Nisargadatta Maharaj, a renowned teacher of Advaita Vedanta, emphasized the importance of turning within and focusing on the "I am" as a fundamental practice for self-realization. He advised:
"Turn within. 'I am' you know. Be with it all the time you can spare, until you revert to it spontaneously. There is no simpler and easier way." 179
This practice involves:
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Concentrating on the sense of "I am," which is the basic fact of one's existence.
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Giving undivided attention to oneself, as the center of one's personal universe 5.
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Rejecting all that does not necessarily go with the basic fact: "I am" 3.
Nisargadatta explained that the "I am" is a thought, while awareness is not a thought2. He suggested that by repeatedly focusing on "I am," one can establish the mind firmly in this thought-feeling 3. This practice helps to:
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Turn the mind away from external distractions
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Realize that everything starts with the ego, and when the ego is dropped, everything drops 4
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Move beyond the limitations of individual identity
The ultimate goal is to reach a state where even the "I am" dissolves, leaving only pure awareness 27. Nisargadatta stated, "Ultimately even the 'I am' will have to go, for you need not keep asserting what is obvious." 6
Citations:
- https://www.byronevents.net/nisargadatta/that1.htm
- https://zenawakened.com/the-i-am-concept-the-root-of-samsara/
- https://www.advaita.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Instructions-from-I-AM-THAT.pdf
- https://www.yesvedanta.com/ramana-maharshi-nisargadatta-quotes/
- https://stillnessspeaks.com/images/uploaded/file/iamquotesofnisargadatta.pdf
- https://innerspiritualawakening.com/nisargadatta-maharaj/
- https://www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/I-Am-That-by-Sri-Nisargadatta-Maharaj.pdf
- https://newearthpulse.wordpress.com/2015/12/12/i-amness-is-the-prime-concept-nisargadatta/
- https://www.headless.org/Biographies/nisargadatta.htm
- https://advaita.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/1-I-Am-That-Nisargadatta-Maharaj-Resumo.pdf
