Meeting the spiritual luminaries. - Dosti Regmi

 

Meeting the spiritual luminaries.

-Dosti Regmi

    

In Memphis, autumn gracefully gives way to fall. The trees, once adorned in lush greens, now transform into crimson, amber, and gold. A cool, crisp breeze dances through the air, hinting at the colder days ahead. The golden leaves on the ground are evidence of the night-long romances of the winds and trees. I am on my balcony in the company of profound spiritual luminaries—J. Krishnamurti, Nisargadatta Maharaj, and Ramana Maharshi. Our dialogue unfolds amid this picturesque background of the setting sun across the Mississippi river.  

J. Krishnamurti is sitting on the chair in an introspective mood and graceful aura.

I look at the people walking on the trail and ask J. Krishnamurti,” What is the path to truth?”

Krishnamurti looks at the birds flying in the pathless sky and says, "There is no path to truth; truth must be discovered, but it cannot be pointed out. It lies within you. Don't follow any idea, dogma, or system. Don't imitate or follow anyone. Be aware of yourself in relation to your world. Meet it afresh. Shed yourself naked of all the concepts and thoughts of the past, then only you can truly know the truth which is ever new"

Nisargadatta is smoking his bidi. I ask him how I can attain to the truth. He exhales a dome of smoke and says, "Truth is not a goal, not something to be attained. You are already the truth. What you need is to remove the false. Understand who you are not, and the truth will reveal itself."

Ramana Maharshi is reclining at the nearby sofa and caressing a dog. I ask him how I can realize the truth that is me.” Ramana Maharshi's gaze is like a beacon of tranquility. Ramana replies with a gentle smile, "To attain self-realization, inquire within, 'Who am I?' The source of all thoughts is the 'I' thought. If you trace this 'I' thought back to its source, you will find the Self."

Krishnamurti's emphasis on self-observation, Nisargadatta's focus on recognizing the non-self to uncover the truth, and Ramana's method of self-inquiry are all facets of a profound and interconnected wisdom.

In the stillness of this moment, I feel a profound shift within me, a glimpse of the truth that had been obscured by my own doubts and restlessness. I realize that wisdom is not a fixed destination, but a journey of self-discovery, a quest to remove the layers of illusion and uncover the eternal truth that resides within.