The complete 'I am' quotes of Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Pradeep Apte

204
This ‘I am’ is a concept also, is it not? And you want to hang on to
this concept also. This ‘I amness’ is not going to remain in your
association, and when it goes, everything relating to that ‘I amness’
goes. When this is the state of affairs, what is the use of trying to
gain or assimilate knowledge? You are standing on a concept ‘I
am’ and trying to paint that with another concept.
205
I have experienced all four kinds of speech and transcended them.
Rarely will anybody follow this hierarchy to stabilize in the
consciousness and transcend consciousness. Starting from
‘Vaikhari’ (word), normally we listen to words; from ‘Vaikhari’
we go to ‘Madhyama’ (mind-thought); in watching the mind we
are in ‘Pashayanti’ where the concept formation takes place and
from there to ‘Para’ (‘I am’ without words), and finally from ‘Para’
to prior to consciousness. This is the line to follow, but only a rare
one follows it – receding, reversing.
206
You must possess that confirmation that you are formless,
designless and not only rely on meditation. Always insist on that
you are formless, free and not conditioned. You must hammer on
this constantly; that is the practice. You must have a strong
conviction that conviction means practicing. That conviction
means not only ‘I am’ but it means I am free from the ‘I am’ also.
207
Normally in the name of spirituality, knowledge is expounded.
Knowledge is in the realm of five elements and it is talked about as
real or unreal so long as the knowledge ‘I am’ is there, it is a