America, but if you want Lord Rama you will have to come to Bharat . You will have to come to India !”

On another occasion, a remark which Maharaj made while I was with him had a deep, indelible impact on me: “Pain is physical. Suffering is mental. Pain is unavoidable. Suffering is always avoidable.”

There is an Internet version of the next story about a French lady called Edith Deri which is not quite accurate. What actually happened is as follows:

Edith Deri was an accountant in a reputed Bank in Paris. Every year she would spend all her earned holidays of the year at Sri Ramanasramam. She would land at Bombay, catch a flight to Madras, take a taxi and arrive at our Ashram without halting anywhere. Her dedication to Sri Bhagavan and His teaching was that deep. I became very fond of her and even addressed her as my ‘French Mother’! She too responded and addressed me as ‘Son’! When she read my encounters with Nisargadatta Maharaj in The Mountain Path, she got very upset. On her next visit, she chided me for wasting time by going away from Arunachala to Bombay to be with another teacher. She asked me, “What is lacking in Sri Bhagavan’s teaching that you needed that teacher’s help?” She was a powerful personality. It was clear to me that no amount of my explaining matters to her verbally, would convince her. So I told her, “Mother! You have to be with Maharaj to know why I go there. On your next visit, stop for a day in Bombay, go to him and see for yourself!” She agreed.

Maharaj with (l) Ramesh Balsekar and (r) Mullarpattan

Nisargadatta Maharaj with his son Chittaranjan (right end), daughter-in-law and grand children

The next year, during the milk offering at the Ashram early morning puja, I felt the warmth of an affectionate pat on my back. It was my French Mother! She looked overflowingly happy. She hurriedly drew me out and narrated the following, with great joy:

“As directed by you, my dear ‘Son’, I stopped for a day in Bombay and went to see Maharaj. I was simmering with anger. I wanted to take him to task for luring my ‘Son’ away from my Sri Bhagavan! I went to Maharaj’s house at ten. When I climbed up the stairs, there was a large crowd already gathered in front of Maharaj. So, I sat on the last step itself. Maharaj welcomed me with a smile and a nod of his head. This infuriated me further. I controlled myself and kept quiet. Maharaj told me, “Ask some question.” I didn’t respond. He insisted a few times that I ask him something. I became restless and angrily blurted out, “I have nothing to ask of you. There is no doubt in me.” Maharaj still persisted with his demand. I became really angry and said, “Why are you insisting on my asking you a question? Is it to show off your greatness to your audience? That is, I should ask a question and you will answer it and smash my doubting mind, right? And the entire audience will applaud you, right? Is that not the reason you go on insisting that I should put a question to you?” I was certainly rude but I could not hide my irritation. I had to take it out on him.

“Maharaj was all the time graciously directing his look on me, with a beatific smile on his face. He was untouched by my expression of anger and intolerance. After a few minutes of concentrated look at me, he opened his mouth and words rolled down like a waterfall:

“Water is never bothered whether the thirst of the man is quenched or not!” Maharaj repeated it slowly but with emphasis a couple of times: “Water is never bothered whether the thirst of the man is quenched or not!” Something wonderful took place in me! All my anger, frustration and irritation vanished and in their place a sea of peace, silence and bliss surged up. This experience helped me transcend my mind’s limitations; and, I became immensely happy. I am very happy I met him. Thank you, my ‘Son’! Maharaj is truly a great Saint!”

Many were puzzled why Maharaj insisted on asking newcomers to put questions to him, even before they got acquainted with his mode of teaching. This approach was unique to Maharaj.

One day, he turned to me and said, “What a sadhaka (seeker) knows consciously about himself is only one-ninth of his being. The rest is buried as the ‘unconscious’, like an iceberg! He has no means to unknot this huge quota of his ‘unconscious’. With a single glance, a Saint can unravel a seeker’s entire ‘unconscious’, layer by layer. We want to work on it, tackle it and destroy it. To do that, we need the ‘password’ from the seeker, the approval of the seeker. Each Saint has a unique method of raising this hidden ‘unconscious’ of the seeker to the surface so that he can catch it and work on it. We are only interested in the hidden part of the seeker’s ‘unconscious’. As a matter of fact, we also deal with the one-ninth of his conscious level, as well. Ramana Maharshi used “Who am I?” Swami Ramdas used “Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram”. Shirdi Sai Baba used “Allah Malik”. I insist on the newcomer putting me a question. This is my method. I answer the question but it is only of secondary importance. When the seeker spells out his doubt, his ‘unconscious’ raises itself without his knowledge to the surface through his words. I catch it immediately and start working on it! This is a mystery which no ordinary mind can understand. What is great about dispelling the doubts coming from the one-ninth conscious level, the tip of the iceberg? There are plenty of books which can do that. But then, what about the hidden unconscious?

“After all, a seeker goes to a Saint to be freed from his deeply hidden problems. He can do nothing about it by himself as he is totally unaware of its depth and magnitude. The Saint’s attention on the seeker is the operation of Grace! Saints are thus the most compassionate. Whether the seekers recognize it or not, we are not bothered. So, when I repeatedly insist that the newcomer put me a question, I do it out of tremendous compassion surging from within me towards the struggling seeker. I use the question as the key to unlock his ‘unconscious’ and clean it up.”

Maharaj’s words solved a puzzle which was in my mind ever since I saw him insisting that I and other new visitors, ask him some question. It is obvious that the powerful words that he repeated to Edith Deri had a purging effect on her unconscious, as well.

Another American devotee, on his first visit, was asked by Maharaj to put him a question. Like all fresh visitors, he too pleaded, “You are the repository of Wisdom, Maharaj ! We come here only to listen to your words of Wisdom…I do not have questions !” Looking at him with all compassion and love, Maharaj thundered at him, “What were you, before the ‘Sun’ rose ?” There prevailed total silence, in the hall. A remarkable change came over the American devotee. With all joy and contentment, he prostrated to Maharaj; and, remained in joy-filled Silence, during the whole session ! When we came out of Maharaj’s house, I asked him, “What happened ? You seem now to be a thoroughly changed, immensely happy person !” “Oh ! It is a wonderful inner experience, my friend ! From childhood, I have never woken up before ‘Sun’ rise. I have never seen the ‘Sun’ rise ! By putting that question, perhaps, Maharaj pushed me to my inner latent state of ‘deep sleep’, even while I was fully and totally ‘awake’ ! I experienced for the first time in my life, the true state of ‘Inner Silence’, with conscious and total Awareness !”

In his last days, Maharaj was affected with throat cancer and was advised by Doctors not to make bodily movements. Hence, visitors were requested not to bring him garlands or gifts, to receive which Maharaj had to rise up from his bed, causing him enormous pain. I did not know about it. That day, I brought flower garlands and fruits, as my offering to Maharaj. When I entered the room, all the eyes were piercing me like daggers. From the corner of his eyes, Maharaj should have seen me. He made herculean efforts to get up from his bed to receive the fruits. Maharaj’s body got so emaciated, it looked like a skeleton ! Seeing his condition, I could not control my emotions; I cried profusely, sobbing.

Maharaj bid me to put the garland around his neck and extended his hands to receive the fruits. Seeing my state of shattered condition, he smiled and said : “Is this all you have learnt from the Maharshi’s teachings ? Is this all you have learnt after listening to me, for so many years ? Am I the ‘body’ ?” With tender affection, Maharaj patted my back. With immense emotion, still shedding copious tears, I replied, “Maharaj ! I know, you are not the body. I also know, I am not the body. But, yet, Maharaj ! This body has moved with deepest love, affection, veneration and surrendered dedication with your body. Uncontrollably, I am affected to see the emaciated condition of your body…” I was struggling to continue.

Maharaj gave me an embrace of blessing and firmly said : “Guru alone lives, you do not. Hold on to the Guru. His Presence is always in your Heart. Bhagavan Ramana is blessing you, all the time ! Be aware ! Be alert ! Never allow unconsciousness to supervene. I bless you ! You are ever the ‘Truth’ ! ”

Saints are nothing but the conglomeration of Compassion, Love, Grace and Blessings -- crystallized in a human form!

JAI SRI NISARGADATTA MAHARAJ KI JAI !