This is the first guided meditation from a recent meditation retreat held over Zoom. That retreat was entitled "Before Everything, I Am."

In this meditation, we explore the sense of I Amness.

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Some teachings, like those of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897-1981), invite us to start with "I Am": that is, with the sense of conscious presence, the intuitive, innocent, non-reflexive understanding of being aware. In Prior to Consciousness, for instance, Nisargadatta states,

​"That knowledge of ‘I am’ is the greatest foe and the greatest friend. Although it might be your greatest enemy, if you propitiate it properly, it will turn around and lead you to the highest state."

​"I Am" is seemingly our greatest foe because this conscious presence can grab onto a "this" or a "that" (like: "I am unworthy" or "I am unlovable") and thus give rise to suffering. Yet, in actuality, it's our greatest friend because our "discovery" and then our familiarization with "I Am," with our open aware being, can, in due course, take us all the way home to Abiding Peace.

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▸ Cover Art: Alexandra Taggart
▸ Website: https://andrewjtaggart.com
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