are you a jnani- adams

"We're going to talk about something I don't usually talk about which is what is a Jnani? The reason I'm talking about it this evening is because many people ask me this question and I usually do not answer. If they call me on the phone and they ask me, "Robert are you a Jnani?" I usually keep silent when such a question is asked. But I've been keeping silent for a long time and people keep asking the question. So I'll try to explain what this is all about.
What I usually do now when people ask me the question, "Are you a Jnani?" I say, "First tell me, what do you mean by you and what do you mean by a Jnani?" and they usually say, "You Robert, I mean is Robert enlightened?" And I have to laugh at that because Robert cannot be enlightened. There is no such thing as Robert being enlightened. Robert is an idiot. (students laugh) Robert has absolutely nothing to do with enlightenment.

So if I say, "I am a Jnani." I'm referring to Robert and that is erroneous. Therefore be careful when people tell you that. When they tell you, "I'm enlightened. I'm a Jnani." Be very careful of people like that. Because I refers to the I-thought. The I-thought is an illusion, it's part of maya it's all a mirage. The I can never be enlightened. I can never be enlightened it's impossible. I can never be self-realized. But the Self which is your self, my self the one Self, which exists all by itself. Self contained absolute reality is enlightenment itself.
Now the question you may say...you may ask, "Is I-am enlightened?" I-am is enlightened when you speak of I-am. Not a you enlightened. Not a you self-realized. I-am, enlightened, those words are all synonymous. I-am enlightened is the same thing, but that is not a person place or thing.

In other words we're all the same. We're all one. There is really no difference between me and you. I guess that the only difference is when you look at me you see a person. You see a simple human being. When I look at you I see the Self. I see pure awareness. Why do I see this? I don't know? For when you look at me you see yourself what you think you are.

Consequently when you think you're a human being and have human attributes you're going to see the same in me. And you will ask me a silly question, "Am I enlightened?" If you want to know anything about enlightenment you have to become enlightened yourself. If you want to know anything about self-realization you have to become self-realized yourself. That is the only time you'll ever know this. Other wise words are a waste of time."  – What Is A Jnani?, 25  November, 1992

“There is no body that is unenlightened and has to become enlightened. There is just no body. And yet the appearance is very strong. The mind is very strong with some of us. It tells us all sorts of things. It fools us, it plays games with us, it makes us believe something is wrong someplace or it goes to the other extreme and makes us believe I am enlightened. Now the very thought that you think you are enlightened shows you that you are not. There would be noone left to claim that. The claimant has been transcended. You just become beingness. You just become your Self.” – T76: There Are Not Two Bodies!

“You are not to think that you're already enlightened. This very thought keeps you from being enlightened. Do not believe that you have to be enlightened or that you're already enlightened, let go of all of those things, those qualities. Of being enlightened or trying to be enlightened. They're both erroneous. You see there is noone to try to be enlightened. And there is noone who is enlightened. Both are impostors. That is what I mean when I say, "Just be." You're trying to become enlightened or you think you're enlightened.

When a person is awake, when a person is aware, when a person is liberated, they really cannot say, "I've been liberated." Because the I has disappeared. The I that says, "I am liberated does not exist." There is no longer such a thing at all, doesn't exist at all never did exist. Who is to say, "I am liberated?" Only the ego can say that. So there's silence. Therefore do not look at anybody else, what they're doing. And don't look at your thoughts that tells you you're liberated or not liberated, that you have to work for it or you don't have to work for it. Leave everything alone. Drop everything. Leave your thoughts alone. Do not try to make your thoughts believe anything. Stop thinking and be yourself. When someone tells me, "Robert you're enlightened so it's easy for you." I look at them real funny. I don't know what they're talking about. What's enlightened? Who is enlightened? What does that mean? There is no such thing. Those are just printed words in books. Forget all that. Do not attempt to become anything.” – T191: Just Be