Seeds of Consciousness The Wisdom of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj EDITED BY JEAN DUN Seeds of Consciousness ‘The Wisdom of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Edited by Jean Dunn ‘The wisdom contained in this collection, edited by Jean Dunn, ‘emerged from dialogues with those who came from all over the ‘world to earn the mysteries of life at the feet of Sri Nisargadatta, Maharaj, one of the most revered holy men of India ‘The residence of this renowned spiritual guide was a tiny room in a crowded and noisy street in Bombay, Moztis Frydman, who immortalized Maharajs teachings in the first collection of the dialogues, | AM THAT, in 1973, vividly describes the man and his Surroundings: "In the humble abode of Si Nisargadatta Mahara, but for the electric lights and the noises of the street traffic, one ‘would not know in which period of human history one dwells There is an atmosphere of timelessness about this tiny room; the subjects discussed are timeless—valid for allies, The way they are expounded and examined is also timeless... one deals with matters immensely ancient and eternally new... Whence came I? What am I? Whither go I? Such questions have no beginning and. ‘will neverend, And itis crucial to know the answers, for without the full understanding of oneself, both in time and in timelessness, life is but a dream, imposed upon us by powers we do not know, for puarposes we cannot grasp.” Maharaj’s admonition to “be and to know what one “is"—in the sense of timeless being--emerges from these dialogues and will touch the ives of many fora long time to come, The conversations recorded by Jean Dunn, an ardent follower of Maharaj in Seads of Consciousness and a companion volume, Prior to Consciousness, make aan invaluable contribution to the body of his spcitua testament, ‘These conversations continue to provide insights for modern man in this spiritual journeys, leading him out of suffering and sorrow. 5 0000Also from the Acorn Press Lam that: talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Compiled and translated by Maurice Frydman; revised and edited by Sudhakar S. Dikshit. 3rd ed., 9th printing, 1995. xxii, 550 pages, illus. Paperback. “A Modern Spiritual Classic.’ ‘Maharaj’s unique teaching, in this compilation, has been hailed as the direct path to the pathless goal of self-realization. The central core of master's teaching: Until man can free himself from false identifications, from pretensions and delusions of various kinds, he cannot come face to face with the eternal verity that is latent within his own self. “What the mind invents, the mind destroys. But the real is not invented and cannot be destroyed ...” says Maharaj. Prior to Consciousness: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Edited by Jean Dunn. 157 pages, illus. Paperback. (Selected talks, 1980-81.) Consciousness and the Absolute: the Final Talks of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Edited by Jean Dunn. 118 pages, illus. Paperback. Pointers from Nisargadatta Maharaj. By Ramesh S. Balsekar; edited by Sudhakar S. Dikshit. xvi, 223 pages. Paperback. This publication is alive with the intensity and force of Nisargadatta Maharajs spiritual realization, and the fierceness and dedication with which he relentlessly strove to accelerate others’ liberation. Explorations into the Eternal: Forays into the teachings of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. By Ramesh S, Balsekat. xiv, 261 pages. Paperback. You may order directly from: THE ACORN PRESS P. O. Box 3279, Durham, NC 27715-3279. Tel.(919) 471-3842. FAX (919) 477-2622 SEEDS OF CONSCIOUSNESS The Wisdom of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj EpiTED By JEAN DUNN The Acorn Press Durham, North Carolina‘Copyright ©1982 by Imogene Dunn. English translation copyright °1982 by Grove Press, Inc. ‘Translated from the Marathi by Ramesh S. Balsckar, Damayantie Doongagi, S. V. Sapre, S. K. Mullarpattan, and by Mr. Patan, No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or other- wise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information, write to: The Acorn Press, P. 0. Box 3279, Durham, North Carolina 27715-3279. First published by Grove Press, Inc., New York, 1982. Published by The Acorn Press, 1990; reprinted 1997, 2004. ISBN 0-89386-025-5 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 89-8146. Cover photograph by Jitendra Arya. ‘Manufactured in the United States of America. A Date with Eternity Praise be to Nisargadatta Maharaj, great mystic of Bharat! Outwardly he looked like a common householder and spoke only his native language, Marathi, but the wisdom of his spontaneous utterances was the same as the wisdom found in the Vedas and the Upanishads. He was a shining example of one who is in the consummate state of Eternal Awareness. To a sincere seeker—one wanting to meet a living sage equalling in wisdom those in the scriptures—he repre: sented the fulfillment of his innermost yearnings. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj did not pose as a Mahatma, a Bhagavan, or a Paramahamsa. He had no yoga, no system of philosophy to offer or preach; all he knew and experienced was Real Nature—the Real Nature common to himself and his listeners. He gave the same clarion call which from time immemorial India has given to the whole of humanity: “Know your Real Self!” For forty years and more this great man kept repeating, “Be aware of your state of heing—pure and simple being— without being this or that or the other.” He challenged his listener to ask questions, but his answers were never merely answers. Each time the answer would be a challenge to the questioner to find out for himself what his Real Nature was. He spoke from his own direct insight and would say that he only tells his own “story.” He needed no proof for his statements. He was not anxious to cite any authority for them so that the listener might better appreciate their truth. He also urged his questioner to speak only from his own experience and not to quote from what others have said. He maintained that his own “story” would also become that of his listener, that just as it had unfolded in him, it was bound ao