Monday 13 July 2015

The Unborn Nisargadatta - Pradeep Apte


Words from the author :
After the release of The Nisargadatta Gita in Feb 2008 most of my time was devoted to the Sadhana (Practice) as prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. In this period I came across several Marathi books on his teachings. After studying these books and meditating on hisMarathi words I found them to be more powerful and hard hitting than those in the English books. Most of the effect is lost or diluted in the English translations, and I am quite aware that this is likely to happen with The Unborn Nisargadatta as well. Yet for the benefit of those who do not know Marathi I created the The Unborn Nisargadatta from a translation of my original notes in Marathi. Every verse in this book has been either written by me or are Maharajs words as such or slightly modified to maintain the ‘I am Unborn’ theme. The ‘I am’ was the main them of The Nisargadatta Gita while ‘I am Unborn’ is the main theme of The Unborn Nisargadatta.The contents of The Unborn Nisargadatta are more of a revelation than just a book.With great love and a deep sense of gratitude I wish to thank Waldo Thompson for helping out in the creation of this book. His clear understanding of the subject and reverential approach that was evident while working on The Nisargadatta Gita continues in The Unborn as well.

Pradeep Apte
02 May 2015

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Table of Contents
Forewarning
I. Guru /Satguru verses 1 to 43
II. Sadhana (Practice) verses 44 to 69
III. I am Unborn verses 70 to 188
IV. Satguru verses 189 to 206

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Forewarning
The words you are about to read have the potential to take you to the highestpossible level of your being. At this level everything is apparently the same except that you wouldn’t be there. Any descriptions of this level are well-nigh impossible; all that I can say is that you disappear! Are you prepared to disappear? If not then don’t read these words. All those who have gone to the depths of spirituality are likely to find these words useful. Those completely engrossed in worldly ways and unconcerned about investigating the truth of their being are likely to find these words the ravings of a madman.

I. Guru/Satguru verses

1. I bow in reverence to the Unborn Satguru (Great Master) Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj for imparting to me his entire teaching in three words "I Am Unborn". It is the 'third eye' of knowledge that I received from him that made possible the writing of this work.
2. After having pondered over the four Mahavakyas (Great sayings), ‘Tat Tvam Asi’(That Thou Art), ‘Aham Brahmasmi’ (I Am Brahma), ‘Ayam Atma Brahma’ (ThisSelf is Brahma) and ‘Prajnanam Brahma’ (This Intelligence is Brahma), ‘I AmUnborn’ came as the fifth from the Satguru that put an end to everything.
3. It is the last birth for him who reads these words that are to follow and not 'only read' but also lives by them.
4. He who derives any hopes or expectations from his memories based on the body,mind and intellect should not continue reading.
5. He who reads what has to follow should not be himself after it is over. He should disappear! If that doesn't happen he has not actually followed what he has read.
6. He who has never met a born guru for him the Unborn Satguru is ever available at all times. In fact the Unborn is all there is, nothing else. The Unborn appears to be speaking through the born.
7. The born guru appears to be leading us to the Satguru but later it’s realized that it is the other way around. Both appeared to be two but are actually one, the Unborn Satguru.
8. To begin with the guru tells us to remain focused on our sense of ‘being’, ‘presence’ or the feeling ‘I am’ when it is absolutely pure.
9. The ‘I am’, when it is the purest, is caught in two ways. The first is the
childhood recollection method, say around the age of three when you for the first come to know that ‘you are’.
10. For those who are unable to recollect the childhood, the second method is to catch the ‘I am’ as soon as you wake up in the morning.
11. In both cases the feeling ‘I am’ is nascent, pure, without words and without any add-ons on it, such as I am so-and-so and the rest. Above all it appears quite spontaneously and effortlessly.
12. Actually these are just ways of understanding the feeling ‘I am’ when it is the purest or uncontaminated. Once understood, all that has to be done is to meditate, remain focused or just abide in the ‘I am’.
13. I did exactly what the guru said and what happened was exactly as he had predicted - the ‘I am’ revealed its secret to me.
14. To grasp this secret, you must, at least theoretically, understand the nature of truth or reality, the quest of which all this is about.
15. Truth or reality never changes, no modifications are possible in it and it’s there forever, it’s eternal.
16. Truth or reality is indestructible, you cannot destroy it by any means or eliminate it, it’s immortal.
17. Truth or reality is self-evident, stands on its own and it’s not dependent on anything.
18. The whole investigation had been undertaken to understand the truth about myself, my existence, for which the guru had prescribed the abidance in the ‘I am’ as explained earlier.
19. Two perspectives of the ‘I am’ became quite clear to me by abiding in it. When the ‘I am’ identified with the body none of the criteria of truth applied to it, as it's changeable, destructible and dependent.
20. When the ‘I am’ did not identify with the body or was in it’s pure state, there were some resemblances to the truth.
21. The ‘I am’ remained unchanged, at least throughout a life-time. Deep down a desire for continuity or immortality was always there but it’s dependency on the body couldn’t be denied. Without the body the ‘I am’ is never sensed or felt.
22. After several iterations on these two perspectives, a final third hit me as a thunderbolt! And it came from a statement “I Am Unborn” made by the guru.
23. The guru had once said “You must come to a conclusion, I am unborn, I was unborn and I remain unborn”. Yes! That’s it, the secret of the ‘I am’ was revealed – it’s indeed Unborn!
24. When the guru says “Whatever I speak implies the unborn self. I am unborn, I am formless, devoid of any qualities, but to make the devotees realize this I have to come in touch with the body” it’s the Satguru speaking.
25. Time and again the guru has been saying “The unborn is never born”, “You are unborn, you have no birth or death” or “I came to know myself, therefore I am unborn”.
26. I am the proof that what has been said by the Satguru is the truth and the Satguru is the proof of the fact that I am Unborn.
27. It should be that I stand as evidence to the Satguru’s words and the Satguru stands as evidence to my resolve that I am Unborn.
28. To say that I am born is the fulfillment of birth and to say that I am Unborn is the fulfillment of the truth of my Self or my being.
29. The Unborn is always the Unborn. Whatever is seen or felt has never actually happened but just appears to be so.
30. I take refuge in the feet of the Satguru and then birth and death prove to be unreal. Thus whatever stems out of birth too proves to be unreal.
31. The conviction that I am Unborn is the grace of the Satguru. I believe myself to be as he says and his grace flows.
32. It was by the grace of the Satguru that his reality stood exposed and I came
know that I am actually the same as he is, the Unborn.
33. According to the orders of the Satguru I belong to the class of the nameless and formless one.
34. My mind and intellect did not have the courage or the ability to educate itself
as the Unborn, this came after I followed the orders of the Satguru.
35. According to the dictates of the Satguru I am the bodiless, formless Unborn with no deeds to be done and devoid of any birth or death.
36. Activities such as reading or doing different spiritual practices go on till your faith gets firmly established in the words ‘I am Unborn’ of the Satguru.
37. As said by the Satguru, once you recognize yourself as ‘I am Unborn’, thendeath holds no fear for you, rather it’s fun.
38. The greatest devotion in this world is having an absolute faith in the words ‘Iam Unborn’ of the Satguru.
39. Since I am obeying the words of the Satguru no more learning is required.
Accepting the fact ‘I am Unborn’ freed me from the clutches of time.
40. The greatest service I render to the Satguru is to always hold on to the fact ‘I am Unborn’ and live by this identity, memory and meditation.
41. The name given by the parents is an attainment of mortality, whereas the name ‘Unborn’ given by the Satguru is an attainment of immortality.
42. ‘I am Unborn’ is the firm belief imparted to me by the Satguru. What is the point in disbelieving him?
43. If you are devoted to the truth your life gets prolonged to the extent of
immortality, but if you use this prolonged life for fulfillment of bodily pleasures it
abruptly ends through disaster.

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About Nisargadatta Maharaj

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj was an Indian spiritual teacher and philosopher of Advaita (Nondualism), and a Guru, belonging to the Navnath Sampradaya. Sri Nisargadatta, with his direct and minimalistic explanation of non-dualism, is considered the most famous teacher of Advaita since Ramana Maharshi. In 1973, the publication of his most famous and widely-translated book, "I AM THAT", an English translation of his talks in Marathi by Maurice Frydman, brought him worldwide recognition and followers.

According to Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, the purpose of spirituality is simply to know who you are. His discussions are not for academic scholars. He is a rebellious spirit, abrupt in his style of discussion, provocative, and immensely profound, cutting to the core and wasting little effort on inessentials. He talked about the 'direct way' of knowing the Final Reality, in which one becomes aware of one's original nature through mental discrimination, breaking the mind's false identification with the ego, knowing that "You are already That".

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