Nisargadatta Maharaj October 16, 2013
Posted by nrhatch in Art & Photography, Spirit & Ego.trackback
A few quotes from Nisargadatta Maharaj (April 17, 1897 – September 8, 1981), an Indian Spiritual Teacher and Philosopher:
* “The world is the abode of desires and fears. You cannot find peace in it. For peace, you must go beyond the world.”
* “A quiet mind is all you need. All else will happen rightly, once your mind is quiet. As the sun on rising makes the world active, so does self-awareness effect changes in the mind. In the light of calm and steady self-awareness inner energies wake up and work miracles without effort on your part.”
* “You say you want to pacify your mind. Is he, who wants to pacify the mind, himself peaceful?”
* “A man who moves with the earth will necessarily experience days and nights. He who stays with the sun will know no darkness. My world is not yours. As I see it, you all are on a stage performing. There is no reality about your comings and goings. And your problems are so unreal!”
* “In my world, nothing ever goes wrong.”
* “The greatest guru is your inner self. Truly he is the supreme teacher. He alone can take you to your goal and he alone meets you at the end of the road. Confide in him and you need no outer guru.”
* “There is nothing to practice. To know yourself, be yourself. To be yourself, stop imagining yourself to be this or that. Just be. Let your true nature emerge. Don’t disturb your mind with seeking.”
* “Truth is not a reward for good behaviour, nor a prize for passing some tests. It cannot be brought about. It is the primary, the unborn, the ancient source of all that is. You are eligible because you are. You need not merit truth. It is your own. Just stop running away by running after. Stand still, be quiet.”
* “Fear and greed cause the misuse of the mind. The right use of mind is in the service of love, of life, of truth, of beauty.”
* “When I see I am nothing, that is wisdom. When I see I am everything, that is love. My life is a movement between these two.”
* “For me the moment of death will be a moment of jubilation, not of fear. I cried when I was born and I shall die laughing.”
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related posts and quotes: Sunday Stillness (Joss) * WP Daily Prompt ~ Person X Day!
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Spirit Lights The Way 
Beautiful quotes Nancy. Enjoyed every one.
I had a tough time picking and choosing which to share. Lots of wisdom within his words.
Tons.
simple, succinct, thought provoking and real. God Most High only asked us to love, it wasn’t if he was asking anything else!
Yes! “God’s commandments would all mention love . . . if they’d been authored from above.”
Wonderful quotes Nancy. I like the one about the quiet mind. Love your watercolor flowers!
Thanks, Pix. Once we have stilled the mind, we more easily see Ego’s trickery as it bombards us with negativity.
And we can “fight back” by drowning Ego out . . . with SILENCE!
Great post with lots of wisdom. I enjoyed the paintings too 🙂
Thanks, Rainee. I painted these during study breaks while preparing for the NJ Bar Exam ~ the antithesis of rules of law.
Reblogged this on ELANA – The Voice of the Future.
Glad you enjoyed, Ela. 😀
My favourites are:
“When I see I am nothing, that is wisdom. When I see I am everything, that is love. My life is a movement between these two.”
and
“The world is the abode of desires and fears. You cannot find peace in it. For peace, you must go beyond the world.” – true…it’s beyond this world and within our world 😉
The rest are great too! These two spoke more to me.
Beautiful art work as well Nancy 😀
Thanks, Shree! The movement between wisdom and love, between nothing and everything is one of my favorites too.
His message is so simple . . . Be still. Be silent. Stop seeking. Let the answers FIND you.
I like that…about stop seeking..because honestly sometimes I wonder what it is I am looking for..lol. Though I have this feeling that it’s a balance of both, it’s this feeling of wanting which leads to seeking, but the seeking is not out there, it’s inside..and that’s when we stop the chatting mind, the expectations etc..that’s when the answers find us….you know?
Yes! If we don’t know what we’re looking for, we’re not likely to find it. Which reminds me of hearing a familiar song, perhaps one that I’ve heard since my teens, but THIS TIME certain lyrics jump out at me. I tune in and hear the message behind the lyrics for the very first time and realize the answer was there all along ~ it was right in front of me.
I need to paste these above my computer screen. (Though they do give me some helpful doozies in yoga.)
Do you mean they offer a few thoughts to ponder while bending and stretching and breathing and holding? If so, I would LOVE to have you do a post sharing a few quotes (and poses).
Yes. That’s what I mean. My favorite one is, “Just try this, because why not?”
A very good quote for life.
Thanks! I agree . . . with a few notable exceptions (like jumping from a plane sans parachute).
That advice is a great way to keep our hearts, minds, and options open as we grow older and more “reserved.”
Resonant words indeed, Nancy 😀 Wonderful. Thank you.
I had a great time culling this man’s wisdom down to 11 quotes to share ~ what a plethora of thoughts from which to choose.
Yes, thanks from me too, Nancy! I need to work on my quiet mind… I shall have to think about that though… it seems too ‘needy’ now!
I’ve been hearing the same message from several “unrelated” sources (probably because true wisdom arises from a single source). In any event, I keep hearing -> “Silence.”
Love your paintings with this blog. I read “I Am That” a few years ago and never forgot something he said, I am the space that this body and mind inhabit.” (paraphrase). Really shifts things.
I found you through Ela’s reblog. Nice to meet you. Paulette
Thanks, Paulette! I have not read “I Am That” . . . yet. But it’s now on my radar screen. What a wise man.
I’m glad you found me through Ela’s reblog. She’s good about spreading the word when a post resonates with her.
What a beautiful soul! I loved each quote, but was really struck with ”There is nothing to practice. To know yourself, be yourself. Tobe yourself, stop imagining yourself to be this or that. Just be. Let your true nature emerge. Don’t disturb your mind with seeking.” That’s worth remembering every day! Once again, I really love your artwork! You have such a lovely and distinct style. I really like the way you’re illustrating your posts with your original work. It really speaks to me!
Thank you, Debra. When Tok suggested that I take photos instead of scanning, I went around the villa and snapped away. I have a few more to share. the two were painted during study breaks while preparing to take the NJ Bar Exam.
He was a wise man. “Just Be” is a quote I had BFF burn into a piece of driftwood for me years ago. It always encourages me to quiet the mind and LISTEN.
I dig it!
He’s a cool cat. 😎
He gathered a lot of wisdom over his years. I was going to note my favorites in my comment, but realized I’d pretty much be listing them all 🙂
I’m enjoying your paintings, too. Glad you’re sharing them with us!
Thanks, Janna! I’m glad that people encouraged me to share them and that Tok suggested photographing them (since scanning was NOT working). I reviewed about 50 quotes to pick these ~ I aimed to narrow the field to 7 but I once I got to this point I couldn’t jettison any more.
“Stand still, be quiet.” – Something many people find extremely difficult to to, but its practice is essential to well-being.
Yes! Often the folks who would benefit most are most resistant:
T: “I can’t sit still and be quiet, my mind races a mile a minute.”
M: “That’s exactly why you need to slow down and be quiet.”
T: “Oh, no. I can’t stop. My world would collapse in on me.”
M: “Sounds like you need a break.”
T: “No time. I’m late. I’m late. Late for an important date.”
this is lovely Nancy . such a nice partnership between your paintings and Nisargidatta Maharaj ‘s thoughts.
Thanks, Joss! He’s such a wise man.
Found it! Thank you Nancy for leading me here and sharing some of his wisdom 🙏
Thought you would enjoy another dose of his wise words.