About the Author

A simple man, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj was a house holder and petty store keeper in Bombay where he lived and died in 1981 at the age of 84.He had not been educated formally but came to be respected and loved for his insights into the crux of human pain and the extraordinary lucidity of his direct discourse. Hundreds of diverse seekers travelled the globe and sought him out in his unpretentious home to hear him.

Reviews

I read it the first time in June of 2002. It quite simply is one of the best books on the Absolute (non-dual). In a very direct, no-nonsense style, Nisargadatta spells it out. The book is full of deep metaphors pointing us beyond the mind such as: "The personal needs a base, a body to identify oneself with, just as a colour needs a surface to appear on." "The mind exists in two states: as water and as honey. The water vibrates at the least disturbance, while the honey, however disturbed, returns quickly to immobility." What is not poetically stated as such is given very directly: "To know that you are neither the body nor mind, watch yourself steadily and live unaffected by your body and mind, completely aloof, as if you were dead. It means you have no vested interests, either in the body or in the mind." "Self-remembrance, awareness of 'I am' ripens him powerfully and speedily. Give up all ideas about yourself and simply be." The value of this book cannot be overstated I hold my copy very close and dear. From the perspective of sheer knowledge this book wastes no paper. The non-dual doesn't waste your time. --By Shawn Regan on July 31, 2002