Before any thought arises, before any sensation is felt, before the world appears, there is the undeniable experience of “I am.” This awareness, this intrinsic knowing of existence, is the immersive screen upon which all subsequent experience is known. “I am” represents awareness's direct statement of itself, a self-recognition that requires no external validation or certification. It is the pure, unadulterated knowing of existence, the foundational consciousness that is the source and substance of all.
The moment anything is added to “I am,” it becomes a relative statement of the mind. “I am happy,” “I am successful,” “I am aseeker of truth”—these qualifiers, while seemingly descriptive, are temporary states, roles, or identifications that arise and pass within the unconditioned awareness. They are the mind's attempts to define and solidify a separate self within the expanse of being.
Practices like prayer, meditation, or the study of sacred texts can be valuable tools on the spiritual path, but they can also become tools for enhancing the ego, for creating a sense of spiritual superiority or a refined identity. The “seeker” can become a badge of honor, a way to further solidify the illusion of a separate self striving for attainment. This is a deviation from the core nondual understanding, which suggests that the separate self, the ego, is not a real entity with its own independent existence apart from infinite awareness’s manifestation in form.
Ultimately, there is only awareness, consciousness, or God. The apparent individuality is a temporary play of light and shadow within this unified field. Qualifiers only serve to limit awareness, to confine the infinite within the limitations of the mind. “I am this” or “I am that” creates a boundary where none truly exists at the level of fundamental being.
Understand the unqualified nature of awareness and rest there, for it is not a destination to be reached. It is the ever-present reality waiting to be recognized.
