What do you think about the following quote of Nisargadatta?

Question

" Why do you bring in an outer doer? The world recreates itself out of itself. It is an endless process, the transitory begetting the transitory. It is your ego that makes you think that there must be a doer. You create a God to your own Image, however dismal the image. Through the film of your mind you project a world and also a God to give it cause and purpose. It is all imagination -- step out of it. "


Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Answer 1

I think its dumb, shallow, if anything is lower than that, it is it. I speak from the christian perspective. If its all imaginations, how do those people get healed in the name of Jesus? How do prayers get answered? He is just shallow and I cant blame him. He is the type that sees the surface but not what is inside. But creating images is dumb, How can u be worshiping ur own creation when there is someone who created you that u should be worshiping?!

Answer 2

Nisargadatta was one of the rare beings who was sitting at the point of primordial consciousness (consciousness before manifestation). So from his perspective everything was the one, and there was no duality.

One of his most well know quotes is:
I find that somehow, by shifting the focus of attention, I become the very thing I look at, and experience the kind of consciousness it has; I become the inner witness of the thing. I call this capacity of entering other focal points of consciousness, love; you may give it any name you like. Love says "I am everything". Wisdom says "I am nothing". Between the two, my life flows. Since at any point of time and space I can be both the subject and the object of experience, I express it by saying that I am both, and neither, and beyond both.

You are always going to get challenged from those who believe there is God, other people and an individual self, when in realty there is only one thing, God, Brahman, Allah, Primordial consciousness etc manifesting itself as many. To believe you are separate from the whole is the source of suffering and the cause of all the problems we see in the modern world.

I recommend you read his book I AM THAT for a better idea of what he was saying, it is a classic in spiritual literature. On a side note Maurice Frydman the man who translated and compiled that book is said to be the one who campaigned to the Indian government to have the a safe haven within India for the Tibetans to move to when the Chinese communists invaded.

The western teacher I have found that comes closest to what he was saying is Adyashanti http://www.adyashanti.org

Answer 3

"The world recreates itself out of itself" - How did he get this Knowledge ? From what source. Did he see the World creating itself ? Then i would say that this Theory of his is actually his imagination.

Through mind we do create our relaships, which are mentioned in Bhagavad Gita as False. But the world is not false.
If the world is fales, then Nisargadatta Maharaj is also false being part of it and so is his theory and hence their is no need for his theory.

All Great Authorities of Vedic Literatures like Vyasa Deva, Sankaracharya, Ramanuja acharya accept that God created this World. Even Bhagavad Gita Krishna himself says that. Even other authorized religions accept that God created the world.
Does he says that all these authorities are in imagination and he alone is out of it ?

I don't think so ....

Answer 4

Well, if you are asking for an opinion- I would say that I think this quote is stupid. I for one am follower of Jesus, and I think the very concept of their being no belief in a creator is denial. However, even if the guy was going with the evolutionary theory or the big bang theory I could give him at least a little credit for trying to think things through (even though I would still deem him as wrong). But the fact that he seems to think that it has all just been around forever and everything is created in our mind and everything just cycles through endlessly without cause is downright repunant. Again, this is just my opinion. Sounds like this guy watched the matrix way too many times.

Answer 5

It is wrong.

Science has shown that the process is NOT endless, that in less than 10 billions years the earth will no longer be inhabitable, and life here will end as the Sun runs out of fuel.

In only a few trillion years more, the Universe ends by either "Heat Death" or "Big Crunch."

Answer 6

If we created God in our own image He wouldn't be an unconditionally loving being.

How about the idea that you deny God's existence so that you can be comfortable in your sin.

Do statements made in the second person annoy anyone else? I know they annoy me.

Answer 7

Good quote. Just like the Buddha.

Answer 8

neat....