Checkmate

From Consciousness and the Absolute.. Jean Dunn (One of Nisargadatta’s last talks before he died)

January 30, 1981

M: Just as a person continues going to work every day because he

wants to receive his wages, so you keep coming here because you want

to gain knowledge. Once you have this knowledge, there is no need

for you to stay any longer.

Until you get the knowledge, you don't want to leave; nevertheless,

the only ones who should stay are those who feel a great urgency to

know. (Maharaj sends some more people away.)

I do not want casual seekers to stay here anymore. The only ones who

should stay now are those who have a real yearning about progressing

spiritually, those who are earnest seekers.

If you are an earnest seeker, you should accept my words as the truth

or you should leave, as I do not want merely to entertain you. And

what am I telling you? You are not the body. You are the conscious

presence. Accept it and you can forget it.

In the future, I will not be able to go into the problems of each one

of you. I will simply tell you, "This is false," or, "This is the

truth." You can accept what I say, or you can leave.

Q: I don't have the capacity to accept what Maharaj has given me.

M: If you don't think you have the capacity, then you can go

elsewhere. I am not concerned with any state, which is temporary.

This consciousness state is not of my choosing. The sooner it goes

the better. Once it is known what is temporary and what one's

original state is, no further knowledge is needed.

As soon as consciousness stirred, space and time came. It has a time

limit. In this space-time everyone suffers, so why should I accept

this suffering as something unique? I was always in that blissful,

complete, total state; suddenly I am in this imperfect state. Those

who have apperceived my knowledge will not fall prey to the logic

or spirituality expounded by others. I dare to say to any scholar

who considers himself full of wisdom, that when he was being born I

was watching his birth from a corner. Would you accept this?

Q: Yes. Why did the consciousness arise at all?

M: Hang on to this consciousness which has come and it will explain

why it arose. It is the manifest consciousness, which is

continuously talking, I am not talking. How does the language

emerge? Is it because of your efforts? If you grasp the essence of

the talks, which I am giving, you will illuminate the world. Those

people who run about from place to place aimlessly will gather

nothing. What is it you are after?

Eknath, a country sage who has written wonderful poems, said, " I am

stung by a scorpion!" It is the consciousness. This knowingness is

the scorpion, which is giving me all the pain in the form of various

experiences and concepts.

I am telling you with the authority of a jnani, everything is

unreal. This is all the play due to your consciousness, and your

consciousness is due to the food essence body.

Q: I am grateful to my body, which has brought me here.

M: You have come here just to commit suicide.