At times when our inner vision becomes pure enough to let us see through the layers of psychic debris that thicken our consciousness and make it opaque,
We realize that everything is actually made of light.
We understand that we are light,
That the world is light,
And that light is the essence of everything.
This is why so many people's experiences of touching the self are experiences of light,
Visions,
Inner luminosity,
Or profound and crystalline clarity.
However,
There are other ways to experience that luminosity of the self.
It also reveals itself as our capacity to know,
To be aware,
And to experience.
You don't have to see the inner light to feel how the self illuminates experience.
You only have to notice what it is that allows you to know things.
The knowing in your mind is separate from thoughts.
In other words,
It's not thinking that lets you know what you are experiencing.
Thoughts are part of what you can see or know.
If you can know something,
Then it isn't you.
It is outside of you.
You can witness your hand so you know that you are not your hand.
In the same way,
You witness your thoughts so that you know you are not your thoughts.
So one way to locate the self is to try to become aware of the part of you that is observing your experience.
The part of you that is always witnessing your body,
Emotions,
And thoughts.
In this brief meditation,
We will see if we can step beyond the confines of the traditional boundaries that we perceive ourselves to be.
So once again,
Sit in your chosen position as comfortable as possible.
Close your eyes,
Cast your sense of hearing to the furthest possible sounds that you can hear.
Step closer so that you become aware of the sounds in the room with you.
Notice that the sounds appear and disappear.
Now take your sense of hearing and step inside your body.
Become aware of the sounds inside your body.
The breathing,
The swallowing,
The gurgles of digestion.
Now once again,
Cast your sense of hearing out to the furthest possible sound you can hear.
Maybe traffic in the distance,
Sounds of people talking,
Anything that appears in the soundscape outside of your room.
And then again,
Step closer into the space of your room.
Pay attention to what's happening there.
And then one more time,
Step inside your body and become aware of the sounds of life.
Notice already that as we have done that,
We have gone beyond the boundaries of the physical body to the room outside of ourselves,
To the environment outside of the room.
Notice how easy it is to expand and contract our awareness,
Our perceptions.
Using the sense of hearing,
We already become aware that we can step beyond the boundaries of self,
The body.
We already become aware of ourselves as beings in space.
Now let's work with our attention.
Take three deep,
Slow breaths.
Now see if you can place your attention behind your own body,
So that you can see your body from every angle,
From above,
From below,
From behind,
From in front.
Notice the shift in perspective that occurs.
Notice how effortlessly that can be done.
See if you can station yourself as that observing witness of your body seen from all sides.
Now,
Still holding that perspective,
Ask yourself,
Who or what is witnessing my body?
Who or what is witnessing my thoughts?
Who or what is witnessing my body?
Who or what is witnessing my thoughts?
Don't try to answer the question in words.
Instead,
Let your attention turn toward the felt experience that arises in response to the question.
Notice a spacious presence that seems to be located somewhere above and behind the head.
If you focus on that witnessing presence for a while,
You might become aware of another witnessing presence just beyond it.
You could go on focusing on the witness of the witness of the witness,
Almost indefinitely,
Without ever completely grasping it.
So now,
Instead of trying to find that seer,
Have the feeling that you are the seer.
Sooner or later,
You may notice a shift in your state.
Thoughts move to the background.
The knowing awareness moves to the foreground.
You may experience a sense of huge clarity and freedom,
As if the walls that normally contract your consciousness have dropped away,
Setting you loose into a spacious state that is potentially infinite,
Infinitely relaxed,
Infinitely peaceful,
Silent and aware.
A pure awareness that does not change or slip away.
The awareness that not only knows everything else,
But also knows itself.
I AM
