The Ultimate Medicine

by Nisargadatta Maharaj

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj was one of the important spiritual teachers of the twentieth century. A realized master of the Tantric Nath lineage, he lived and taught in the slums of Bombay, India. A steady stream of students, Indians and Westerners, fortunate enough to discover Maharaj during his lifetime, came to sit at his feet in the small loft where he received visitors. In the tradition of Ramana Maharshi, he shared the highest Truth of nonduality in his own unique way, from the depths of his own realization. The profound yet simple words of this extraordinary teacher jolt us into awareness. Like the Zen masters of old, Nisargadatta's style is abrupt, provocative, and immensely profound. His terse, potent sayings trigger shifts in consciousness, just by hearing, or even reading them. Compiled during the last year of Nisargadatta 's life, The Ultimate Medicine provides advanced instruction for spiritual aspirants. Not for those who like their spirituality watered down, but for serious students seeking powerful antidotes to unawareness. Edited by Robert Powell, renowned spiritual author.

1 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj was an Indian spiritual teacher and philosopher of Advaita (Nondualism), and a Guru, belonging to the Navnath Sampradaya. Sri Nisargadatta, with his direct and minimalistic explanation of non-dualism, is considered the most famous teacher of Advaita since Ramana Maharshi. In 1973, the publication of his most famous and widely-translated book, "I AM THAT", an English translation of his talks in Marathi by Maurice Frydman, brought him worldwide recognition and followers.

According to Sri Nisargadatta, the purpose of spirituality is to know who you are. His discussions are not for academic scholars. He is a rebellious spirit, abrupt in his style of discussion, provocative, and immensely profound, cutting to the core and wasting little effort on inessentials. His terse but potent sayings are known for their ability to trigger radical shifts from philosophical mind-games to the purity of consciousness, just by hearing or even reading them.

He talked about the 'direct way' of knowing the Final Reality, in which one becomes aware of one's original nature through mental discrimination, breaking the mind's false identification with the ego, knowing that "You are already That". The scene for these talks was a small upstairs room at his humble flat in Khetwadi, used for his own meditation and also for daily chantings. A simple man, Nisargadatta was a house-holder and a petty shop-keeper selling bidis - hand-made leaf-rolled cigarettes.