The lone remaining wall Of a long-since fallen house, No more inside, no more outside, No more trespass for the mouse; Where a doorway and five windows Allow the winds to pass Unobstructed as they billow Through the woods, across the grass; Where sun and moon and starshine Illuminate the scene For all the folk that pass it by When wandering in the green. "I wonder who the person was Who built this mighty house, That's now a bramble garden And a home for grub and louse?" A broken ridge and rafters smashed Lie strewn across the floor And all that stands, quite ownerless, Five windows and a door. – Chithurst, 1983 Remember, to know Yourself, return to the silence before words.
This series is a collection of pointers or teaching aphorisms by Nisargadatta Maharaj on realizing Yourself beyond the sense “I Am”. If the sense "I Am" can be perceived, it cannot be Who You Are. What perceives? Who or what are You? Remember, to know Yourself, return to the silence before words. On the state of ‘non-beingness’, the beingness appeared together with manifestation, creating a feeling as if ‘I am’; who that is, is not important, only ‘I am’ is important. The initial humming of the beingness as ‘I am, I am’ is the duality. But who accepts the duality? The ‘non-beingness’ accepts duality with the beingness. The Absolute ‘non-being’ state, by assuming the being state, becomes dual in manifestation. – Nisargadatta Maharaj
Remember, to know Yourself, return to the silence before words. Discover all you are not. Body, feelings, thoughts, ideas, time, space, being and not-being, this or that – nothing concrete or abstract you can point out to is you. A mere verbal statement will not do – you may repeat a formula endlessly without any result whatsoever. You must watch yourself continuously – particularly your mind – moment by moment, missing nothing. This witnessing is essential for the separation of the self from the not-self. – Nisargadatta Maharaj