The True Nature of Reality

This series is a collection of pointers or teaching aphorisms by  Nisargadatta  Maharaj on the theme of separation - uncluttered with words and explanations. Remember, to know Yourself, return to the silence before words. In the universal consciousness there are no individuals. We are looking at different forms, we give them names like man, God, donkey, and such. But ultimately there is this consciousness only, the universal consciousness.  And we should not identify ourselves as a separate entity, a separate body. We are that knowledge; it has no name or form. That is the essence of my teaching. –       Nisargadatta Maharaj

This series is a collection of pointers or teaching aphorisms by  Nisargadatta  Maharaj on the theme of separation - uncluttered with words and explanations. Remember, to know Yourself, return to the silence before words. When you know beyond all doubting that the same life flows through all that is and you are that life, you will love all naturally and spontaneously.  When you realize the depth and fullness of your love of yourself, you know that every living being and the entire universe are included in your affection.  But when you look at anything as separate from you, you cannot love it for you are afraid of it.  Alienation causes fear and fear deepens alienation. It is a vicious circle.  Only Self-realization can break it. Go for it resolutely.  –        Nisargadatta Maharaj

The most striking shift in Advaita Vedanta is from viewing the world out there from the perspective of the individual self to identifying with the True Reality that is prior to the manifestation of the world.  As Nisargadatta says: Who was born first, you or the world? As long as you give first place to the world, you are bound by it; once you realize, beyond all trace of doubt, that the world is in you and not you in the world, you are out of it. Of course your body remains in the world and of the world, but you are not deluded by it. However, this shift in vantage point, while seemly simple and effortless, has a requirement – giving up all identification with the personal self and the network of desires and fears that fuel the sense of self.  For the individually bound seeker, this price can seem too high: What about my position on the mountain? What about my relationship with the pebbles nearby to me? What about my smooth edges and unique colours? What if I...