Aziz Kristof on I Am

[Guest guest]

" The mechanical mind totally overpowers the psyche, not allowing one

to experience either the Being or the Heart. In this state, one is

totally identified with psychological events, thoughts and emotions.

Because there is no center, every thought and emotion creates a

separate Me, an identified Me " - Aziz

 

" " I Am " is the full experience of oneself prior to the movement of

thoughts and emotions " - Aziz

 

" Because the human consciousness is exteriorized in the objective

reality, unless it evolves, it is not capable of grasping the very

subject of all experiences. The thing called " ego " is nothing but the

sense of Me referring to objective reality. The ego-image is the way

Me sees itself in relation to the world. There is nothing wrong with

the ego or self-image. The ability to create a self-image allows us

to survive in the world, as well as to evolve in all areas of

reality. Our interest is not to eradicate the ego, but to see clearly

what this Me is behind the ego's mechanism. " - Aziz

 

" The sense of Me is functioning merely as a self-conscious mechanism

within the mind, so it can become self-attentive to its own

psychological-mental activity. The excessive identification with the

Me in motion, and the unawakened awareness of Me in itself, are the

symptoms of what is called ignorance. " - Aziz

 

" The sense of being of most is fragmented and distorted. There is no

center of presence. Each thought and emotion creates a separate Me, a

mirage without substance. Complete identification with the

psychological stream does not allow one to experience any sense of

clear identity, any real connection with one's own self. " - Aziz

 

" But the moment we identify this ego-image with Me, with " what I am, "

the next layer of ignorance is added. The sense of Me is available to

all normal human beings, but due to excessive identification with the

mind, we hardly register its very presence. Bringing back the

attention that is dispersed in thinking activity to the sense of Me

is the only way to transcend the bondage of the unconscious,

mechanical mind. " - Aziz

 

" To transcend the unconscious mind, one must develop the Attention

aspect of Me that is nothing but the direct, bare self-conscious

recognition of oneself. When one pulls the attention from the place

of being immersed in thinking back to oneself, one shifts to the

state of self-attention. This experience is instantaneous, direct and

has the flavor of the impersonal. In the process of cultivation, of

bringing oneself constantly to the state of self-attention, gradually

one arrives at the point of stabilization in this state, which is the

goal of all seekers. " - Aziz

 

" That which transcends the mind is the aspect of I Am called

Attention. Attention is the present and conscious quality of our

mind. It is that which is attentive to thoughts, feelings and

surroundings. It goes beyond daydreaming and allows us to be aware

within the thinking process. It is only this attention that makes us

conscious and present, nothing else. " - Aziz

 

" One learns how to turn the focus of attention to the attention

itself. Then one is able to experience this attention in itself, as

separated from mental object. " - Aziz

 

" Attention, when it is attentive to itself, instantaneously steps out

of the mind into the dimension of the Now. " - Aziz

 

" The deepest purpose of our question ( " Who Am I " ) is not to get to

some place or to promote a doubt, but to create inside of our being a

profound stop, which is the zero point of our consciousness. " - Aziz

 

" As far as transformation is concerned, the awareness of the breath

is very important. Particularly, mindfulness combined with slow and

deep breathing to the belly can have a very strong impact on the mind

and the transmutation of energy. Unless the energy of our being is

balanced and transformed, to reach any of the inner states is

practically impossible. " - Aziz

 

" When the I Am blossoms in the middle of our being, we can be fairly

content. At least we have some ground under our feet. No longer are

we groping in the darkness searching for miraculous Enlightenment. " -

Aziz

 

" One makes a conscious attempt not to be identified with thinking.

One tries to be aware of the arising of thoughts. Apart from

observing the thoughts with a sense of distance, one is looking for

the One who is aware. One tries to observe the observer, so to speak.

This very attempt turns attention back to itself and should give rise

to the state of self-attention. " - Aziz

 

" Listen to the call from the Self. The I AM is calling you, so you

can discover your original form. The I AM is pulling you to itself by

the gravity of evolution, but you have to co-operate. " - Aziz

 

" The way you experience yourself is your only reality. It is

precisely this experience of yourself we are deepening. If you are in

a state of forgetfulness, completely identified with the mind, you

don't really exist. The way you experience yourself is just a mess.

There is nothing stable inside, nothing you can rely upon. There is

just the fluctuation of thoughts, emotions and energy. This type of

existing is called suffering. You are not suffering because of your

desires or attachments. The primal reason you are suffering is

because of the way you experience yourself, your own isness. " - Aziz

 

" Everyone wants to escape from the mind; everyone wants to

disidentify with the mind, but where to go? To go beyond the mind

does not mean to stop the mind but to find a new location within your

existence. This new location is called I Am. From the viewpoint of I

Am, it does not matter if you think or not think. Here, you are

beyond thinking by your very presence. So how do we create this inner

refuge, this inner solidity? By developing attention and by deepening

the energy within Being. " - Aziz

 

" Now repeat a thought like the mantra: 'I Am.' Very slowly, in a very

focussed and contemplative way, 'I Am,' with full awareness. The

moment you finish saying 'I Am,' before you say the next 'I Am,' feel

what remains. This that remains is I Am, which is not a thought but

your own presence behind the thought. So after saying 'I Am,' stop

for a while. Feel your own presence, that which remains and again

say 'I Am.' The one who is aware of the mantra 'I Am' is awareness.

The one who remains when you are not saying anymore 'I Am', is

awareness itself. Simply recognise this fact that the pure light of

awareness is beyond thinking. " - Aziz

 

" In order to disidentify from the movement of thoughts, one creates

firstly, an attitude of observation. One becomes attentively detached

from the mind. " - Aziz

 

" The mind has a few layers. The more gross layer of the mind is

the 'inner dialogue' or the constant thinking. We call it

the 'subconscious Me,' the subconscious mind. On top of the

subconscious mind occurs the movement of conscious intelligence,

which is the ego. Intelligence represents the positive ego. The one

who discovers oneself, the one who gives birth to understanding. " -

Aziz

 

" Gently open your eyes, half-open, half closed. Looking just in front

of yourself, on the floor, one meter in front of yourself. Through

your eyes, consciousness is looking. Consciousness is making the

floor visible and your mind using its memory, translates the picture

into a name and form. Consciousness is looking outside through the

eyes. And what you attempt to do is to recognise this very

consciousness, by pulling energy back inside your head. Your head is

like a camera, it makes things visible, but it is not aware of

itself. You are aware of everything but your own head! Where is your

head? Can you become aware of your head? " - Aziz

 

" The mind is so unconscious. It does not have any centre; it is

restless and discontinuous. The mind has to be conquered. The weapon

which you use is the sword of attention, clear mindfulness and one-

pointedness. If you don't have the essential will to crystallise your

attention, how do you imagine getting out of this mind? " - Aziz

 

" Now you are facing your own mind which is the main problem. And it

is about the time to face it! Isn't it? You are observing the mind

with the utmost focus. You are becoming conscious of the fact that

this observing is coming from a certain place. It is not merely the

mind aware of its activity. There is a certain place from which you

observe. That which is observing is the subtle mind; it is your

intelligence. But what is this very attention behind the observing

intelligence. Where are you located in this observation? Where is

your sense of Me? Look inside and find out! " - Aziz

 

" You are re-locating your sense of Me – from being lost in the mind

to the state of I Am. When this experience is stabilised, you will

never lose it; it remains irrespective of your life situation.

Spiritual expansion aims not at a temporary relief of the mind but at

the permanent state beyond the mind. " - Aziz

 

" With this full acceptance, we are breathing. We are absolutely

attentive. As if the fire was surrounding you and you are going to

die any moment. In this way, you attentively sit on the edge of life

and death. Only with this attitude will you transcend

unconsciousness, otherwise you fall asleep. Just being, breathing,

remaining fully present… Let it all be as it is. " - Aziz

 

" When you are unconscious, each thought, each emotion creates your

sense of identity. In this way, you are made from the movement of the

mind. Now, you are learning something fundamental – how to exist

before the mind. You are learning how to be present before a thought

arises on the screen of consciousness. " - Aziz

 

" What you need to renounce is forgetfulness! You need to be dedicated

from moment to moment to the task of remembering the Self; this is

the only true renunciation. " - Aziz

 

" Be playful in the outer, not taking it too seriously but remember

the Self! Do not lose yourself in the outer. Retain your dignity. " -

Aziz

 

" In order to give birth to I Am, one has to cut through the

unconscious or rather subconscious spontaneity. This need to separate

oneself from the outer in order to regain the inner, is a natural

part of the awakening process. That is the price which you need to

pay. In order to transcend the mind and awaken to the Real Me, an

enormous amount of energy has to be engaged and directed inside.

Before a child is born, he has to incubate in the womb. You are in

the process of incubating your Soul. " - Aziz

 

" In the ego-state, there is a constant oscillation between object and

subject. Information from the outer comes back to the sense of Me;

there is a quick self-referral and translation of this information

and consciousness goes back to the objective reality. In the case of

an unawakened person, information from the outer refers back to the

subject and does not encounter any solid Me. But unlike animal

consciousness, this Me is self-conscious enough to feel her

separation from the world. " - Aziz

 

" Who is looking at the thoughts? You must look at the one who is

looking in order to cut through the endless gymnastics of the mind.

When you look at thoughts, you still refer to the outer, to that

which you are not. You create some distance but this distance has no

real strength and no quality of a centre. You can calm the mind down

but not in a real way, for you have no way to become that calmness.

To conquer the mind, you must change the focus from observing the

mind to observing the observer. " - Aziz

 

" When this intelligence becomes aware of breathing, it changes the

direction of its focus. And when it looks at the mind, intelligence

becomes conscious of its own content. " - Aziz

 

" There is no point in watching the mind. You just rest in the state

beyond the mind. To accept the mind is to rest in I Am. This very

dwelling in I Am is pure acceptance, for it contains the whole of the

psychosomatic flow. To accept is to become absent within the presence

of What Is. " - Aziz

 

" In the case of an unawakened person, there is only this dialogue,

which does not refer to any clear subject. Each thought assumes the

role of Me, of the subject. Each thought says: 'I am the most

important! " - Aziz

 

" That's why, the moment you become conscious of the outer object, the

awareness of the subject gets lost. You fluctuate between subject-

object-subject-object. At that stage, you are unable to keep them

both. It is natural. As you stay with the subject, it grows; the

experience of it matures and rises in strength. The ability to be

established in the State of Presence while simultaneously

experiencing the world is not merely a question of dividing

attention… or of training yourself to look inside and outside

simultaneously. " - Aziz

 

" It is a question of training because in order to remember yourself,

a part of your intelligence has to be involved in this process of

self-remembrance. The moment you speak with another person, your mind

and emotions are involved, therefore, attention gets exteriorised and

loses the focus of self-remembrance. But through the process of self-

remembrance, your attention becomes stronger and the centre of

consciousness becomes more and more spontaneously present – this

means you do not need to focus on it anymore. " - Aziz

 

" There are two types of self-remembrance; one is when your mind

remembers the centre. It says 'oh I am in the centre!' – the checker

is present. The second type of experience with the centre is when it

is present on the energy level, but you are not aware of it, your

intelligence has been distracted. " - Aziz

 

" What does it mean to get lost? Consciousness gets exteriorised

completely outside; it loses its depth; it is no longer panoramic.

This is what we mean by being lost. Awareness is no longer four-

dimensional, it is flat and shallow, reduced back to three-

dimensions. Here, consciousness is lost in the phenomenal reality.

When the centre is present, you have depth, a panoramic awareness.

There are moments when you get absorbed in the external reality, like

in conversation for example, yes? But, suddenly, you remember and

through your subtle memory you can verify the state and the degree of

its depth. " - Aziz

 

" We spoke about a six months period for an average seeker to

establish this experience (awakening to the State of Presence. But,

in truth, this is quite a long time for someone who is dedicated to

this task. " - Aziz

 

" The suggestion is to remember yourself from the moment you wake up,

to the moment you fall asleep. And you remember through remembering.

The only way to remember is to remember. There is no question

of 'how' to remember. Just do it. " - Aziz

 

" This is how we measure progress – by seeing how much of the state is

spontaneously present. Your attention must be constantly turned in,

from morning to night. You have to renounce all what distracts you

from this work. You must give up your forgetfulness! " - Aziz

 

" Conscious breathing is also very useful for all those who don't

recognise I Am. It focuses and activates attention. In this way one

feels a certain amount of presence, rather than being lost in

unconscious thinking. " - Aziz

 

" Breathing is not Being but when you are one with breath, you are

very close to Being. When you are one with the breath, the experience

of Being is reached easier. But what is important here is the element

of surrender. " - Aziz

 

" You cannot be one with the outer, for the very simple reason that

you cannot be absent in the outer. The outer cannot receive your

presence. You can lose yourself in an unconscious way in the outer,

but it is not real absence. Why are you unable to be absent in the

outer? Because the outer is itself present without being absent,

which means that it is itself a result of something deeper than

itself. In order to transcend yourself, you must go inside. You have

to reach the source of your existence, regain your inherent

connection with the Origin. That is the principle. " - Aziz

 

" Thoughts come and go but they are not you. You are the one who is

experiencing them. So what you are trying to do, is first to create a

certain sense of distance from thinking. Thinking is like an

obsession – it has superimposed itself on you. Firstly, you create a

certain distance and next, through this distance you can have an

angle to actually perceive who you are. " - Aziz

 

" When your eyes are open, awareness is intensified because attention

is more activated. When the eyes are open, you are simply more alert –

you notice many things. When your eyes are closed, attention relaxes

because there is no need to focus on anything. When you walk around,

you have to be attentive to find your way, not to fall, to perceive

direction… and so forth. Naturally, the centre of attention is more

activated and you experience yourself more in the head. When you

close your eyes, attention relaxes and gravitates more towards Being –

the energy is more spread and distributed to other centres. This

happens not only in meditation but also when you simply sit down on

the beach, in a restaurant or in whichever life situation. That is

the natural movement within I Am. " - Aziz

 

http://www.azizkristof.org

[Guest guest]

> " Shawn " <shawnregan

>Nisargadatta

>Nisargadatta

> Aziz Kristof on " I Am "

>Tue, 10 Sep 2002 20:47:59 -0000

>

 

Shawn,

 

I'm moved to reply to your post, just to get

the theme back on track, as these distortions

creep in from time to time...and as I guess

Sandeep is not around these days, here we go.

 

What was written below is complete madness

or " spiritual madness " if you prefer.

Who is this " Someone " who is mysteriously

supposed to be looking at or be attentive of

thoughts, emotions and so on ?

 

It's another thought called by a fancy name

" I-am " ! a trick of your own mind.

You end up in an infinite regress,

tying yourself up, never transcending thought.

 

This guy is extorting you play games with yourself,

deceive yourself, as he seems to be doing to himself.

 

Forget all this crap or you'll end up abnormal,

maladjusted, somewhere in cloud 9, fit only for

the 'sanitarium'.

What's wrong in being your normal self,your own

natural self ?

Only stop chasing what don't exist, relax, be still

and enjoy.

 

~dave

 

 

 

> " The mechanical mind totally overpowers the psyche, not allowing one

>to experience either the Being or the Heart. In this state, one is

>totally identified with psychological events, thoughts and emotions.

>Because there is no center, every thought and emotion creates a

>separate Me, an identified Me " - Aziz

>

> " " I Am " is the full experience of oneself prior to the movement of

>thoughts and emotions " - Aziz

[cut]

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Dave,

 

Thanks for the response. The jury is still our for me on Aziz. He has

varied from the norm in his " Enlightenment to Me " . It's possible he

has seen further than his predecessors. His words agree with another

source I value highly prior to my reading Nisargadatta.

 

Shawn

 

Nisargadatta, " Dave Sirjue " <davesirjue@h...> wrote:

>

>

>

> > " Shawn " <shawnregan>

> >Nisargadatta

> >Nisargadatta

> > Aziz Kristof on " I Am "

> >Tue, 10 Sep 2002 20:47:59 -0000

> >

>

> Shawn,

>

> I'm moved to reply to your post, just to get

> the theme back on track, as these distortions

> creep in from time to time...and as I guess

> Sandeep is not around these days, here we go.

>

> What was written below is complete madness

> or " spiritual madness " if you prefer.

> Who is this " Someone " who is mysteriously

> supposed to be looking at or be attentive of

> thoughts, emotions and so on ?

>

> It's another thought called by a fancy name

> " I-am " ! a trick of your own mind.

> You end up in an infinite regress,

> tying yourself up, never transcending thought.

>

> This guy is extorting you play games with yourself,

> deceive yourself, as he seems to be doing to himself.

>

> Forget all this crap or you'll end up abnormal,

> maladjusted, somewhere in cloud 9, fit only for

> the 'sanitarium'.

> What's wrong in being your normal self,your own

> natural self ?

> Only stop chasing what don't exist, relax, be still

> and enjoy.

>

> ~dave

>

>

>

> > " The mechanical mind totally overpowers the psyche, not allowing

one

> >to experience either the Being or the Heart. In this state, one is

> >totally identified with psychological events, thoughts and

emotions.

> >Because there is no center, every thought and emotion creates a

> >separate Me, an identified Me " - Aziz

> >

> > " " I Am " is the full experience of oneself prior to the movement of

> >thoughts and emotions " - Aziz

> [cut]

>

>

> _______________

> Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device:

http://mobile.msn.com