Tandava Press

26/07/2024

27/06/2024

Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, 'You owe me.' Look what happens with a love like that. It lights up the whole sky. - Hafiz

03/05/2024

What is Wu Wei? Wu simply means "Non" and Wei equals "Effort" or “Doing”. Said simply Wu Wei means “Non Doing”. In practical terms we could say Wu Wei is effortless action spontaneously arising without intention. This way of living is innate to every human being, it is our birthright. We have zero need to learn it. For, it is already our natural inherent condition and while it can be overlooked, it can never be lost. Another way of saying this is it is the "simple sense of presence", which is there always.

31/03/2024

Its all too easy to watch TV and read or view information online and end up with a gloom and doom point of view. Yes, the human race is more than a little off track but remember all of the beauty that surrounds you and is actually within you. There is probably no single image more important than the Yin/Yang symbol. There is a balance of light and dark and furthermore within every adversity there is a seed of hope, within every pleasure there within lies the seed of pain. The trick is not to somehow outsmart the fabric of life itself and just be all sunshine and roses. The trick is to learn how to not be attached to either side of the coin. Remember the space of the empty circle (called WU in Taoism) which contains the play of opposites. That space is what we are and that is neither good nor bad but the potential for every possibility. Think about the movies we all enjoy. Isn't there always a good girl and a bad girl, a cop and a robber, a Yoda and a Darth Vader. We are okay with it as we know its just a movie, a passing show, only the screen remains after the show and that screen is the possibility of all drama and comedy. So too, one can know that this life is but a dream and pure potential, which is not any-thing, which is no-thing, is always here. Eckhart Tolle calls it the Power of Now, Ramana Maharshi called it The Self, Jesus called it Father, Buddha called it the Unborn Buddha Mind, Lao Tzu called it the Tao. Pondering these things can be deeply liberating. Now where is that popcorn? Enjoy the show.

27/03/2024

This conversation explores the nature of desires, action, self-knowledge, and the realization of one's true nature. Maharaj addresses the questioner's quest for the fulfilment of desires, emphasizing that desires require energy and effort for their fulfilment. He notes that the intensity and clarity of desire, along with the effort invested, determine whether a desire will be fulfilled. Maharaj points out that personal desires have limited energy, whereas desires for the common good can harness the collective energy of the world.

The dialogue then shifts to the distinction between right and wrong desires, with Maharaj suggesting that desires leading to happiness are right, provided they consider the happiness of others as well. He advises using observation, memory, and reflection to understand the potential outcomes of desires, stressing the importance of knowing oneself to transcend personal limitations.

Maharaj explains that self-knowledge involves recognizing what one is not, thereby remaining in one's natural state of pure awareness. This realization comes spontaneously and without effort. He challenges the questioner's fixed ideas about identity, suggesting that such notions obstruct true understanding.

The conversation delves into faith, self-inquiry, and the practice of self-awareness. Maharaj encourages trust in his teachings or self-inquiry as paths to realization. He also emphasizes the importance of a disciplined life for clearing one's vision and understanding one's mind.

Renunciation, Maharaj clarifies, is not about physically abandoning one's life but about understanding and detaching from mental attachments. He reiterates that self-realization involves discovering all that one is not, including physical, emotional, and conceptual identities. This process of witnessing and separating the self from the not-self is crucial, though Maharaj acknowledges the paradox of duality in the act of witnessing. He concludes by encouraging the questioner to go beyond concepts and directly experience the self by discovering what is not the self, underscoring that this experiential understanding is the essence of spiritual practice.

This conversation explores the nature of desires, action, self-knowledge, and the realization of one's true nature. Maharaj addresses the questioner's quest ...

21/03/2024

The passage discusses the purpose and effects of meditation according to the teachings of Nisargadatta Maharaj in "I Am That." Meditation is primarily aimed at making us conscious of our inner life, comprising thoughts and feelings, to eventually lead us to the source of life and consciousness. This practice helps to dissolve the unconscious, releasing energy and quieting the mind. A quiet mind enables us to recognize ourselves as pure witnesses, detached from both experiences and the experiencer, thus reducing identification with the personal self.

Meditation is not about conserving energy for higher levels of existence but about transcending the qualities of inertia (tamas) and restlessness (rajas) to achieve a state of harmony (sattva), which is its own goal. This state manifests truth, goodness, and beauty effortlessly when experienced in full awareness. To cultivate such awareness and strengthen sattva, one must observe and understand the influences of tamas and rajas within themselves. By becoming aware of their impact on thoughts, words, and actions, one can diminish their hold, allowing the clarity of sattva to emerge. Success in this process requires earnestness and is neither difficult nor lengthy.

The passage discusses the purpose and effects of meditation according to the teachings of Nisargadatta Maharaj in "I Am That." Meditation is primarily aimed ...

15/03/2024

In this dialogue from "I Am That," a questioner seeks to understand the difference between themselves and Nisargadatta Maharaj, suggesting that Maharaj possesses superior knowledge or spiritual status. Maharaj refutes the notion of fundamental differences, emphasizing that any perceived distinction arises from the questioner's imagination and societal constructs. Maharaj denies claiming any superiority or possessing knowledge that the questioner lacks, attributing his dispassionate view of life to his trust in his Guru's teachings that he is nothing but his self. This trust led him to detach from what was not him and to see the world as a passing show.

The questioner inquires why Maharaj was able to fully trust his teacher, implying that not everyone can do so. Maharaj responds that it simply happened and emphasizes the fluidity of opinions and their lack of substantial importance.

Maharaj is described as being always in a state of quiet happiness, around whom miracles seem to occur. He expresses skepticism about miracles, suggesting that everything could be considered a miracle depending on one's perspective. He points out that the focus of the questioner's attention is misplaced, not on their self but on external things, people, and ideas.

He advises bringing one's self into focus, becoming aware of one's existence, and understanding the motives and outcomes of actions. By rejecting and refusing what one is not, one comes closer to knowing oneself. Maharaj emphasizes that the real self is not a product of the mind or imagination. The sense of 'I am' serves as a pointer towards the self but is not the end goal. The journey to self-realization involves ceasing the definition of oneself based on the body and its expressions, leading to the natural state of being.

The essence of Maharaj's message is that differences among individuals are superficial, and the path to understanding one's true self lies in earnest search, inquiry, and questioning, ultimately leading to the realization that we are all one in being, differing only in appearance.

In this dialogue from "I Am That," a questioner seeks to understand the difference between themselves and Nisargadatta Maharaj, suggesting that Maharaj posse...