Experience of Nothingness: Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj's Talks on Realizing the Infinite (Paperback)

~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (Author), (Editor)
Key Phrases: food essence body, particular visitor, consciousness manifests, The Experience of Nothingness, Duality Appears, Source of Illusion (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897-1981) is a revered master of the Tantric Nath lineage. His reputation and the popularity of his works has been increasing at an astonishing rate since his death in 1981. He is an inspiring example of an ordinary merchant and family man who attained complete realization of the Infinite, who taught that true freedom is a possibility for every one of us. Disciples and seekers from all over the world were drawn to his humble home in the tenements of Bombay.

Even on the printed page, in this moving volume of talks edited by Robert Powell, Nisargadatta's words carry a special potency. They are the words of a compassionate wise man, speaking equally to the heart-oriented and the head-oriented person, to East and West.

About the Author

Robert Powell, the editor of these talks, is a well-known, widely published spiritual author. Among his other publications, his book Zen and Reality has sold over 50,000 copies. Dr. Powell is recognized as one of the most inspired and knowledgeable writers on the subject of Advaita, the teaching of non-duality. He guides us beyond the realm of ego, beyond the illusion of subject and object, self and other. This is where the mind and cognition cannot take us, and Dr. Powell does a masterful job of lighting the path to where we have never been.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books; 1st edition (June 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1884997147
• ISBN-13: 978-1884997143
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #494,248 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Powerful Discourses of Nisargadatta Maharaj, March 17, 2004

By	Zen (sherman oaks, ca United States) - See all my reviews

These are among the final talks that Nisargadatta gave in the last year of his life or so. In this powerful book of Q & A between teacher and seeker we have some extremely detailed and terse teachings on the Nature of Reality.
Nisargadatta's answers cut to the chase and go right to the Heart of the Absolute. One of the reasons for the sharpness of the teachings is because he is physically suffering due to throat cancer and nevertheless continues to teach throughout his illness (he continued to teach until hours before his physical death).
For those that don't know his work too well, what is considered his main work is I AM THAT, which is recommended to begin the study of his teachings, after I AM THAT came a series of about 6 books, all within the last 2 years of his life. The post I AM THAT books are all uncompromisingly direct and sharp. He speaks only from realization of the Unborn state and gives all his discources from there, making it tricky to understand for some. With the combination of being ill and with 42 years of teaching experience at this point, he keeps his talks very focused.
In this great work, we see his expertise in that he doesn't just point to the Absolute reality with a lot of poetic words, he also deconstructs your preciously held self. He tirelessly breaks down concepts and spiritual ideas we don't want to let go of. One can say in this work we are privledged to see very "advanced" teachings. Teachings that will appeal to seekers that can go beyond just pretty ideas of spirituality, bliss out states, any form of personal gain whatsoever (because you're understanding yourself as the Impersonal Reality). He even challenges one particular seeker in this book to leave spirituality because he knows that this particular seeker is caught up being a "spiritual seeker" and isn't ready to go beyond the body-mind sense, he fears death of the personality. No flowery, superficial hand holding here!
The essence of his teachings is: understand your "I am-ness" or consciousness, go deeply into that and awake from your daydream as that body-mind entity you think you are and apperceive yourself as the Unborn.
I felt deeply privledged to read this wonderful book.

"What do you understand by the word dream? Is not the dream something like a drama, a play?...To one who really understands what has been said here, a dream is no different from what is seen in the waking state: both are plays of consciousness... We call one thing the waking state, another thing the dream, but in essence both are events happening in the consciousness and essentially they are not different."

" When you are liberated from the body/mind sense, so that you are not the body mind, that itself is liberation."<BR Nisargadatta Maharaj

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like staring into the sun, June 30, 2005

By	P. DAVIS "phil36297" (Pisgah Forest, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you want a book that will help you feel good and be successful in this life... this isn't the one. This is for that soul that simple wants the straightest, truest answers possible, from someone who was fearless in his search of reality. I've read three of Nisargadatta's books (including the classic "I Am That"), and this one takes the reader further than any of the others. He challenges the reader to go beyond even the "I Am" state and realize an even deeper, broader reality. This following quote sums up much of his focus in the book...

"Even this primary concept, "I-am-ness," is dishonest, just because it is still only a concept. Finally, one has to transcend that also and be in the nirvikalpa state, which means the concept-free state. Then you have no concept at all, not even of "I am." In that state one does not know that one is. This state is known as Parabrahman: Brahman transcended. Brahman is manifest; Parabrahman is beyond that, prior to that: the Absolute." (page 123)

These are among the last teachings of Sri Nisargadatta and he shared them in a way that was simple, bold and powerful. Again and again he challenges seekers to question who/what they really are... like turning the camera on yourself.

"Your true meaning cannot be grasped or captured by words. You can never be equated with any words, because you are prior to words." (page 159)

I think this book is best read slowly and absorbed for whatever gifts it brings to you.

23 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not one of the better works, April 8, 2002

By	Shawn Regan (marietta, GA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm glad this isn't the only Nisargadatta book I've looked at because It might have been the last. In this book of Q/A sessions it's not hard to tell he has grown weary of the questions. He seems to have been ill during much of the time that this book transpired and mentions several times he is tired of physical existence and wants to go. he even goes as far as to tell a few seekers to give up and persue some type of social work. Not at all the exciting and profound work of "I am That" which looks to rival most of Maharshi's teaching.