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Originally Posted by Gem
I think its just that people have their issues, addiction, trauma etc, and enlightenment is more about you as you are rather than being a perfect person.
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Trauma, addiction involves psychological memories of the past , which when associated with thought results in cravings and aversions.
If Nisargadatta was having a craving for anything, it would imply vasanas and psychological memories which implies unconsciousness and unenlightenment.
I have been with enlightened masters and have understood this phenomenon to a certain extent. So I could understand that Nisarg was enlightened, and hence had no vasanas and resultant cravings/aversions which really is the ego. Enlightened masters do have their personality quirks, though.
Shirdi Sai Baba slept in a wooden log 6 feet above the ground tied to the ceiling with old clothes. No one ever understood why he slept like thus. He could be rough and abusive at times to conditioned people.
Ramakrishna went into samadhi at odd times, like when seeing a pack of swans flying or upon seeing a schoolboy which reminded him of Krishna in the street.
An enlightened master named Devamrita enjoys art cinema and playing with snakes he finds on the ground.
Nisargadatta himself would hurl abuses at anyone in his satsang whom he felt to be not serious and tell them to leave the place.
Bodhidharma had his share of queer actions.
So there was and will be eccentricities, but it is important to look at the teachings which the master teaches and not at his or her personality.
Most enlightened one's do not venture to teach. It is only those who have past impressions of compassion and are articulate that venture to teach, and this is really a few.
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Originally Posted by Gem
I don't know anything about Hinduism but I read a little bit of Nis. I don't know him personally of course, but I would presume he had a nicotine addiction because nicotine is addictive, but he seemed to be OK with that and he lived his lifestyle in his own way. At least, it's not up to me to impose standards an enlightened one (or anyone else) should live up to, so to me, I don't care if he smoked, is addicted to nicotine or not. He speaks as an enlightened teacher and I just accept him as that.
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He smoked, but is not an addict as some have passed judgement over here based on their conditioning. I have given ample reasons for this.
He enjoyed smoking and smoked. The fact that an illiterate person like him could give deep teachings on nondualist philosophy (without any scholarly background) that have had great influence all over the world, shows that he speaks from his intuitive wisdom and not from mere book learning.