“recognize his true nature which is divine”
That in whom reside all beings and who resides in all beings, who is the giver of grace to all, the Supreme Soul of the universe, the limitless being — I am that.
Amritabindu Upanishad
Nisargadatta said “you are not a mere body.”[i] Let’s look at that claim more closely. We are consciously aware of our physical body (hands, legs), our mental body (thoughts, the idea of self or “I”), and our emotional body (anger, fear). Many believe we have a soul as well. Further, psychology tells us that a portion of us is below our level of awareness (subconscious), and Jung says we have a collective unconscious.
But when we look still deeper, we recognize a more fundamental Truth—that we are “essence” or what Simple Reality calls True Self. “Essence is the pure unconditioned nature of who we are—the purest fiber of our being. It is more fundamental and intrinsic than our personality. It is a permanent abiding presence. Essence is our true nature. It is ‘being’ without the distortion of our personal history.”[ii]
I Am THAT[iii] is a book by Nisargadatta but also a powerful statement. Shankara helps us further understand this declaration of Truth.
That which permeates all, which nothing transcends and which, like the universal space around us, fills everything completely from within and without, that Supreme non-dual Brahman — that thou art.
Shankaracharya
Insight # 107 comes to us from Adi Shankaracharya, also known as Shankara (788 – 820 CE), an Indian philosopher and theologian who consolidated the doctrine of Advaita Vedanta. His is credited with unifying and establishing the main currents of thought in Hinduism including Oneness.
“Vedanta says that the most important goal of the spiritual aspirant is to cease identifying himself with body, mind and senses and recognize his true nature which is divine.”[iv]
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Additional Reading:
- Wisdom, The ABC’s of Simple Reality, Vol 2
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[i] Maharaj, Sri Nisargadatta. I Am That. Durham, NC: The Acorn Press, 1973, pp. 1-2.
[ii] Malik, Karen. “Essence.” Shambhala Sun. Boulder, Colorado, May 2006, pp. 32-33.
[iii] Maharaj, Sri Nisargadatta. I Am That. Durham, NC: The Acorn Press, 1973.
[iv] Johnson, Clive [ed.], Vedanta. An Anthology of Hindu Scripture, Commentary, and Poetry. New York: Bantam, 1971, p. 3.
