The Meditation ‘l AM‘ the Core practice of Sri Nisargadatta
Here I post a collection of quotes about ‘ I Am’ from the book ‘I Am That’
In the words of Nisargadatta:
Appearance and disappearance, birth and death these are qualities of ‘I am’, they do not belong to you, the Absolute.
Out of the nothingness, the ‘I am’ or beingness has come, there is no individual, the knowledge ‘I am’- not the individual – has to go back to its source.
You have ‘to be’ before anything else can be, your sense of ‘presence’ or the feeling ‘I am’ is really fundamental to anything that has to follow.
The ‘I am’ is the sum total of all that you perceive, it’s time-bound, the ‘I am’ itself is an illusion, you are not the ‘I am’ you are prior to it.
This ‘I am’ is ever present, ever available, it was and still is the first thought, refuse all other thoughts and come back there and stay there.
Understanding the ‘I am’, your sense of ‘being’ or just ‘presence’ is extremely important as on it rests the entire outcome of the teaching.
Only the ‘I am’ is certain, it’s impersonal, all knowledge stems from it, it’s the root, hold on to it and let all else go.
Remember the knowledge ‘I am’ only and give up the rest, staying in the ‘I am’ you will realize that it is unreal.
Establish yourself firmly in the ‘I am’ and reject all that does not go with it.
You must meditate on the ‘I am’ without holding on to the body-mind, the ‘I am’ is the first ignorance, persist on it and you will go beyond it.
Putting aside everything, stabilize in the ‘I am’. As you continue with this practice, in the process you will transcend the ‘I am’.
Keep focused on the ‘I am’ till you become a witness to it, then you stand apart, you have reached the highest.
When the ‘I am’ goes all that remains is the Absolute, give all your attention to the ‘I am’.
Immortality is freedom from the feeling ‘I am’, to have that freedom remain in the sense ‘I am’.
Remain focused on the ‘I am’ till it goes into oblivion, then the eternal is, the Absolute is, Parabrahman is.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
In my experience, this practice can be practiced successfully and exclusively only from advanced practitioners (sadhakas).
For the majority, it is highly recommended to follow a comprehensive practice that includes various types of practices such as mantra repetition, pranayama, prayers, chanting and worship, in order to acquire a pure sattvic mind and develop the higher capacities of the mind.
Only a sattvic mind can be.devoted, one-pointed, steady, alert, dispassionate, sharp, tranquil and remain easily focused and still for long periods of time. Without these qualities deep and steady meditation is quite impossible.
atmannityanada 