The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

Is the mind the same as the body? What is consciousness? Can machines have it?

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Walker
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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“It is enough to know what you are not.

You need not know what you are.

For, as long as knowledge means description in terms of what is already known, perceptual, or conceptual, there can be no such thing as self-knowledge, for what you are cannot be described, except as total negation. All you can say is: ‘I am not this, I am not that’. You cannot meaningfully say ‘this is what I am’. It just makes no sense. What you can point out as ‘this’ or ‘that’ cannot be yourself. Surely, you can not be ‘something’ else. You are nothing perceivable, or imaginable. Yet, without you there can be neither perception nor imagination. You observe the heart feeling, the mind thinking, the body acting; the very act of perceiving shows that you are not what you perceive. Can there be perception, experience, without you? An experience must ‘belong’. Somebody must come and declare it as his own. Without an experiencer the experience is not real. It is the experiencer that imparts reality to experience. An experience which you cannot have, of what value is it to you?”

- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Walker wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2019 1:59 pm “It is enough to know what you are not.

You need not know what you are.

For, as long as knowledge means description in terms of what is already known, perceptual, or conceptual, there can be no such thing as self-knowledge, for what you are cannot be described, except as total negation. All you can say is: ‘I am not this, I am not that’. You cannot meaningfully say ‘this is what I am’. It just makes no sense. What you can point out as ‘this’ or ‘that’ cannot be yourself. Surely, you can not be ‘something’ else. You are nothing perceivable, or imaginable. Yet, without you there can be neither perception nor imagination. You observe the heart feeling, the mind thinking, the body acting; the very act of perceiving shows that you are not what you perceive. Can there be perception, experience, without you? An experience must ‘belong’. Somebody must come and declare it as his own. Without an experiencer the experience is not real. It is the experiencer that imparts reality to experience. An experience which you cannot have, of what value is it to you?”

- Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj


I KNOW thee answer, but WHY do you think that 'you', human beings, LOOK AT and SEE things from and through the perspective of "others" instead of just LOOKING AT and SEEING thee Truth of things from and through thy True Self only?
Walker
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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There’s nothing new under the sun.
Not even the groove.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZZQuj6htF4
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Dontaskme
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Walker wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2019 6:06 pm There’s nothing new under the sun.
Absolutely everything that can be thought of already exists.

Every technological advancement we see today has already been used in the past by our ancient ancestors.

As civilisations arise and fall they are replaced infinitely for eternity. Reality is everywhere, not just on planet earth which is just a grain of sand within the great desert of God's mind.

Nothing is science fiction, everything is science fact. Because it's all God.

Earth is a school. We are being tested for our competence and loyality and commitment. All other alien races across the universe are not allowed to interfere with our development or progress for we are supposed to figure this experience of living out for ourselves, and that's how we move forward, learn and grow.
The cure for all cancer and other diseases already exists on earth, our job is to discover this. It's all part of the script that we are acting out. In reality nothing every happened to us because everything is nothing but God.

Nothing is lost by not existing...everything will be slowly decimated by existence.

.
Walker
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Dontaskme wrote: Tue Oct 15, 2019 6:42 am
Every technological advancement we see today has already been used in the past by our ancient ancestors.
Maybe not. But anyway, the saying refers to the important, not the baubles.

There’s always new dogs to learn old tricks.
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Sri Nisargadatta: It is only when you are satiated with the changeable and long for the unchangeable, that you are ready for the turning round and stepping into what can be described, when seen from the level of the mind, as emptiness and darkness. For the mind craves for content and variety, while reality is, to the mind, contentless and invariable.

Question: It looks like death to me.

Sri Nisargadatta: It is. It is also all-pervading, all-conquering, intense beyond words. No ordinary brain can stand it without being shattered; hence the absolute need for sadhana. Purity of body and clarity of mind, non-violence and selflessness in life are essential for survival as an intelligent and spiritual entity.
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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There is no such thing as the experience of reality -Nisargadatta
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Dontaskme wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:41 am There is no such thing as the experience of reality -Nisargadatta
Why do you suppose he would say such a thing?
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Walker wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2020 3:18 pm
Dontaskme wrote: Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:41 am There is no such thing as the experience of reality -Nisargadatta
Why do you suppose he would say such a thing?
There could be many interpretations of why he would say such a thing.

My own guess from how I interpret the quote would be because REALITY is only ever our perception of it. The perceiver of which is but another perception.

As each model is formed via perception, reality has no other choice but to mirror that model. Reality therefore, is yet another illusion, it's an hallucination.

Put another way, imagination shapes and gives image to what is otherwise this imageless presence which is not the objective reality it is imagined to be. All images are literally made of the imageless. So there is actually nothing experiencing this imagined reality, except as a dream in this conception as it is perceived and believed to be.

In my opinion, so I agree with the Nisargadatta idea.

.
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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DAM wrote:There is no such thing as the experience of reality -Nisargadatta
DAM wrote:My own guess from how I interpret the quote would be because REALITY is only ever our perception of it. The perceiver of which is but another perception.
I think that his statement hinges on the nature of experience. Perception of reality would be an experience. Experience requires two, however reality is beyond the limitations of requirement and experience.

*

“Beyond the mind there is no such thing as experience. Experience is a dual state. You cannot talk of reality as an experience. Once this is understood, you will no longer look for being and becoming as separate and opposite. In reality they are one and inseparable, like roots and branches of the same tree. Both can exist only in the light of consciousness, which again, arises in the wake of the sense ‘I am’. This is the primary fact. If you miss it, you miss all.” – Sri Nisargadatta
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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In answer to the delusion that ignorance is bliss ...

Bliss is not an attribute.

“The undisturbed state of being is bliss; the disturbed state is what appears as the world. In non-duality there is bliss; in duality — experience. What comes and goes is experience with its duality of pain and pleasure. Bliss is not to be known. One is always bliss, but never blissful. Bliss is not an attribute.” – Sri Nisargadatta
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Walker wrote: Sun Mar 01, 2020 12:41 pm
DAM wrote:There is no such thing as the experience of reality -Nisargadatta
DAM wrote:My own guess from how I interpret the quote would be because REALITY is only ever our perception of it. The perceiver of which is but another perception.
I think that his statement hinges on the nature of experience. Perception of reality would be an experience. Experience requires two, however reality is beyond the limitations of requirement and experience.

*

“Beyond the mind there is no such thing as experience. Experience is a dual state. You cannot talk of reality as an experience. Once this is understood, you will no longer look for being and becoming as separate and opposite. In reality they are one and inseparable, like roots and branches of the same tree. Both can exist only in the light of consciousness, which again, arises in the wake of the sense ‘I am’. This is the primary fact. If you miss it, you miss all.” – Sri Nisargadatta
Very good ..thank you.

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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Walker wrote: Sun Mar 01, 2020 12:59 pm In answer to the delusion that ignorance is bliss ...

Bliss is not an attribute.

“The undisturbed state of being is bliss; the disturbed state is what appears as the world. In non-duality there is bliss; in duality — experience. What comes and goes is experience with its duality of pain and pleasure. Bliss is not to be known. One is always bliss, but never blissful. Bliss is not an attribute.” – Sri Nisargadatta
Very good quote. Thanks.

“May there be such a oneness between us that when one weeps the other tastes salt.” —Kahlil Gibran
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Salt radically changes the taste of everything, especially apples.

*

Question: Is not all knowledge based on memory?

Sri Nisargadatta: Lower knowledge — yes. Higher knowledge, knowledge of Reality, is inherent in mans' true nature.
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Re: The thoughts of Nisargadatta Maharaj

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Question: What is right and what is wrong?

Sri Nisargadatta: Generally, what causes suffering is wrong and what removes it, is right. The body and the mind are limited and therefore vulnerable; they need protection which gives rise to fear. As long as you identify yourself with them you are bound to suffer; realize your independence and remain happy. I tell you, this is the secret of happiness. To believe that you depend on things and people for happiness is due to ignorance of your true nature; to know that you need nothing to be happy, except self-knowledge, is wisdom.
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