The Mystery of “I Am”
Experience, by definition, necessitates a witness. This witnessing presence is the fundamental “I am.”
Being (the verb) precedes experience like the canvas precedes a painting or the screen precedes a film. Without the substrate or ground of being, experience cannot unfold.
“I am” points to a reality that exists prior to the differentiation of the world into subjects and objects, into “this” and “that.”
This world of objects, with its alluring and immersive nature, draws our attention outward, towards ever-changing forms. These forms are secondary. They borrow their existence from the primary reality of the witness, without which subjects and objects could not be known.
The supreme witness, the only one there is, is consciousness itself, the aware presence that illuminates all experience. This “that” is not a distant, abstract concept. It is the very essence of our own being. It is the “I am,” the silently witness that is with us, as us, in this and every moment.
Recognizing the fundamental nature of “I am” does not imply that we should begin de-identifying with the fleeting content of experience, and try to rest only in the ground of being. Rather, we are to experience the world as the ground of being. Experience is here to be enjoyed, to be celebrated. It is not necessary to turn our backs on it.
Recognizing our true nature only entails a simple shift in understanding: I share my being with the world.
That is all you need to know.
“Love God and do whatever you please. For the soul trained in love to God will do nothing to offend the One who is Beloved.”