Who Knows You Are?

Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Who accepts this conviction? It is not the mind. The deep sense in you that 'you are' must accept that you are the Parabrahman, not the mind. Don't be a slave to the meaning which the mind imposes on you. The culmination of that sickness in me is Parabrahman only, but for others having this sickness there will be panic that they are going to die. This is the normal concept of ordinary people. But for one who is firmly convinced that he is the Parabrahman - I would almost say, whatever the 'Self' is that the self is convinced that it is Parabrahman - then the sickness is a blessing, because the sickness helps to deliver one into Parabrahman. 

Who has the knowledge 'I AM'? Somebody in you knows the knowledge 'I AM.' Who is it? It is very obvious that you know you are, but what or who is it that knows you are?

Visitor: I asked that question too. Who knows I am?

Maharaj: Am I to reply that you are sitting here? You know you are sitting here. And you are asking me! You must understand why I am asking this question. Unashamedly, you are asking me to reply to your question.

Interpreter: You see, the point is we have to go to our very core; the whole idea is not to reply superficially. So what is the point in asking others to reply to your question?

V: Because it sounded like a rhetorical question.

I: We are to be prior to "I am ness" Then Maharaj wants us to study ourselves and find out whatever it is. There may not be a verbal reply. At least we must try to understand what he is driving at.

V: I understand that.