Maharaj, Sri Nisargadatta
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Nisargadatta Maharaj | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | Maruti Shivrampant Kambli 17 April 1897 |
| Died | 8 September 1981 (aged 84) Mumbai, India |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Order | Inchegeri Sampradaya |
| Philosophy | Nisarga Yoga |
| Religious career | |
| Guru | Siddharameshwar Maharaj |
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Nisargadatta Maharaj[a] (born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli; 17 April 1897 – 8 September 1981) was an Indian guru of nondualism, belonging to the Inchagiri Sampradaya, a lineage of teachers from the Navnath Sampradaya.
The publication in 1973 of I Am That, an English translation of his talks in Marathi by Maurice Frydman, brought him worldwide recognition and followers, especially from North America and Europe.[1]
Biography
Early life
Nisargadatta was born on 17 April 1897 to Shivrampant Kambli and Parvati bai, in Bombay.[web 1][dubious – discuss] The day was also Hanuman Jayanti, the birthday of Hanuman, hence the boy was named 'Maruti', after him.[b][2][web 2] His parents were followers of the Varkari sampradaya,[web 3] Vaishnavite bhakti tradition which worships Vithoba. His father, Shivrampant, worked as a domestic servant in Mumbai and later became a petty farmer in Kandalgaon.
Maruti Shivrampant Kambli was brought up in Kandalgaon, a small village in the Sindhudurga district of Maharashtra, with his two brothers, four sisters and deeply religious parents.[web 4] In 1915, after his father died, he moved to Bombay to support his family back home, following his elder brother. Initially he worked as a junior clerk at an office but quickly he opened a small goods store, mainly selling beedis (leaf-rolled cigarettes) and soon owned a string of eight retail shops.[web 5] In 1924 he married Sumatibai and they had three daughters and a son.
Sadhana
In 1933, he was introduced to his guru, Siddharameshwar Maharaj, the head of the Inchegiri branch of the Navnath Sampradaya, by his friend Yashwantrao Baagkar. His guru told him, "You are not what you take yourself to be...".[web 6] Siddharameshwar initiated him into the Inchegiri Sampradaya, giving him meditation-instruction and a mantra, which he immediately began to recite.[web 3] Siddharameshwar gave Nisargadatta instructions for self-enquiry which he followed verbatim, as he himself recounted later:
Following his guru's instructions to concentrate on the feeling "I Am", he used all his spare time looking at himself in silence, and remained in that state for the coming years, practising meditation and singing devotional bhajans:[web 7]
After an association that lasted hardly two and a half years, Siddharameshwar Maharaj died on 9 November 1936.[4][web 3] In 1937, Maharaj left Mumbai and travelled across India.[web 8] After eight months he returned to his family in Mumbai in 1938.[5] On the journey home his state of mind changed, realizing that "nothing was wrong anymore."[web 3] He spent the rest of his life in Mumbai, maintaining one shop to earn an income.[web 3]
Later years
Between 1942 and 1948 he suffered two personal losses, first the death of his wife, Sumatibai, followed by the death of his daughter. He started to give initiations in 1951, after a personal revelation from his guru, Siddharameshwar Maharaj.[web 3]
After he retired from his shop in 1966, Nisargadatta Maharaj continued to receive and teach visitors in his home, giving discourses twice a day. The publication of I Am That (1973) brought him international fame, 'disturbing my quiet life' and changing his home into a "railway station platform."[6] He died on 8 September 1981 at the age of 84, of throat cancer.[web 9]
Teachings
Nisargadatta gave talks and answered questions at his humble flat in Khetwadi, Mumbai, where a mezzanine room was created for him to receive disciples and visitors. This room was also used for daily chantings, bhajans (devotional songs), meditation sessions, and discourses.[web 3] While known in the West for his non-dual teachings, he offered a combination of devition tot he Guru, mantra-japa to invoke the Divine and still and purify the mind, and atma-vichara (self-inquiry) to recognize and abide in the formless self.[web 3] Boucher notes that Nisargadatta adopted a different mode of instruction, through questions and answers, for his western disciples.[7] Many of Nisargadatta Maharaj's talks were recorded, and formed the basis of I Am That as well as of the several other books attributed to him.[8]
Awareness of true nature
According to Timothy Conway, Nisargadatta's only subject was
Nisargadatta explains:
In Consciousness and the Absolute, Nisargadatta Maharaj further explains:
According to Conway, awareness of the Absolute could be regained by
Naam-mantra and devotion
Nisargadatta was critical of a merely intellectual approach to nondual Truth.[web 3] He had a strong devotional zeal towards his own guru,[web 3] and suggested the path of devotion, Bhakti yoga, to some of his visitors, as he believed the path of knowledge, Jnana yoga was not the only approach to Truth. Nisargadatta also emphasized love of Guru and God,[11][web 3] and the practice of mantra repetition and singing bhajans, devotional songs.[web 3] He tailored his instructions to the needs and disposition of each visitor, emphasizing that jnana is a difficult approach, and that mantra and devotion also serve to develop faith in a higher power, and purity of mind and concentration.[c][d]
Cathy Boucher notes that the Inchagiri Sampradaya emphasized mantra meditation from its inception in the early 19th century, but that the emphasis shifted toward a form of Self-enquiry with Sri Siddharameshwar.[7] Nevertheless,
Nisargadatta, and other gurus of the Incegeri sampradaya used naam mantras,[web 3][12] also called Guru mantras,[13] mantras consisting of the name of a deity, which is chanted repetitiously.[14] The mantra is not to be disclosed to others, lest it's effectiveness will diminish.[web 3][15] examples are "I am Brahman," "Hari-Om," and "Soham-Hamsa" ("That am I").[web 11][e]
Scriptures
According to Timothy Conway, Nisargadatta often read Marathi scriptures: Nath saint Jnanesvar's Amrutanubhav and Jnanesvari (Gita Commentary); Varkari Sants, namely Eknatha's Bhagavat (Eknathi Bhagavata, a rewrite of the Bhagavad Purana), Ramdas' Dasbodha, and Tukaram's poems; but also the Yoga Vasistha, Adi Shankara's treatises, and some major Upanishads.[web 3]
Nisarga Yoga
Nisargadatta taught what has been called Nisarga Yoga[16] (Nisarga can be translated as "nature").[17] In I Am That, Nisarga Yoga is defined as living life with "harmlessness," "friendliness," and "interest," abiding in "spontaneous awareness" while being "conscious of effortless living."[18] The practice of this form of Yoga involves meditating on one's sense of "I am", "being" or "consciousness" with the aim of reaching its ultimate source prior to this sense, which Nisargadatta called the "Self".
The second edition of I Am That includes an epilogue titled Nisarga Yoga by Maurice Frydman which includes this passage:
Nisargadatta did not prescribe a specific practice for self-knowledge but advised his disciples, "Don't pretend to be what you are not, don't refuse to be what you are."[19] By means of self-enquiry, he advised, "Why don't you enquire how real are the world and the person?".[20] Nisargadatta frequently spoke about the importance of having the "inner conviction" about one's true nature and without such Self-knowledge one would continue to suffer.[17] Nisargadatta claimed that the names of the Hindu deities Shiva, Rama and Krishna were the names of nature (Nisarga) personified,[17] and that all of life arises from the same non-dual source or Self. Remembrance of this source was the core of Nisargadatta's message:
Nic Higham summarizes seven principles of Nisarga Yoga:[22]
- Non-identification and right understanding
- Interest and earnestness
- Spontaneity and effortlessness
- Attentiveness to being
- Right action
- Going within to go beyond
- Awareness of Self
Lineage
Disciples
Among his best known disciples are Maurice Frydman, Sailor Bob Adamson, Stephen Howard Wolinsky (born 31 January 1950), Jean Dunn, Alexander Smit (Sri Parabrahmadatta Maharaj) (1948-1998), Douwe Tiemersma (7 January 1945 – 3 January 2013), Robert Powell, Timothy Conway, Wayne Dyer[23] and Ramesh Balsekar (1917-2009). A less well known disciple is Sri Ramakant Maharaj (born 8 July 1941), who received the naam mantra from Nisargadatta in 1962, spent the next 19 years with the master.[web 12][web 13] and claims to be "the only Indian direct disciple of Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj" who offers initiation into this lineage.[web 14] Sachin Kshirsagar, who has published a series of books on Nisargadatta in the Marathi language[web 15] and also re-published Master of Self Realization, says to have received the Naam (Mantra) in a dream from Shree Nisargadatta Maharaj on 17 Oct., 2011.
Successors
David Godman gives the following account of an explanation by Nisargadatta of the succession of Gurus in the Inchagiri Sampradaya:
According to David Godman, Nisargadatta was not allowed by Siddharameshwar to appoint a successor, because he "wasn't realised himself when Siddharameshwar passed away."[web 16] Nisargadatta started to initiate others in 1951, after receiving an inner revelation from Siddharameshwar.[web 3] Nisargadatta himself explains:
Works
- Self Knowledge & Self Realisation, Bombay: Ram Narayan Chavhan, 1963
- I Am That (ed. Maurice Frydman), Bombay: Chetana, 1973, ISBN 9788185300450
- Pointers from Nisargadatta Maharaj (ed. Ramesh S. Balsekar), Bombay: Chetana, 1982, ISBN 978-0893860042
- Seeds of Consciousness (ed. Jean Dunn), NC: Acorn Press, 1982, ISBN 978-0893860257
- Prior to Consciousness (ed. Jean Dunn), New York: Grove Press, 1985, ISBN 978-8185300351
- The Nectar of the Lord's Feet (ed. Robert Powell), Longmead en Shaftesbury (Dorset): Element Books, 1987, ISBN 978-1852300111 republished as The Nectar of Immortality, San Diego: Blue Dove Press, 2001, ISBN 978-1884997136
- The Ultimate Medicine (ed. Robert Powell), San Diego: Blue Dove Press, 1994, ISBN 978-1556436338
- Consciousness and the Absolute (ed. Jean Dunn), Durham: Acorn Press, 1994, ISBN 978-0893860417
- The Experience of Nothingness (ed. Robert Powell), San Diego: Blue Dove Press, 1996, ISBN 978-1884997143
- Gleanings from Nisargadatta (ed. Mark West), Beyond Description Publishing, 2006
- Beyond Freedom (ed. Maria Jory), Mumbai: Yogi Impressions, 2007, ISBN 978-8188479283
- I Am Unborn (ed. Damodar Lund and Pradeep Apte), 2007
- The Nisargadatta Gita (ed. Pradeep Apte), 2008, ISBN 978-0984776764
- Meditations with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (ed. Dinkar Kshirsagar and Suresh N. Mehta), Mumbai: Yogi Impressions, 2014, ISBN 978-9382742197
- Nothing is Everything (ed. Mohan Gaitonde), Mumbai: Zen Publications, 2014, ISBN 978-9382788973
- Self-Love (ed. Dinkar Kshirsagar), Mumbai: Zen Publications, 2017, ISBN 978-0984776764
- The Earliest Discourses: Meditations from 1954-1956 (ed. Shankarrao B. Daygude and Dinkar Kshirsagar), Mumbai: Zen Publications, 2020, ISBN 978-9387242388
See also
Notes
- The English pronunciation of his first name is /ˌnɪsərɡəˈdɑːtə/ NISS-ər-gə-DAH-tə or /nɪˌsɑːrɡəˈdɑːtə/ nih-SAR-gə-DAH-tə, whereas his last name is pronounced /ˌmɑːhəˈrɑːdʒ/ MAH-hə-RAHJ or /ˌmɑːhəˈrɑːʒ/ MAH-hə-RAHZH.
- Samarth Ramdas (17th century), the author of the Dasbodh, an important scripture in the Inchegeri Sampradaya, was a devotee of Hanuman.
- Nisargadatta himself said to a visitor: "I may talk Non-duality to some of the people who come here. That is not for you and you should not pay any attention to what I am telling others. The book of my conversations [I Am That] should not be taken as the last word on my teachings. I had given some answers to questions of certain individuals. Those answers were intended for those people and not for all. Instruction can be on an individual basis only. The same medicine cannot be prescribed for all.
Nowadays people are full of intellectual conceit. They have no faith in the ancient traditional practices leading up to Self-Knowledge. They want everything served to them on a platter. The path of Knowledge makes sense to them and because of that they may want to practice it. They will then find that it requires more concentration than they can muster and, slowly becoming humble, they will finally take up easier practices like repetition of a mantra or worship of a form. Slowly the belief in a Power greater than themselves will dawn on them and a taste for devotion will sprout in their heart. Then only will it be possible for them to attain purity of mind and concentration.[web 3] - With the Bird's Way, first one's mind must be made subtle. This is generally done with some initial meditation on a mantra or phrase which helps the aspirant to step beyond the mental/conceptual body, using a concept to go beyond conceptualization.[web 10]
- See also Nisargadatta Maharaj speaking of importance of Naam Mantra Meditation, and Maharaj Speaking on the Naam Mantra.
References
- Jones & Ryan 2006, p. 315.
- I Am That, pp. 6, Who is Nisargadatta Maharaj.
- I Am That, Chapter 75, p. 375.
- Prior to Consciousness, pp. 1–2, 4 April 1980.
- I Am That p.xxviii
- "Chapter 6 With Nisargadatta Maharaj for Maurice Frydman- a Jnani and a Karma Yogi". Dr Srinivasan Nenmeli. 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
- Boucher n.d.
- Nisargadatta 1973.
- The Ultimate Medicine, (pp.54 – 70)
- Consciousness and the Absolute, p.86
- Rosner 1987, p. 212–218.
- Ann Shaw, Charles Shaw (2023), Timeless Years With Shri Ramakant Maharaj 2012 - 2022, Selfless Self Press
- Ann Shaw, Charles Shaw (2023), Timeless Years With Shri Ramakant Maharaj 2012 - 2022, Selfless Self Press: "...he took the Naam mantra, the Guru mantra",/ref.
- Radhika Das (2025), Mantra Meditation – Die Kraft von Klang und Schwingung, Lotos: "Das wiederholte Chanten von gottlichen Namen, zum Beispiel das Maha-mantra."
- Ann Shaw, Charles Shaw (2023), Timeless Years With Shri Ramakant Maharaj 2012 - 2022, Selfless Self Press: "The master has given this Naam Mantra to you. It is not to be disclosed to anybody. This is strictly forbidden becaue if you disclose it = its value will diminish."
- Nisargadatta, Maharaj (1973). I am that : talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Frydman, Maurice, 1900-, Dikshit, Sudhakar S. (2nd American ed.). Durham, N.C.: Acorn Press (published 2012). ISBN 9780893860462. OCLC 811788655.
- Nothing Is Everything The Quintessential Teachings of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Gaitonde, Mohan. Zen Pubns. 2014. ISBN 9789382788973. OCLC 884814258.
- Nic, Higham (2018). Living the life that you are : finding wholeness when you feel lost, isolated, and afraid. Oakland, CA. ISBN 9781684030859. OCLC 994000117.
- Maharaj, Nisargadatta (1973). I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Frydman, Maurice, 1900–1976., Dikshit, Sudhakar S. (4th ed.). Bombay: Chetana. ISBN 8185300534. OCLC 56487876.
- Maharaj, Nisargadatta (1973)
- Gaitonde, Mohan (2017). Self - Love: The Original Dream (Shri Nisargadatta Maharaj's Direct Pointers to Reality). Mumbai: Zen Publications. ISBN 978-9385902833.
- "Nisarga Yoga". nisargayoga.org. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
- Dyer 2007, p. 39.
- Nisargadatta 1973, p. chapter 97.
Printed sources
- Boucher, Cathy (n.d.), The Lineage of Nine Gurus. The Navnath Sampradaya and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
- Dyer, Wayne (2007), Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life, Hay House, Inc, ISBN 978-1-4019-2052-4
- Frydman, Maurice (1987), Navanath Sampradaya. In: I Am That. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, Bombay: Chetana
- Jones, Constance; Ryan, James D. (2006), Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Infobase Publishing, ISBN 978-0-8160-7564-5
- Nisargadatta (1973), I Am That (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2018, retrieved 19 September 2014
- Rosner, Neal (Swami Paramatmananda) (1987), On the Road to Freedom: A Pilgrimage in India, Vol. 1, San Ramon, CA: Mata Amritanandamayi Center
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"Abiding in your own being is holy company." (06/23/2022)
"It is always the false that makes you suffer, the false desires and fears, the false values and ideas, the false relationships between people. Abandon the false and you are free of pain; truth makes happy, truth liberates." (05/10/2022)
"Love says, "I am everything." Wisdom says, "I am nothing." Between the two, my life flows." (11/14/2024)
"Once you realize that the road is the goal and that you are always on the road, not to reach a goal, but to enjoy its beauty and its wisdom, life ceases to be a task and becomes natural and simple, in itself an ecstasy." (12/10/2023)
"See what you are. Don't ask others, don't let others tell you about yourself. Look within and see." (12/03/2022)
"There is nothing to do. Just be. Do nothing. Be. No climbing mountains and sitting in caves. i do not even say "be yourself," since you do not know yourself. Just be." (10/03/2022)
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The Sense of "I am" (Consciousness)
When I met my Guru, he told me: "You are not what you take yourself
to be. Find out what you are. Watch the sense 'I am', find your real
Self." I obeyed him, because I trusted him. I did as he told me. All
my spare time I would spend looking at myself in silence. And what a
difference it made, and how soon!
My teacher told me to hold on to the sense 'I am' tenaciously and not
to swerve from it even for a moment. I did my best to follow his
advice and in a comparatively short time I realized within myself the
truth of his teaching. All I did was to remember his teaching, his
face, his words constantly. This brought an end to the mind; in the
stillness of the mind I saw myself as I am -- unbound.
I simply followed (my teacher's) instruction which was to focus the
mind on pure being 'I am', and stay in it. I used to sit for hours
together, with nothing but the 'I am' in my mind and soon peace and
joy and a deep all-embracing love became my normal state. In it all
disappeared -- myself, my Guru, the life I lived, the world around
me. Only peace remained and unfathomable silence.
Nisargadatta Maharaj
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