NISARGADATTA MAHARAJ

"In reality, there is no death because you are not the body.  Let the body be there or not be there, your existence is always there; it is eternal."

"Discover all that you are not -- body, feelings, thoughts, time, space, this or that -- nothing, concrete or abstract, which you perceive can be you.  The very act of perceiving shows that you are not what you perceive."

"There is nothing to practice.  To know yourself, be yourself.  To be yourself, stop imagining yourself to be this or that. Just be.  Let your true nature emerge.  Don't disturb your mind with seeking."

These are among the sayings of Nisargadatta Maharaj, an Indian spiritual teacher and guru who lived in Mumbai between 1897 and 1981.  He was born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli and became renowned for his teachings of Advaita (non-dualistic) Vedanta.

With his direct and minimalistic explanation of non-dualism, he is considered the most prominent teacher of Advaita since Ramana Maharshi.

He gained worldwide recognition and followers with the 1973 publication of his most famous and widely translated book I Am That, an English translation of his talks by Maurice Frydman.  A free PDF version of the book is available on the internet.