A Nondual Meditation on the true meaning of “I”

You're going to be guided into composing a certain inquiry; a question. And as you ask the question, there will be a noticeable shift. The perspective of what you are will flip from the separate self to the actual nondual meaning of "I".

But don't expect any explosion or some burst of emotion.

Instead, focus on the subtlety of the direct seeing. This is a subtle step back from the false identity to the true one. From the illusory person to the undeniable Aware-ness.

This is the question, compose it in your mind without saying it out loud.

Where I say "Nabeel" or any other name, insert your own name. This is an important touch to the question.

Nabeel, who are you?

Nabeel, what are you?

Say it in your mind with your own name:

"Who are you?"

"What are you?"

Notice that as soon as the question is asked, a subtle shift takes place. When the question is taking shape, you may seem to be the one thinking it, the one asking the question.

But as the question ends, in the silence that follows, you clearly are the one who perceived the question.

Simply aware of the thought arising and passing.

The use of your name is causing a glitch in the Matrix here. It's exposing a flaw in the idea of self as the thinker, as the doer.

Let's consider this slowly.

In the moment you perceive this thought, you clearly are not the one thinking, but the one listening; the one being addressed by the thought. The one perceiving the thought.

And in this simple act of perception, all the ideas and concepts of you collapse, and your true role is revealed.

Hannah, who are you?

Henriette, what are you?

Notice what you are in that gap in the thinking. In that silence.

Jay, who are you?

Max, what are you?

Ask this in your mind with your own name and see how your role shifts.

You are not the one thinking; you are the sentience which is perceiving the thought.

There is a power in your given name because the mind has associated it with you for most of this life.

Now, instead of having this name point to an imaginary character, we can use it, repurpose it, to point out the truth.

Liam, who are you?

Elizabeth, what are you?

When this thought is heard, it cannot convincingly portray you as the one saying it.

You are the one being addressed.

Sakina, who are you?

Suzanne, what are you?

As you take that half step back, detach from the belief in being the thinker, you're simply the one aware of the thought.

You are the sentience, the awareness.

From here, it is simple to see that whatever arises, it is not your doing. Whatever the causes of the perceptions, they are hidden away. The perceptions arise spontaneously, and you only know of them when they arise.

But whatever you may perceive, you are not what you perceive.

You are what makes perception possible.

John, who are you?

Neil, what are you?

When the thought "I" arises, this is what it refers to.

The One present and aware in that silence.

"I" does not refer to a person but to this Aware-ness.

"I" does not refer to an individual sentient entity, but to Sentience itself.

Which you already know to be the common factor in all lives.

Max, who are you?

Manos, what are you?

Well, who's asking, anyway?

A sequence of sounds was received and interpreted as an instruction. A process took place in nature, and it is this process that is being perceived as a thought.

Who could perceive this process as a thought other than Nature itself?

Who are you, Miria?

What are you, Angeline?

If you take yourself to be the one speaking, the one thinking, then your identity is tied to this process, to the transient, and local, and experiential. And then your name refers to this person.

But if you know yourself as the One listening, the One aware, then you are Nature Itself; The Reality in which all these processes take place.

Because that Reality is You who are aware, it is this Awareness, and it is natural for these processes to be known... most intimately... as experience.

The word "I", your name, these are just pointers.

What has been done here is that a question has been raised.

An instruction has been added to this local process. To find out what these arrows are pointing out.

So let the process ask,

"Who are you?"

"What are you?"

The process cannot answer the question; it can only ask it.

But in the silence that ensues, be it a few seconds or a microsecond, You shine forth as the Truth itself.

You are this present Awareness.

Let there be a certainty, an absolute clarity of what You are.

To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.