May 21, 2026
For a third (and final for now) time, I’m continuing the discourse with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, from his book, I AM THAT. It’s another excerpt from an exchange between him and a visitor from the West. This a time a woman, who is designated the Questioner, or “Q.” “M” designates the guru’s reply, M being the initial of his title, Maharaj.
It’s yet another delightful mini-discourse.
Lots of love,
Mayet
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Q: I am engaged in the study of philosophy, sociology, and education. I think more mental development is needed before I can dream of self realization. Am I on the right track?
M: To earn a livelihood, some specialized knowledge is needed. General knowledge develops the mind, no doubt. But if you were going to spend your life amassing knowledge, you build a wall around yourself. To go beyond the mind, a well-furnished mind is not needed.
Q: Then what is needed?
M: Distrust your mind, and go beyond.
Q: What shall I find beyond the mind?
M: Only one thing, the direct experience of being, knowing and loving.
Q: But exactly how does one go beyond the mind?
M: There are many starting points – they all lead to the same goal. Some may begin with selfless work, abandoning the fruits of action; some may then give up thinking and give up all desires. Here, giving up is the operational factor. Or still another may not bother about anything they want or think or do and just stay put in the thought and feeling “I Am”… focusing “I Am” firmly in their mind. All kinds of experiences may then come to you – experience them indeed but remain unmoved in the knowledge that all perceivable is transient and only the “I Am” endures.
Q: I cannot give all my life to such practices. I have my duties to attend to.
M: By all means attend to your duties. Let all your duties become merely action. Action in which you are not too deeply emotionally involved is beneficial and does not cause suffering and will not bind you.
You can indeed be engaged in several directions and work with enormous zeal, yet remain inwardly free, and quiet, with a mirror-like mind reflecting your experience back to you.
In this way you have your experience of life, sometimes disturbing, sometimes painful, and you experience all this, but as tho reflected in the mirroring of your own awareness of them. This makes of all experience that which does not capsize you in the extremes.
Q: Is such a state realizable by me, by the common person?
M: I would not talk about it, if it were not. Why should I engage you in fancies?
Q: How will I receive instruction for this?
M: Your own Self is your teacher, satguru, the inner teacher. The outer teacher, guru, is merely a milestone, an aid, an enjoyable and useful choice. But it is only your inner teacher that will walk with you to the final goal, for she is the goal. An outer teacher can guide, share wisdom, point the way. But it is the student who must walk the path and it is only the inner teacher who can hold your hand as you go. It is not either/or. Either inner or outer teacher. Each facilitates the other.
Q: The inner teacher is not easily reached.
M: Since it is you and with you, the difficulty cannot be too serious. Look within, you will find the wisdom carrier.
Q: When I look within, I find sensations and perceptions, thoughts and feelings, desires, and fears, memories and expectations. I am immersed in this cloud and see nothing else.
M: And that which sees all this, and sees the nothing too, that is the inner teacher. She is alone there, all else only appears to be there. She is your own self, your hope and assurance of freedom; find her and embrace her and you are saved and safe.
