Life Answers: A Complete Audiobook Reading of Sri Nisargadatta Maharajah's I AM THAT

Free Association Radio

For more information about this project, please listen to the Introductory Episode, or read the text for that episode which can be found here: http://stevewasserman.co.uk/life-answers-a-complete-audiobook-reading-of-sri-nisargadatta-maharajahs-i-am-that/

  1. 05/12/2024

    63. I Am (Lucid Dreaming) That?

    “An episode chiefly inspired by a 10 second piece of animation by Alyssa ⁠on her YouTube channel⁠. Check out the full TWELVE SECOND video (plot-twist?)⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠. Also, if you enjoyed the vid version of this on Spotify, please consider subscribing to my new YouTube Channel Living The Book of Disquiet, for more of these 🙏🏼 -- This episode is also inspired by the following quote from fragment 32 of Fernando Pessoa's Book of Disquiet: Underlying everything, the hushed night was the tomb of God (and my soul felt sorry for God).” OTHER TOPICS THAT CROP UP:  -Lucid Dreaming: Rob’s experiences with lucid dreaming and the techniques he used to achieve it (counting backwards, repeating a phrase while falling asleep). -Finding Beauty in the Mundane: the concept of cultivating a "waking dream" mentality, where one finds wonder and beauty in everyday experiences. Cf. Eckhart Tolle/Nisargadatta. The Yearning for Connection: Lost loves, and the desire to recapture those feelings of connection and shared experiences. The possibility of finding a similar connection through lucid dreaming. -Techniques for Lucid Dreaming: dream journaling, sensory deprivation, and meditation. Life as a Waking Dream: living one’s life as a lucid dream state, rather than feeling trapped in our waking nightmares. -In The Forest of Estrangement: A text written in 1912 and forming the initial foundations for TBOD according to a letter to João de Lebre e Lima, in which FP talks about his new project. Read both the letter, as well as In The Forest of Estrangement ⁠here⁠.

    34 min
  2. 04/07/2024

    58. Perfection, Destiny of All

    Q: Must I not examine the teacher before I put myself entirely into his hands? M: By all means examine! But what can you find out? Only as he appears to you on your own level. Q: I shall watch whether he is consistent, whether there is harmony between his life and his teaching. M: You may find plenty of disharmony — so what? It proves nothing. Only motives matter. How will you know his motives? Q: I should at least expect him to be a man of self-control who lives a righteous life. M: Such you will find many — and of no use to you. A Guru can show the way back home, to your real self. What has this to do with the character, or temperament of the person he appears to be? Does he not clearly tell you that he is not the person? The only way you can judge is by the change in yourself when you are in his company. If you feel more at peace and happy, if you understand yourself with more than usual clarity and depth, it means you have met the right man. Take your time, but once you have made up your mind to trust him, trust him absolutely and follow every instruction fully and faithfully. It does not matter much if you do not accept him as your Guru and are satisfied with his company only. Satsang alone can also take you to your goal, provided it is unmixed and undisturbed. But once you accept somebody as your Guru, listen, remember and obey. Half-heartedness is a serious drawback and the cause of much self-created sorrow. The mistake is never the Guru's; it is always the obtuseness and cussedness of the discipline that is at fault. Q: Does the Guru then dismiss, or disqualify a disciple? M: He would not be a Guru if he did! He bides his time and waits till the disciple, chastened and sobered, comes back to him in a more receptive mood. Q: What is the motive? Why does the Guru take so much trouble? M: Sorrow and the ending of sorrow. He sees people suffering in their dreams and he wants them to wake up. Love is intolerant of pain and suffering. The patience of a Guru has no limits and, therefore, it cannot be defeated. The Guru never fails. Q: Is my first Guru also my last, or do I have to pass from Guru to Guru? M: The entire universe is your Guru. You learn from everything, if you are alert and intelligent. Were your mind clear and your heart clean, you would learn from every passer-by;. It is because you are indolent or restless, that your inner Self manifests as the outer Guru and makes you trust him and obey. Q: Is a Guru inevitable? M: It is like asking 'Is a mother inevitable?' To rise in consciousness from one dimension to another, you need help. The help may not always be in the shape of a human person, it may be a subtle presence, or a spark of intuition, but help must come. The inner Self is watching and waiting for the son to return to his father. At the right time he arranges everything affectionately and effectively. Where a messenger is needed, or a guide, he sends the Guru to do the needful. -- It's early morning, no one is awakeI'm back at my cliff, still throwing things offI listen to the sounds they make on their way downI follow with my eyes 'til they crashI Imagine what my body would sound like slamming against those rocksAnd when it landsWill my eyes be closed or open?I go through all thisBefore you wake upSo I can feel happierTo be safe up here with youI go through all thisBefore you wake upSo I can feel happierTo be safe up here with youI go through all thisBefore you wake upSo I can feel happierTo be safe up here with youSafe up here with youSafe up here with youSafe up here with youSafe up here with youSafe up here with youSafe up here with youSafe up here with youSafe up here with you

    1h 24m
  3. 03/02/2024

    56. Consciousness Arising, World Arises

    [INT. LARRY'S LIVING ROOM - DAY] Larry David sits across from an enigmatic, serene guest, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, who's unfazed by the trivialities of Hollywood. Jeff, curious, joins with a sandwich in hand. LARRY: (Confused) So, you're saying when someone dies, it's all about what they believe? What about afterlife specials? MAHARAJ: As life before death is imagination, so is life after. The dream continues. Jeff nearly chokes on his sandwich, bewildered. JEFF: (To Maharaj) And what about you? You just... don't die? MAHARAJ: The jnani never dies because he was never born. Larry and Jeff exchange looks of utter confusion. LARRY: (Sarcastically) Oh, great, so you're just floating around, not being born or dying. Must be nice. [CUT TO: INT. COFFEE SHOP - DAY] Larry tries to explain Maharaj's philosophy to Leon, who's more interested in his coffee. LARRY: He says we're all just consciousness. No birth, no death. LEON: So, what, we're just in a big-ass dream? Man, I've had some messed up dreams. No way this is one. LARRY: Exactly! And apparently, I'm building walls by thinking we're different. LEON: Larry, you build walls with everyone. That's your thing. [CUT TO: INT. LARRY'S LIVING ROOM - DAY] Larry, now more agitated, confronts Maharaj again, with a group of friends gathered, including Ted Danson. LARRY: So, if we're all just dreaming, why bother with anything? Why not just... float around? MAHARAJ: You are the world, and the world is you. When you see the world in yourself, you see it as it truly is. Ted nods, pretending to understand, while sipping his drink. TED DANSON: (Trying to sound profound) It's like we're all part of this big, cosmic soup. LARRY: Cosmic soup? We talking about soup now? [CUT TO: INT. GOLF CLUB - DAY] Larry attempts to share his newfound "wisdom" with Richard Lewis who's having none of it. LARRY: It's all about awareness, Richard. I'm trying to broaden mine. RICHARD LEWIS: Larry, the only thing you're aware of is where your next "issue" is coming from. LARRY: (Frustrated) No, it's about seeing the fiery point of awareness. Like an incense stick burning down. RICHARD LEWIS: So, what? Now you're going to set the club on fire to find your inner spark? [CUT TO: INT. LARRY'S LIVING ROOM - EVENING] A final meeting with Maharaj, Larry's frustration peaks. LARRY: So, let me get this straight. We're all just part of this... awareness , and nothing really matters? MAHARAJ: In essence, yes. But understanding your true self is what matters. LARRY: (Exasperated) I'm more confused than when we started. MAHARAJ: That confusion is also part of the dream. LARRY: Great, so I'm dreaming. Maybe I'll dream myself into a world where people don't park in two spaces. MAHARAJ: (Smiling) That would be a dream indeed. [CUT TO: EXT. LARRY'S HOUSE - DAY] Larry, inspired yet bewildered by Maharaj's teachings, decides to live life more "aware." He immediately trips over his own feet and sprains his ankle. LARRY: (To himself) So much for awareness. ChatGPTChatGPT For the episode inspired by Maharaj's teachings, here are the Hindu philosophical terms explained: Jnani: A person of knowledge, particularly in the spiritual context of one who has realized the ultimate truth, Brahman, and has thereby transcended the ego and the cycle of birth and death. Brahman: The ultimate reality or universal consciousness in Hindu philosophy, Brahman is considered the supreme, unchanging reality, amidst and beyond the world, which is the source of all that exists. Consciousness (Chit): In Hindu philosophy, consciousness is not merely awareness or wakefulness but the fundamental aspect of existence, the essence of self and the universe. Awareness: In the context of the dialogue, it refers to a state of being fully present and conscious of one's inner self and the outer world without being caught up in the mind's narratives or identifications.

    1h 19m
4.9
out of 5
7 Ratings

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For more information about this project, please listen to the Introductory Episode, or read the text for that episode which can be found here: http://stevewasserman.co.uk/life-answers-a-complete-audiobook-reading-of-sri-nisargadatta-maharajahs-i-am-that/