We Are the Ultimate Knower

By

Sri Swami Atmaswarupananda

Early Morning Meditation Talk given in the Sacred Samadhi Hall of Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh

There are many ways of looking at our life on earth. One way would be that it is nothing except experiences. We experience thirst and the satisfaction of that thirst. We experience hunger and the satisfaction of that hunger. We experience being cold; we experience being hot. We experience being loved; we experience being rejected. We experience being well off; we experience being poor. We experience being happy; we experience being sad. We experience being clear in our thinking; we experience being confused.

Most of these things we have in common with the animal kingdom. But as human beings we also have another experience. We experience a sense of “I”: “I” am this, “I” am that, “I” am cold, “I” am hot, “I” am clear in my thinking, “I” am confused in my thinking. “I” am this person who was born; “I” am this person who is growing older; “I” am this person who will die. This is who I am. It never occurs to us that this “I” is an experience just the same as being hot or cold, having good thoughts or bad thoughts.

If we enquire further, we recognise that something, which we can never find, is knowing this “I”. And if we ask who it is that is knowing this “I”, the only answer we can give is that I am knowing the “I”. This puts us in a peculiar position. If I am something that can never be known, but I am always identifying with something that can be known, that is simply a passing experience, then it must mean that I am divided from myself, separated from myself.

This has to be as unenviable position, because happiness is always in wholeness, not in division. Hell means division, to be separated from. Heaven means harmony. Therefore, we need to have a harmony or union between that which I can never know, but is what knows everything else including the experience of an ego–and the ego “I.” We require a union, a harmony between what we are experiencing and the ultimate experiencer.

How to bring about that harmony, that union? We have to actually bring into our field of experience a new factor. That factor is the knowledge that who we really are is much vaster, much more subtle than what we have been thinking we are. In other words, we must broaden our consciousness, lift ourselves out of ourselves. That is the purpose of all our spiritual practices.

But again, no matter how broad our experience, how sublime our experience, we’ll be caught up in it unless there is a constant reminder that ultimately we are That that knows all experience–no matter how sublime, no matter how universal the experience. This knowledge can only be retained in our consciousness through a spirit of profound humility, of surrender, of knowing that we can never know the ultimate knower. It is this profound humility that is the goal of the spiritual life. It is this profound humility that keeps us in touch with our ultimate truth and that recognises that everything comes from that ultimate, unknowable truth.

We Are the Ultimate Knower

In the journey of spiritual awakening, We Are the Ultimate Knower reminds every soul about the divine wisdom hidden within. Human life is not merely about worldly success, but about discovering the eternal truth that exists in the heart. Through prayer, meditation, and selfless service, we slowly realize that We Are the Ultimate Knower of our own inner consciousness. The teachings of saints and scriptures guide us toward this realization and inspire us to live with purity and devotion. Devotional india has always shared such timeless wisdom through spiritual traditions and sacred teachings.

The deeper we move into spirituality, the clearer it becomes that We Are the Ultimate Knower of peace, love, and truth. External knowledge may fade with time, but divine understanding remains forever. When the mind becomes calm and free from ego, the soul experiences the higher reality where We Are the Ultimate Knower of our divine nature. This spiritual awareness brings harmony into life and fills the heart with compassion for all beings. Through bhajans, prayers, and sacred practices, Devotional india continues to spread the light of devotion among seekers.

Many sages have taught that We Are the Ultimate Knower because the divine spark exists in every individual. Real wisdom begins when a person turns inward and recognizes the presence of God within. In moments of silence and devotion, We Are the Ultimate Knower of eternal bliss and spiritual truth. The sacred path shown by gurus helps devotees understand that We Are the Ultimate Knower beyond all worldly illusions. The spiritual message shared by Devotional india encourages people to walk the path of righteousness, faith, and inner awakening. Ultimately, We Are the Ultimate Knower when we unite our hearts with divine consciousness through love and devotion.

-Pleasure and Pain