The Recognition of Pure Being

Just as one sees the absence of a stolen favourite painting while a visiting friend sees only the presence of the wall, imagine removing from your experience the faculties of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, sensing, all feelings, memories and thoughts. Don’t be tempted to think that nothing remains when the content of experience is removed. Nothing, or a blank empty state, is a superimposition of your mind on your being. Nothing is only such with reference to the something that previously existed. Without reference to the content of experience, what remains is not an absence but presence – not nothing but being. The absence of experience is boring, but the presence of being is peace. This is what remains: just being, being aware. When Jesus said ‘Before Abraham was, I am,’ he was referring to this ordinary experience of being. The terms enlightenment or awakening are misnomers – recognition or revelation are more accurate.