12 Facts About Nisargadatta Maharaj

Nisargadatta Maharaj's parents were followers of the Varkari sampradaya, an egalitarian Vaishnavite bhakti tradition which worships Vithoba.

Nisargadatta Maharaj started to give initiations in 1951, after a personal revelation from his guru, Siddharameshwar Maharaj.

Nisargadatta Maharaj gave talks and answered questions at his humble flat in Khetwadi, Mumbai, where a mezzanine room was created for him to receive disciples and visitors.

Boucher notes that Nisargadatta Maharaj adopted a different mode of instruction, through questions and answers, for his western disciples.

Many of Nisargadatta Maharaj's talks were recorded, and formed the basis of I Am That as well as of the several other books attributed to him.

For Nisargadatta Maharaj, our only "problem" is a case of mistaken identity: we presume to be an individual, and, originally and fundamentally, we are not an individual, we are intrinsically always and only the Absolute.

Nisargadatta Maharaj was critical of a merely intellectual approach to nondual Truth.

Nisargadatta Maharaj had a strong devotional zeal towards his own guru, and suggested the path of devotion, Bhakti yoga, to some of his visitors, as he believed the path of knowledge, Jnana yoga was not the only approach to Truth.

Nisargadatta Maharaj emphasized love of Guru and God, and the practice of mantra repetition and singing bhajans, devotional songs.

Nisargadatta Maharaj taught what has been called Nisarga Yoga.

Nisargadatta Maharaj frequently spoke about the importance of having the "inner conviction" about one's true nature and without such Self-knowledge one would continue to suffer.

Nisargadatta Maharaj claimed that the names of the Hindu deities Shiva, Rama and Krishna were the names of nature personified, and that all of life arises from the same non-dual source or Self.