NISARGADATTA MAHARAJ
THE ULTIMATE MEDICINE
CHAPTER 10
THE ABSOLUTE CANNOT BE
REMEMBERED BECAUSE IT
CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN
MAHARAJ: For those who have identification with the body, this knowledge has no meaning-it cannot act. Despite this fact, the visits these people
make here will not be totally in vain; they will bear fruit at
some future time. The effects of the visits will be like the
aftermath of the rains: grass or plants will be seen coming
out automatically, sprouting.
INTERPRETER: Many people come here to have Maharaj’s
last darsban, to see him at least once during their lifetime;
they don’t visit him for knowledge per se. He also said: “So
long as I am visible, you can come and have a look.”
VISITOR: It is what we cannot see that is more important.
[laughter]
M: When somebody puts a question, he does not know to
whom I am talking. He thinks that I am talking to myself.
When a question is there, the reply is spontaneously avail-
able. The origin of the “!”-consciousness being known, the
reply comes spontaneously. I am experiencing the world,
but for that have I made any efforts? My true state-that is,
the Absolute state-cannot be remembered, because it can-
174 . The Ultimate Medicine
not be forgotten. Without remembering that, and without
putting in any efforts, the experience of the world happens.
You have the memory of the knowledge of your birth;
that is, somebody has sold you a bill of goods by inform-
ing you that you were born, and that memory stays very
firm with you. Initially, you did not have this memory of
birth, but your mother or your parent or somebody else
rammed it down your throat. Subsequently, this concept
was constantly reinforced with steady effort like driving a
nail into the wall. As a result, that memory has become
very strong with you; ultimately, this very concept is stran-
gulating you.
In the absence of the beingness, when you did not know
about your existence, both the world and the joy of the
Brahman were worthless to you. They acquired value only
when you came to know that you existed. In fact, until then
nothing was of any value to you. This memory “I am” is nei-
ther true nor false; it is without these two attributes. That
memory of beingness only appears to exist.
Without the knowledge of the body, that it exists and
other bodies also exist, you will not feel better. In other
words, you can entertain yourself only so long as you know
you are identified with your body and consider other people
also as bodies, not as knowledge. 1 Then only can you have
entertainment in this world and pass time. Otherwise, how
can you pass time?
V: What do you mean by seeing everything as knowledge?
M: When you no longer see the world as a collective of
names and forms, as objects or bodies. Real understanding
has no color and design. That is why, in so far as I am con-
cerned, self-love does not exist. The love for existence does
[1 Maharaj repeatedly states his view that “persons,” in the absence of identifica-
tion with the body, are consciousness or “knowledge” (of existence) only, or
pure knowingness.
As Prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj]
175
not exist. You may or may not believe this: the necessity to
be, for existence, is non-existent.
V: I can accept that.
M: I am asking you, without body how to pass time? For a
sage is that principle which is prior to body, timeless. How
did he pass time? When the body was not there-that is,
when the consciousness was not there-how many years
passed by without knowledge of existence? It is a timeless
state. When you witness, only then there is time. Time and
consciousness appear together. Without consciousness
there is no time, for consciousness is time. And there is no
consciousness, prior to body.
V: But then what was there?
M: No, the question was how to pass time. Your question
does not arise.
Sometimes you like to ask a question but do not know
what to ask; you don’t hit on the correct question, the only
appropriate one.
The questions come up in jerks. Like a cat, you know, it
touches with its mouth the udders of the mother.
V: We call it “bunting.” 2
M: Then what is the knowledge of religion? How do you
understand this?
V: Time-suspension.
M: Your eternal, true state is your religion, svarupa. The
word means “your own, true state.” To remain in that is
2 Bunting is the activity of a lamb pushing its face into its mother’s udders.
176 . The Ultimate Medicine
your svadbarma, your own religion. All other things concern
religions of others, not yours. For one who has no form,
how can he behave in accordance with his religion? Svad-
barma means to abide in the beingness.
In this world we refer to some entity as God. That God,
is he having any behavior? Has he any tradition-any rules
and regulations?
V: I think all those rules and regulations are just a product
of man’s concept. The only validity I have ever seen in any
religion is that for people who are obviously not interested
in the highest teachings of truth, such as Maharaj’s, these
rules for public morality might confer some sort of order so
that behavior is conducted in an orderly manner. Then, soci-
ety becomes more cohesive than it would otherwise be with
everybody selfishly going for what he wants-although that
is what usually happens anyway. I suppose, ideally, it cre-
ates a platform of stability so that we may truly hear what
Maharaj has to say to us. Other than that, I don’t know …
M: For eternal peace you must dwell in yourself, know how
this touch of “I am” has appeared. All other knowledge is of
no use in this connection.
V: Certainly, organizing a religion is of no use.
M: When you listen to these talks for yourself, will you have
any advantage?
V: It depends on what you mean by “self.”
Well, the answer will have to be “no,” because this self is
to be undone, forgotten. To the true Self nothing can be
added anyhow, so where could there be any benefits to it?
M: You feel like listening to the talks presented, although
there is no advantage to it. Right?
As Prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj .
177
V: That is putting it in absolute terms. I am listening
because I have a lot to learn. We all want the state Maharaj
enjoys. So in that sense, his talks are of great benefit.
M: I am trying to tell you: Give up all this trash, whatever
you are studying in the name of religion, in the name of
spirituality. Understand only one thing: That godly principle
is there, that “I-am-ness” or consciousness-that is the god-
liest of principles. It is there only so long as the vital breath
or life force is there. This vital breath has five aspects and is
called pancbaprana. 3 It is the motive force for all activities.
When the five-aspected vital force is there, then only this
quality of beingness is there, which is called guna. This
beingness at present is your nature-you are that only. So
worship that principle. That quality, the touch of “I-am-
ness” or consciousness, is something like the sweetness of
the sugar cane.
The sugar cane is there, the inside fibrous material is
there, the juice is there, and the sweetness is the ultimate.
Similarly in this case, the final thing is that quality or the
touch of beingness-that is the Ishwara principle. You are
that, abide in it and worship that only. Then only will you
reach and abide in the eternal peace, and not by discussing
any other precepts regarding spirituality.
A person got a baby; the baby was delivered to the
mother. Unfortunately, the vital breath had left the body;
the child was dead, and the body was disposed of. The
question now is: What exactly did leave the body? The vital
breath. But suppose the vital breath were there; then that
touch of “I-am-ness” would have been present in the child;
and that consciousness would have been there. The parents
3 Prana (Sanskrit for “breath”), the primal energy or vital breath, divides itself
fivefold. “As a king employs officials to rule over different portions ?f his ki~g-
dom, so prana associates with himself four other pranas, each a portion of him-
self and each assigned a separate function.” (Prasna Upanisbad) The other four
pranas are: apana, samana, vyana, and udana. The pranas are the essential
energy component in such physiological functions as breathing, digestion and
assimilation of food, excretion, and procreation.
178 • The Ultimate Medicine
would have fondled that body, a live baby. But since the
vital breath was gone, that life is gone, the beingness is no
more there. And therefore it is just a dead body.
Where there is vital breath, the knowledge “I am” is pre-
sent. There being no vital breath, the knowledge of “1-am-
ness” is absent. Take full advantage of the naturally
available capital with you-that is, your life force and the
knowledge “I am”; they always go hand in hand. Right now,
exploit it to the utmost. All worldly activities are going on
only because of the knowledge “I am” together with that
motive force which is the life force, the vital breath. And
that is not something apart from you; you are that only.
Investigate and study this exclusively.
Praneshwar means “the god of the vital breath.” Now
this breath or life force and the knowledge, that quality of
beingness-both together are “myself.” Fortunately, you
have both these aspects together with you. You are that
only. Therefore, abide in that, worship that only.
[After some pause] What concept is “bunting” at you
now? [laughter]
[Addressing a new visitor, who announces be bas practiced
Patanjali Yoga for twenty years] In your study of yoga over the
past twenty years, what identity have you found, what image
have you formed about yourself? What is your true nature,
have you come upon that? What do you earn your living by?
V: Interior decorator. Furniture design.
M: With all your study of yoga, Patanjali, and sutra for
twenty years, have you achieved whatever you set out to
achieve?
V: I am enjoying permanent happiness, twenty-four hours,
non-stop, since twenty long years.
M: For what purpose have you come here?
As Prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj .
179
V: Just to hear … [inaudible ] … for telling you of my experience.
M: Those names that you mentioned, I have heard of them;
I have not made a study of them, and they are only names
tome.
You may have come having heard there is a jnani here.
But I am telling you, I have no knowledge of any ancient
texts, or anything. The only thing I know is this conscious-
ness, this beingness, the knowledge that I am there. And I
know how and why or in what circumstances it has come,
and the value of that consciousness. That is all.
I started from the fact that I had no knowledge of the
birth and how I got this body and the consciousness. I was
surprised that this body and the consciousness should have
come suddenly without my knowledge, without my permis-
sion. So whatever my thought and my knowledge, it started
from there, inquiry started from that point. But Patanjali
and pranayama and kundalini, all these are only names to
me; I have never practiced anything of that sort.
V: I also feel it is not necessary. This Patanjali system I also
tried, studying it from 1973 to 1976 without the help of any
books or anything. I was trying to achieve mental concen-
tration, since I felt most miserable; physically and mentally
I was so disturbed that I wanted peace more than anything
else. So that was my training. To achieve mental concentra-
tion, I went through a lot of trouble … went into seclusion,
in one room, where I sat for about one and a half months.
M: How am I concerned with your whole history? It is
nobody’s business.
With all your study for twenty years, and having reached
such a high standard, there was no need for you to come here.
V: Maybe I’ll come once or twice, that is all-three times,
maximum, that is enough.
180 , Tbe Ultimate Medicine
M: Everybody is equal here. We are not concerned with the
knowledge that you have acquired.
V: This is my existence.
INTERPRETER: Maharaj is speaking for himself. The other
day, you may remember, he was talking about the resolution
of his original inquiry, when he reached the conclusion that
whatever knowledge he had acquired was all ignorance;
then he got the final satisfaction and peace. A man with a
keen intellect who comes here, within a very short time-
say 10, 15 minutes-should be able to arrive at the conclu-
sion that all knowledge is ignorance and that the personality
is a fraud. But you are not accepting Maharaj’s conclusion
that all knowledge is ignorance. So Maharaj tells you to do
a lot of meditation and find out: How did I get this first
consciousness, this knowledge of existence? I did not ask
for it, but suddenly, automatically, spontaneously, it has
come about without my knowledge. How has it happened?
Come to the solution of this mystery!
V: Originally it is there, that is why it has come.
M: When all the four Vedas ultimately came to the conclu-
sion that it was beyond their power, what will your words
achieve?
V: Nobody’s words can achieve … No word can achieve this
thing. When the word stops, what state is there?
M: If he thinks he is a jnani, he is wasting his time; only that
person who thinks he has no knowledge should come here.
But people like you who think they have knowledge, there is
no use in your coming here; you are wasting your time.
V: No, I don’t think I have knowledge.
As Prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj .
181
M: No use your coming here, you are wasting your time!
V: I don’t think anything like that. If somebody thinks it is
a problem .. .I don’t think …
I: Please … we come here to listen to his words, and we
don’t intend to make any comments that are irrelevant.
Therefore, whatever he says and that is being translated .. .if
you have a question on that …
M: What happens to the people who come here? They come
because they consider themselves ignorant and want knowl-
edge. So when they listen, they get knowledge and ultimate-
ly they give it up again as being unnecessary. But those who
consider themselves to be a jnani, who consider that they
have knowledge, they are wasting their time by coming
here. For a person who is a jnani to come here … no jnani
will come here. For coming here itself is an admission that
he is not a jnani; therefore, it would be impossible for him
to come here. Only someone who is in need of knowledge
will come here.
What is the extent of my knowledge? Nobody will ask:
Bombay, where have you come from and give me any
details of it. Nor would Bombay ask anyone: Where have
you come from and what are your antecedents? That is the
extent of my knowledge. Advaita means unicity. In that,
how can there be two: one asking about another?
I: Maharaj says his centre of seeing is no longer from the
phenomenal; it lies in the Noumenon. But persons come
here and to that extent we are phenomena. Therefore, in
dealing with us he is forced to see and speak from the point
of view of the phenomenon. Otherwise, as far as he is con-
cerned, he is totally in the Noumenon. And so whatever
happens in the phenomenal realm cannot and does not
affect him.
182 . The Ultimate Medicine
People call to invite him and he appreciates that, but he
says: “What is the use? I don’t have an instrument with
which to enjoy that hospitality or whatever is being offered.
The instrument no longer functions. Anything considered
eminently acceptable cannot be accepted because it has no
effect on me since there is nothing with which I can enjoy
it. But that is a position which I am unable to express, or is
not to be expressed to others. All worldly wisdom and activ-
ities are directed toward acquiring worldly happiness. What-
ever one sees, one gets interested in.”
M: There is a couplet, which says that to anyone who is so
interested in worldly activities and pleasures, how can
unworldly wisdom even come near him? A person may read
religious books and get interested in them, but for what
purpose? Reading them gives him a sense of satisfaction, a
feeling that he has done something worthwhile. He has
done his duty as far as spiritual matters are concerned. That
is all right so far as it goes. But what have you done to see
your true nature? The five kinds of sensory perception, any-
thing perceived by the senses, all that is only concerned
with worldly pleasures. Sensory perception can give only
pleasures of these five senses. There is no sixth kind of plea-
sure which sensory perception can give you.
One who has not realized the nature of the five ele-
ments and the five senses of perception will get himself
involved and remain involved. But the one who has seen
their nature and the way they work, will remain aloof and
apart from them. I repeat: What is this state, before this
knowledge “I am” came upon me? When the knowledge “I
am” came, the one who is satisfied with that will reach the
state where he considers himself God and Brahman. But he
does not go beyond it or prior to it.
In the ultimate state lies the prior state; that is, the state
before this knowledge “I am” ever dawned on me-the high-
est state, the best state, the original state. Consider the
As Prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj .
183
concept that the five elements and the three gunas are the
lotus with these leaves, the little petals. When you remove
its petals, then what remains? The Marathi word for lotus is
kamala, and the last two syllables “mala” means impurity.
So you remove the impurity and then what remains? Unless
there is impurity, how can you see the purity? In pure puri-
ty, you will not see either purity or anything. Only through
the impurity, can you perceive purity … then you see both
impurity and purity. Seeing against the backdrop of puri-
ty … So here again is a further description of the one who
has reached the delivered state.
When everything has been given up, and nothing cre-
ates attachment any longer, neither knowledge nor worldly
pleasures, then one is in the state of deliverance. So that is
as being the emperor of that original state. There is no
attachment for that which is born, not even for that con-
sciousness which is there. When all impurity of any kind,
everything, has disappeared, then the original state is
reached.
Consciousness cannot exist without the body, which is
the result of procreation. So ultimately, is this conscious-
ness itself not based upon impurity?
Earlier I had asked, if anyone comes here who considers
himself to be a jnani, we will ask him, What is your age? He
is bound to say so many years. Now that calculation, is it
not based on the start of that impurity? Or, rather, from the
day of the manifestation of that impurity? He who still car-
ries the concept of his physical age cannot be a jnani.
Here is another example of non-attachment. A close rel-
ative and associate of mine died recently. Does that person-
ality who is now considered dead have any use for me, do I
have any use for him, does he have any use for himself?
Whatever people may say about death, what has happened?
Consider exactly what has happened and, therefore, don’t
be attached to him. This is an example of pure knowledge.
That is, will the person who has gone, or whatever has
184 • The Ultimate Medicine
gone, have any memory of myself? Then what is the point of
my keeping memories of him, of that which has gone? There
is nothing in the field of ignorance which can be pointed to
as a comparison for the original state of fullness and whole-
ness, that which is. I repeat: Just imagine that state.
V: It is impossible to imagine. Any way in which we could
imagine it, would belittle us.
M: It would still be a concept.
I: Maharaj is asking Mr. P. to show his proficiency with
words, to explain what is inexplainable. [laughter]
M: This disease which the doctors say has visited me, is it
not clear that that on which this disease has come is purely
a phenomenal object; it is only on a phenomenal object that
this can come. What is this particular disease going to do
that would otherwise not happen? That which was given the
designation and name of birth will come to an end. This is
the only thing that could happen-with or without the dis-
ease. So what has this disease achieved by itself?
You might observe vastly different reactions from differ-
ent individuals. One may be flabbergasted, downcast and
horrified. Another may take it as a sign of the coming final
ecstasy-that which will help to remove the burden of what
is called “birth.” Is it then not something to be very happy
about? The actual pronouncement of the disease has
achieved one thing: that knowledge which was very clearly
understood had remained in the background and the phe-
nomenal object was in the foreground. Now with this pro-
nouncement, the phenomenal object has practically
disappeared; this mere speck of consciousness is the only
thing that remains, and is to go.
Who is to suffer the normal progress of this dreaded dis-
ease? Or what is to suffer? And what is its result? The result
As Prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj .
185
will be that that which was given the designation or name of
“birth” may be wiped out. That is all that will happen. What
is the normal process of fear? Any event that causes fear, if
one succumbs to it, the fear envelops you. But if you do not
accept it-the event as something to be feared, and you
look it squarely in the face-then what happens is that the
fear-causing event remains at a distance.
My teaching is very simple. There are two things to be
understood. One is something I can see about myself,
which is time-bound, proceeding from a particular point to
a particular point. Beyond the latter point, whatever was
perceptible will become imperceptible. The second is that
my original state, which was imperceptible, remains. So
these two states are merely to be understood; there is noth-
ing else to be done.
Now I have a question: Through homeopathy, can you
know the life force?
V: No, you cannot know the life force. The whole assump-
tion by which one is able to get people well-and your
experience proves it every day-is that a homeopathic rem-
edy in and of itself cannot cure disease. We believe that
what we do is just stimulate the life force to do a better job,
or redirect what happens to it and by making a slight
change, in the same way a catalyst does in a chemical reac-
tion, you are able to heal where nothing else would work.
M: When you don’t know that life force, how can you make
any changes in it?
V: Well, we can observe it. W1th the machines we use, that
is how we observe it. That is how we believe we have made
a great advance on the traditional ways of prescribing
homeopathic remedies, which are much more hit-and-miss
and time-consuming in finding out what will work. But
when Maharaj asks me, do I know the life force, I only feel
186 . The Ultimate Medicine
it working in my own body in still very unrefined ways; that
is all I can say. So it is not the sort of intimate, profound
insight that he would have into its workings.
M: You cannot clearly know the quality of the conscious-
ness or the type of consciousness.
V: Machines will never tell us that.
M: In Hindustani music there are various ragas; the experts
know the differences between these ragas and can teach
accordingly. Similarly, the changes in this consciousness,
the types or quality of consciousness, can they be detected
and explained?
V: No, I don’t believe they can. Bodily changes, yes.
M: Changes in the body substance, that you can detect, but
not in the consciousness.
V: And at a subtle energy level, relative to the body. But
nothing more than that. I believe it can be known through
experience, consciously, but it cannot be measured by
machines. The only time we can see it, upsets on an emo-
tional level hampering us, is when people don’t respond.
You know, you just develop an intuition about what is hap-
pening with a certain patient but you are not able to mea-
sure it directly. You just see their lack of response and
know there is a tremendous stress input from those levels
in their lives.
M: Whatever changes take place in the body substance, the
consciousness is similarly affected; the emotions are also
affected.
V: I believe that is so.
As Prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj .
187
M: You cannot get lasting satisfaction from reading books.
So you must try to know the seed of this knowingness, its
very quality. Only then can you have this eternal peace or
lasting satisfaction. But once you understand that, then
what happens is of no further use, because there is no expe-
riencer of all that anymore.
V: What is of no use?
M: That satisfaction, or that eternal peace, is of no use,
because there is no experiencer of it. That is my state. Con-
sciousness is the product of this body substance. So when
you transcend it, then it is of no use to that ultimate princi-
ple. I call a siddba one who has attained the ultimate. In
that ultimate state, the devotee and God, the maya (the pri-
mary illusion) and the Brahman, all these concepts cease to
exist. And there is no beneficiary or experiencer of all that,
because he is without the concept “I am.” He does not
know “I am,” he does not know that he exists in that state.
That knowingness is completely obliterated. The experienc-
ing state begins only with the aid of knowingness. But
knowingness is the product of this objective world, this
objective matter, this food body. Through it that sattva
advaita, atomic consciousness, is understood. Then it is
seen to fall into the category of illusion. It is ultimately non-
existent, and thereafter twin categories such as god-devo-
tee, maya-brabman, all these concepts-this entire world of
duality-cease to exist. This love of beingness is there in all
living creatures: the beingness is loved, that self itself is
loved. But the love of beingness, where is the origin of that?
The origin lies in that atomic consciousness. This known,
only then can you transcend it.
People are talking about this devotee and relative of
mine, one Mr. H., who recently passed away. H. represent-
ed the pulsation of something named H. So what happened
to that pulsation, as he is no more there? That principle for
188 . The Ultimate Medicine
the entity of which this pulsation manifested itself, has van-
ished. People have tried to explain it by saying that H. has
gone to heaven, he will again be incarnated, and so on.
Now, what is that thing that is responsible for the incarna-
tion? There must be something, mustn’t there, because of
which the pulsations happen? The pulsation itself is the life
force, but then we identify that as some individual.
This primary concept is the knowledge “I am.” It is the
mother of all other concepts. When this concept is there,
then so many other concepts also appear. Now whatever
religions there are, they are only full of concepts. Somebody
likes a particular concept and passes it on to his disciples,
and he gets a following. But with that, they cannot get eter-
nal peace or satisfaction. In order to get that satisfaction,
you must find the source of this primary concept “I am.”
And once you know that, you can transcend it. Then you do
not have anything to tell the world, because the world wants
only fragmentary modifications. They want activities. So
this knowledge will remain only with yourself, and there will
not be any customers for it.
Pulsation means movement; movement means air, the
vital breath. Outside the body it is called air, within the
body it is called the vital force. One who knows that state
prior to the pulsation, he is the sage. When people come to
me, I only tell them that you can meditate on Brahma,
Krishna and all this, but instead of doing that, you should
give attention to the knowledge “I am,” and meditate on
that by itself. Knowledge is to be got hold of by knowledge
only. This will produce the seed which, through this process
of meditation, slowly grows into a big tree and that itself
will give you all the knowledge. It will not be necessary for
you to ask anyone what is what.
These two entities are available to you, the vital force
and the knowledge “I am,” the consciousness. They appear
without any effort; they are there. Now, in order to be one
with Ishwara, to understand the non-duality, you must wor-
As Prescribed by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj . 189
ship the vital force. Then that knowledge, which is in seed
form, slowly grows. And the seeker becomes full of knowl-
edge; in the process he transcends that, and the ultimate
state is achieved.
V: What do you mean by “full of knowledge”?
M: It is the conviction about your true Self, intense and
direct abidance in the Self.
July 13/14, 1980
