--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let me end this chapter with an…" description: "\"“Let me end this chapter with an encouraging story. A young man found his way up to the small apartment of Nisargadatta, my old Hindu guru in Bombay, a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/jack-kornfield-936_hinduism_let-me-end-this-chapter-with-an-encourag_3030409.jpg" --- # Let me end this chapter with an encouraging story. A young… ![“Let me end this chapter with an encouraging story. A young man found his way up to the small apartment of Nisargadatta, my old Hindu guru in Bombay, asked him a spiritual question and then left after this one question. One of the regular students then asked, “What will happen to this man? Will he…” quote by Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/jack-kornfield-936_hinduism_let-me-end-this-chapter-with-an-encourag_3030409.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/jack-kornfield-936_hinduism_let-me-end-this-chapter-with-an-encourag_3030409.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8e3/jack-kornfield-936_hinduism_let-me-end-this-chapter-with-an-encourag_3030409.jpg) > ““Let me end this chapter with an encouraging story. A young man found his way up to the small apartment of Nisargadatta, my old Hindu guru in Bombay, asked him a spiritual question and then left after this one question. One of the regular students then asked, “What will happen to this man? Will he ever become enlightened or will he fall off the path and go back to sleep?” Nisargadatta said, “It’s too late for him! He has already begun. Just the fact that he came up here and asked one question about what is his true nature means that that place in him that knows who he really is has started to wake up. Even if it takes a long, long time, there’s no turning back.”” [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The story illustrates that asking a fundamental spiritual question awakens inner awareness, marking the start of a transformative journey that cannot be undone. **In simple terms:** Asking deep questions awakens true self. Key Takeaway Ask and awaken. Themes spiritual growth awakening self inquiry Mood reflective hopeful Type inspirational philosophical When to use this quote - personal meditation - spiritual counseling - life coaching - education - therapy Key Concepts nondualism mindfulness inner truth Questions to Reflect On - What inner question could you ask yourself today? - How does recognizing the start of a journey change your commitment? 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The material…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-ogunlaru/there-are-essentially-two-questions-in-life-a-spiritual-question-and/) [Rasheed Ogunlaru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-ogunlaru/) > [In silence a question has great power, because in silence a question will always lead you deeper into your experience. If there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adyashanti/in-silence-a-question-has-great-power-because-in-silence-a-question/) [Adyashanti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adyashanti/) > [What are you doing here anyway?" "'Here' as in your bedroom or 'here' as in the great spiritual question of our purpose here on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/what-are-you-doing-here-anyway-here-as-in-your-bedroom-or-here-as-in-2/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [Clary: What are you doing here, anyway? Jace: 'Here' as in your bedroom or 'here' as in the great spiritual question of our purpose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/clary-what-are-you-doing-here-anyway-jace-here-as-in-your-bedroom-or/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Why are you here?" "'Here' as in your bedroom, or 'here' as in the great, spiritual question of our purpose here on this planet?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/why-are-you-here-here-as-in-your-bedroom-or-here-as-in-the-great/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [What are you doing here anyway?" "'Here' as in your bedroom or 'here' as in the great spiritual question of our purpose here on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/what-are-you-doing-here-anyway-here-as-in-your-bedroom-or-here-as-in/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [The question of bread for myself is a material question, but the question of bread for my neighbor is a spiritual question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikolai-berdyaev/the-question-of-bread-for-myself-is-a-material-question-but-the-2/) [Nikolai Berdyaev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikolai-berdyaev/) > [May you know the beauty of your own true nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/may-you-know-the-beauty-of-your-own-true-nature/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [In opening we can see how many times we have mistaken small identities and fearful beliefs for our true nature and how limiting this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/in-opening-we-can-see-how-many-times-we-have-mistaken-small/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) ## More by Jack Kornfield > [“When we let go of our battles and open our heart to things as they are, then we come to rest in the present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/when-we-let-go-of-our-battles-and-open-our-heart-to-things-as-they/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [In opening we can see how many times we have mistaken small identities and fearful beliefs for our true nature and how limiting this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/in-opening-we-can-see-how-many-times-we-have-mistaken-small/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [Wherever you are is the perfect place to awaken. 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We have to respect that it will grow gradually; otherwise our spirituality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/for-most-of-us-generosity-is-a-quality-that-must-be-developed-we-have/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [What is truly a part of our spiritual path is that which brings us alive. 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Love says we are everything. Between these two our life flows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/wisdom-says-we-are-nothing-love-says-we-are-everything-between-these/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) > [Breathing meditation can quiet the mind, open the body, and develop a great power of concentration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-kornfield/breathing-meditation-can-quiet-the-mind-open-the-body-and-develop-a/) [Jack Kornfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) [Explore all 324 Jack Kornfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-kornfield/) ## More Hinduism quotes > [The Hindus have a peculiar slovenliness in business matters, not being sufficiently methodical and strict in keeping accounts etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-hindus-have-a-peculiar-slovenliness-in-business-matters-not-being/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As our domestic fowls are said to have their original in the wild pheasant of India, so our domestic thoughts have their prototypes in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/as-our-domestic-fowls-are-said-to-have-their-original-in-the-wild/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [“Never praise oneself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bhagwan-swaminarayan/never-praise-oneself/) [Bhagwan Swaminarayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bhagwan-swaminarayan/) > [By education I am an Englishman, by views an internationalist, by culture a Muslim and a Hindu only by accident of birth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jawaharlal-nehru/by-education-i-am-an-englishman-by-views-an-internationalist-by/) [Jawaharlal Nehru](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jawaharlal-nehru/) > [I don't look at anything. Every person whether he is Hindu, Muslim or Buddhist, he is my brother, my sister. I think we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mother-teresa/i-don-t-look-at-anything-every-person-whether-he-is-hindu-muslim-or/) [Mother Teresa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mother-teresa/) > [Realized souls in the Hindu tradition are called rishis, but realized souls are not confined to the Hindu tradition. Seekers across geographical and religious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-bijlani/realized-souls-in-the-hindu-tradition-are-called-rishis-but-realized/) [Ramesh Bijlani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-bijlani/) > [KARMAS a bitch it will get you time and time again so fuck off](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/everyone-knowthis/karmas-a-bitch-it-will-get-you-time-and-time-again-so-fuck-off/) [EveryOne Knowthis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/everyone-knowthis/) > [“For even if the greatest sinner worships me with all his soul, he must be considered righteous, because of his righteous will. And he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-even-if-the-greatest-sinner-worships-me-with-all-his-soul-he-must/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Everything we perceive to be solid and static is made up of almost entirely empty space.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-p-kauffman/everything-we-perceive-to-be-solid-and-static-is-made-up-of-almost/) [Joseph P. Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-p-kauffman/) > [The interesting part of my spiritual life is studying as much as you can. Islam and Buddhism and Hinduism and Shamanism and Judaism, Christianity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/the-interesting-part-of-my-spiritual-life-is-studying-as-much-as-you/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) > [We've always seen ourselves as Indian. We've never seen ourselves as Hindus or Muslims or Christians or Buddhists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/azim-premji/we-ve-always-seen-ourselves-as-indian-we-ve-never-seen-ourselves-as/) [Azim Premji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/azim-premji/) > [Hinduism... gave itself no name, because it set itself no sectarian limits; it claimed no universal adhesion, asserted no sole infallible dogma, set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-aurobindo/hinduism-gave-itself-no-name-because-it-set-itself-no-sectarian/) [Sri Aurobindo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-aurobindo/) > [Hinduism is not just a faith. 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A young man found his way up to the small apartment of Nisargadatta, my old Hindu guru in Bombay, asked him a spiritual question and then left after this one question. One of the regular students then asked, “What will happen to this man? Will he ever become enlightened or will he fall off the path and go back to sleep?” Nisargadatta said, “It’s too late for him! He has already begun. Just the fact that he came up here and asked one question about what is his true nature means that that place in him that knows who he really is has started to wake up. 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