Today's Considerations
The eBook below dealing with "Maharaj's Evolution" includes some of the considerations offered years before by Maharaj to a visitor to this site named Richard. Richard provided a first-hand account which reveals what "Super Seeking" can look like; which shows why the "journey" often becomes a far-too-long and far-too-arduous task; and illustrates how a few simple but quite direct words from "a Realized teacher" can bring all of that seeking to an end . . . can allow the Understanding to come . . . and can thereby allow the peace of a far slower pace (or no pace at all) to mark the remainder of the manifestation. Here are some of Michael's words from that book:
"The intensity of seeking caused me to take a leave of absence from law school in 1976, in part to take a training course to become a teacher of meditation. Plans were made, goodbyes were said to family and friends, tickets were bought; yet when i arrived in France, i was told that the rules had changed and i couldn't participate in the teacher's course.
"Phone calls, pleading, praying, meditating, and eating crepes from street vendors, i finally got the word that i could participate, but because of a change of schedule, i would have to wait for over a month.
"Student budget being what it was, i decided to travel on the cheap through Europe. By chance, i met a fellow who told me of Nisargadatta Maharaj and he wanted to go visit him. One week later we arrived in Bombay / Mumbai.
"Having grown up in New York City, i thought i would be prepared for what i heard was the crowded nature of Bombay and the hustle bustle. Wrong. Squalor, people strewn all over the streets, the smell of fires, cooking - and who knows what else - overwhelmed the senses. That week was a blur.
"We found a hotel close by that we could afford (it was less than $5 a night) and planned to go see Maharaj. My friend knew someone who had been visiting Maharaj, and he made sure it was OK. We knew to bring offerings of fruit and flowers.
"When we made our way through this impoverished neighborhood and stood in front of Maharaj's place, then climbed up impossibly small steps to this loft, i knew very clearly that this could not be a teacher of any value. Wrong again.
"He had pictures of Indian sages and teachers all over; i thought i recognized one or two, but i was a babe in these spiritual woods at the time. Ar first, I did know not even know that Maharaj was Maharaj. He looked so, well, ordinary!
"But his eyes gave him away! He stared at us and at one point fixed his eyes on mine. I couldn't breathe! He began (so i thought) shouting. Actually he was asking my friend where we had come from, where we were staying, very mundane questions.
"Then he gave a talk, in his native language; i had no, and i mean NO, idea what he was talking about, even when translated. At one point, he gestured toward us and started talking very animatedly. The translator said Maharaj was saying that he did not want a lot of followers, that those who were attracted by wealthy teachers deserved what they got.
"i thought that was a bit harsh, since my teacher at the time was very big on positive talk! i was impressed by the fact that, though my friend had not offered that we were followers of a 'big' teacher, somehow Maharaj knew anyway.
"He asked us if we had any questions, and i asked what was the quickest way to stabilize the experience of pure consciousness experienced in meditation.
"The paradigm i was taught was that if you meditated enough, the fleeting experience of pure consciousness would be stabilized and there all the time. Bliss and all good things would ensue as a result.
"He asked me who was having the experience of pure consciousness. i told him, quite innocently, i was (had no idea of Self-inquiry, direct path, any of that).
"He told me that i had wasted my time coming there, and as long as i thought i would get something out of what i was doing, i would continue to travel far and wide from teacher to teacher and never understand. Again, no idea what he was talking about AND he was yelling at me. Freaked out beyond words.
"He asked me why i wanted to waste my time and his. [Gulp.] Told him i wanted to be enlightened. Wish i could remember more of the torrent of words that he responded with. Knew before it was translated that it wasn't good. Something about before consciousness, something about no one who would benefit, something about never even being born.
"Between not 'supposed' to be there in the first place, getting singled out while trying to remain incognito, having my nice little spiritual worldview challenged, seeing a number of nodding heads and smiles as Maharaj was speaking (again, i thought shouting) i wanted to disappear.
"Whiz kid was freaked out and stumped. Although i did not understand the words when Maharaj was speaking, it stopped me cold. Couldn't think; couldn't speak; got intensely quiet, as quiet as any time in my formal meditation practice.
"While i didn't understand what was being said even after translation, the sensing was that something profound had been offered. Just didn't have the remotest clue of what it meant.
"Fast forward three years."
To be continued.
Please enter the silence of contemplation.
