What Is the Difference bw I I AM and I-I ?

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What Is the Difference Between " I, " " I Am " and " I-I " ?

 

Although the distinctions are often ignored or blurred, it can be observed that

there is more than one " I " in Awareness. While some current Nondualists point

almost exclusively to the separative " I " logic which creates a sense of

separation (I versus other), Nisargadatta Maharaj also speaks of the " I Am " and

going beyond the " I Am, " and Ramana Maharshi speaks of the " I-I. "

As we grow from childhood to adulthood, it is normal to develop a strong sense

of a separate self (ego) that seems to stand apart from all else. When we refer

to ourselves or say " I, " we unconsciously assume and include a complex set of

identifications and memories (I am this), such as our name, body, family,

education, career, personal history, and so on. But, through persistent

self-inquiry and observation, it can be seen that the sense of a separate " I "

does not exist except as a concept. It is nothing more than an illusory, fuzzy,

abstract reference point in Awareness. Moreover, it is accompanied by a

supporting logic which interprets all events as happening to that reference

point. In other words, the " I " logic always interprets events as happening to a

centralized " me " rather than just happening in the field of Awareness. That

false interpretation creates a veil of separation, an illusion of " me " versus

other.

In the minimalist description of enlightenment adopted by many Nondualists,

enlightenment means undermining that separative " I " logic through a deep

understanding of it. The undermining of it reveals that you have never been

separate from the world. It reveals that you are the world and that reality,

here and now, just as it is, is your own Self. The revelation can be described

as a shift in consciousness from identifying with the illusion of a separate

self to identifying with the all-inclusive Self.

But, as the term suggests, the " Self " is itself an " I. " Although it is spacious,

all-inclusive and de-centralized, the Self expresses itself assertively as " I

Am. " It is, in fact, the real you expressing itself through a body-mind as the

self-evident certainty that it (you) exists. Some call it **Presence and may

describe it further as creative, intelligent energy, because the " I Am " includes

both the creation and the recognition of the world as one's Self. In its

creative aspect, and as expressed through a body-mind, it is an act of

individualization (sometimes called " Atman " ), a personal expression of Self

which arises from the Heart.

 

The " I Am " is also an inseparable part of the " I-I " continuity that Ramana

Maharshi refers to when he points out that the Self shines in the Heart as

" I-I. " The other part of the " I-I " is the impersonal Self, and it is also what

Nisargadatta Maharaj refers to as beyond " I Am. " Through further self-inquiry,

observation, and reversal of the mind's exteriorization, the " I Am " dissolves

back into the Heart, into nameless, indescribable, ineffable, impersonal being

(Brahman), the " I " of Awareness without attributes. This impersonal " I " is the

true and pure Witness, or Awareness, that is always present, shining through

creation, but prior to creation.

 

As mentioned previously, all of these " I's " can be observed and distinguished.

No part of your nature is really hidden. For example, you get a taste of the

creation and dissolution of the " I Am " whenever you fall into or awaken from

deep sleep. When the " I Am " arises, the world appears; when it dissolves, the

world disappears. You also get a taste of the impersonal bliss of Brahman when

you disappear into deep sleep. But the bliss that can occur in the waking state

is usually the experience of the creative energy, sometimes called shakti, which

arises from the Heart.

 

When the 'I am myself' goes, the 'I am all' comes. When the 'I am all' goes, 'I

am' comes. When even 'I am' goes, reality alone is

 

**What Is Presence?

 

Although this term is used often among current Nondualists, its meaning seems to

vary. It may mean the Witness (pure Awareness), or the I Am, or the Heart, or

the creative and intelligent energy (shakti) which arises from the Heart, or

some combination of these. It is also sometimes used to mean " present " or " in

the present " or " the here and now. " Most often, it seems to refer to recognition

of the powerful sense of I Am of consciousness.

In the simplest terms, Presence is the Self (you) assertively expressing itself

in time and space as eternal, ever-present existence. In other words, Presence

is you, and you are Presence.

 

But there is sometimes another meaning. When presence refers to the sense of a

creative or intelligent energy, it can mean that a divine presence is felt. J.

Krishnamurti, for example, repeatedly mentioned sensing the presence of a

powerful intelligent energy in and around him. That kind of presence may also be

experienced as a warm inner life that seems to radiate blissfully from the Heart

located near the center of the chest and may feel like an intense devotional

relationship with a very loving person, as in this example. Depending on one's

religious background, it may be interpreted as the presence of Krishna, Buddha

or Jesus (note, for example, the nature of the born-again experience of some

Christian sects). But, when traced back to its source by means of self-inquiry,

the experience of presence as " other " is seen to arise from one's own Self.

 

What Is the Heart?

 

The Heart, as described by the famous sage Ramana Maharshi, is the seat of

Awareness and is located on the right side of the chest. It is the source from

which the mind, the energy of creation, and the sense of I Am arise, and to

which they return. He explained further that the Heart is another name for

Reality and that it appears in a specific place only as long as one is

identified with the body.

 

from NonDuality Faq

 

Era

 

Whereas it requires no time to awaken – you can only awaken now – it does take

time before you can stay awake in all situations. Often you may find yourself

being pulled back into old conditioned reactive patterns, particularly when

faced with the challenges of daily living and of relationships. - Eckhart Tolle

 

 

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