I Am That by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj is a collection of conversations between a spiritual teacher and an unspecified student that provides an in-depth exploration of some of the most profound concepts related to spiritual awakening. In this book, Maharaj emphasizes the importance of recognizing the self and surrendering to life as it is in order to arrive at a place of unconditional love, peace and joy.
Maharaj was born in the year 1897 and was raised in a family that lived in poverty in the slums of Bombay, India. His family members were devotees of Shiva, and they followed all the rituals and traditions associated with the deity. In his younger years, Maharaj was unable to secure much formal education and he instead spent his time listening to stories and discourses regarding the search for truth and liberation.
That was until the age of 35 when he stumbled upon a teacher who seemed to unlock the secrets of life. This teacher, Shivaprakasa, guided Maharaj through the path to Self-realization with a powerful collection of dialogue. Through Shivaprakasa's teachings, Maharaj arrived at a realization that the essence of life was to be found in the stillness of the self. This was the realization that forms the backbone of I Am That.
In his conversations, Maharaj focuses on the idea that all suffering is rooted in attachment. By recognizing the emptiness of the self and its dependence on nothing outside of itself, Maharaj invites us to recognize material and emotional attachments, and to embrace them without attaching to them. Once a person can become aware of the self, Maharaj believes that life will reveal itself as a sacred journey of unconditional love.
Maharaj is particularly adept at developing thought exercises to lead the reader down a vivid and possibly confusing journey. He invites the reader to contemplate questions such as “what am I?”, “Who am I?” and “Who is not me?”. With such seemingly simple questions, he gets the reader to ponder the source of the self from which all other identities, beliefs and opinions originate from.
The main premise of the book is to develop an understanding of the self as a distinct and sovereign entity away from the influences of attachments and expectations. This realization, Maharaj claims, can foster a state of ultimate freedom. At the same time, Maharaj also encourages readers to realize that this searching for the self does not end with the realization of its own emptiness, but instead is a process that unites the reader with an unconditional source of joy.
The conversations contained in I Am That make for an equalizing experience, as the book allows people from all walks of life and any spiritual tradition to engage with the teachings. Through its simple yet powerful set of explanations and questions, I Am That is a bridge to the realization of ultimate purpose and meaning in life. It is an invitation to spiritual seekers that can lead to a place of awakening, stillness and fulfillment.
