“… Awakening is a kind of flowering of consciousness …”   ~ Nirmala

awakening flowering nirmala

In That Is That, Essays About True Nature, Nirmala “… captures the essence of spiritual inquiry and provides the reader with a real transmission of Presence on every page. It is much more than an exposition about our true nature as infinite consciousness, it offers an experiential exploration of who we really are, not only through the transmission in the words, but through the many thoughtful questions it raises.”

Nirmala’s teachings on our True Nature – who we are – provides a very relatable “road map” for the earnest seeker. Each section in the book covers key topics of interest for a seeker and the comprising chapters unpack the topic further through Nirmala’s remarks PLUS Q&A from actual seekers.

In this series, we give a depthful glimpse into Nirmala’s teachings by making a chapter – from each section – available for the site visitor thereby allowing him/her to decide if deeper exploration, through the full book, is of interest in their journey …

… the 1st post explored “… the gem in this moment …” … a chapter from the section titled: BEING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT … which has chapters like What Is This Moment’s Treasure?, The Mind’s Endless To-Do List, The Cause of Suffering, The Gap in Awareness,The Suffering in the World,Sensing Inside, and Noticing Gratitude

…the 2nd post delved into objective (vs subjective) reality by answering a spiritual seeker’s question: … is there anything objective? Is there any final truth, or is everything subjective? What is reality like outside our minds and beliefs? Do we create our worlds with our beliefs and mind? … a chapter from the section titled: MAKING UP REALITY … which has chapters like … Going Naked Without Belief, The Dance Between the Mind and Reality, Make Believe—Thoughts Are Not Very Real, The Ghosts Within, and Not Knowing  …

Awakening True Nature Nirmala

… the 3rd post addressed one of the most common issues faced by almost everyone : navigating feelings of lack, or restlessness, or emptiness that seems to either be present at {all} times or returns after some sense of elation or joy … a chapter from the section titled: EXPLORATION THROUGH INQUIRY … which has chapters like … Self-Inquiry, Being Present to Feelings, How Long to Inquire into Feelings, Inquiry into Numbness, Inquiry into a Broken Heart— Inquiry into Control, Exploring Emptiness, Seeking Happiness, Finding Connection in Loneliness, Inquiry into Resentment, Doing Inquiry When You Get Triggered, and Loving How Hard It Is to Love …

… the 4th post explored oneness and then answered a key yearning/question that almost everyone has: how to experience oneness more deeply … a chapter from the section titled: ONENESS … which has chapters like … Oneness, Multiple Experiencers Within Oneness, How to Experience Oneness More Deeply, One Source for Everything, Every Moment Is Self-Realization, How to Stay Focusing on the Self, Knowing Who You Really Are, Nothing Happens to You, You Cannot Be Harmed, and Why Things Are the Way They Are …

… in this 5th post, Nirmala, explores awakening through two questions: can we ignite awakening? … and how to navigate the impatience of wanting to awaken – now … two chapters from the section titled: AWAKENING … which has chapters like … What Is Enlightenment or Awakening?, The Flower of Awakening, Burning Down the House, Wanting to Awaken, Seeking, Giving, and Being, Effort in Meditation, Sitting on a Beach Doesn’t Cause a Tsunami, and Focus in Meditation …

 

All text below is from Nirmala’s book and is published here with his permission.

Question: I’ve come to believe (aside from the grace that some people experience, where their whole world crumbles and reveals what’s beyond the individual personality, the abiding nondual awareness) that one has to ignite one’s own world on fire in order to awaken. Can you recommend any way of igniting this whole thing? I don’t seem to have the existential crisis that so many of the masters I respect have had.

Nirmala’s Answer: My own sense is that there really is no formula for spiritual awakening. Some people experience a kind of crumbling of their world that leads to a deeper opening, while others experience a graceful and easeful unfolding into the depths of their Being. And of course, some people whose lives crumble are only traumatized by that experience, not awakened, and some who experience a lot of ease and comfort never question very deeply.

inner world crumbling nirmala

So in answer to your question about how to ignite a burning, I would suggest a more general approach of being very curious and accepting of whatever is arising. Often when we try to ignite things or, on the other hand, try to stop the crumbling or burning, we only interfere with the deeper intelligence that actually knows the way things need to go. But by being curious and present to whatever is happening, you allow the process of awakening to unfold in the most natural way for you.

This means being very curious and aware when a burning or crumbling or any kind of difficulty or challenge arises. But it’s equally fruitful to be intensely curious about the easy and fun moments, when life unfolds abundantly and delightfully. And finally, you can inquire into and explore the ordinary moments, when life is maybe a little boring or predictable.

awakening ordinary moments nirmala

This attitude of gently touching experience as it is already happening means that when a burning desire for the truth does arise, you have developed the capacity to stay with that experience all of the way. However it’s not your job to set the whole house on fire. Fortunately, every experience has the same potential to be a doorway into the depths of your Being. Why miss all the richness and many flavors of Being that are presenting themselves when life is easy or ordinary?

Awakening: The Impatient Wanting

One of the natural, but related matter is … the wanting … of awakening … and maybe even more importantly the impatience in wanting to be awakened – now! …

Q: What can I do about the impatience to wake up now?

A: If you truly want to wake up, then I invite you to get very curious about the awakeness that is here right now. Are you aware of anything at all in this moment? What is that awareness like? Just as a single drop of water is wet, the awareness that is reading these words has all the qualities of your true nature. Does the part of you that is already aware and awake need to wake up, or is it already profoundly and mysteriously aware? Just for a moment, instead of seeking more awareness, find out more about the awareness that’s already here.

awakening awareness already here nirmala

The awareness that’s here in this moment is alive, spacious, discriminating, and full of love. Everything that really matters is found in this awareness. Love, peace, and joy flow from within us out to the experiences we have of the world. Seeking the source of peace or love in the world is like looking for the source of the water in the puddle that forms under a water faucet.

Not only is the source here within us, but it’s also flowing right now as the simple awareness that is reading these words.

 

You can download a FREE PDF copy of That Is That  from Nirmala’s website .

Nirmala’s Stillness Speaks Teacher Page will be coming soon... a brief excerpt from his website bio is offered here: After a lifetime of spiritual seeking, Nirmala met his teacher, Neelam, a devotee of H.W.L. Poonja (Papaji). She convinced him that seeking wasn’t necessary; and after experiencing a profound spiritual awakening in India, he began offering satsang and Nondual Spiritual Mentoring with Neelam’s blessing. This tradition of spiritual wisdom has been most profoundly disseminated by Ramana Maharshi, a revered Indian saint, who was Papaji’s teacher.

“Nirmala offers satsang in gratitude for the love and grace that flow through his teachers, Neelam and Adyashanti, and for the Truth brought to this world by Ramana Maharshi and H.W.L. Poonja. Advaita satsang is offered as a celebration of the possibility, in every moment, of recognizing the truth of who we are. Nirmala offers a unique vision and a gentle, compassionate approach, which adds to this rich tradition of inquiry into the truth of Being.”~ excerpt from Nirmala’s website.

Here’s Adyashanti on Nirmala: “What is appealing about Nirmala is his humility and lack of pretense, which welcomes whatever arises within the field of experience. In the midst of this welcoming is always an invitation to inquire deeply within, to the core of who and what you are. Again and again, Nirmala points the questions back to the questioner and beyond to the very source of existence itself-to the faceless awareness that holds both the question and the questioner in a timeless embrace.” ~ excerpt from Nirmala’s website.

Images: (edited and logo added): Featured and 1) Pink Rose by TheLightPainter, 2) Man with conceptual spiritual body art by nejron, 3) Magic Sunset Chaung Tha Beach by efesenko, 4) Waterfall by pklimenko, all purchased from depositphotos, for use only on our website/social channels (these images are not permitted to be shared separate from this post).
Nirmala’s image sourced from his website.
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