What Am I? The Journey of Meditation from Neti to Etat

1 week ago By Yogi Anoop

What Am I?” — The Journey of Meditation from Neti to Etat

In the Upanishads, there is a path — Neti Neti. It means “Not this, not this.” It is an ancient method in the quest for the Self, where the seeker tries to develop the understanding and experience that he is neither the body, nor the life-force (prana), nor the mind, nor the intellect; neither is he this world, nor a part of anything that exists in it. In other words, he is not Prakriti (nature). Although this is a kind of negation, through it the Purusha or the “I” repeatedly tells Prakriti — “I am not you.”

However subtle this path may be, after a certain point it can also create an illusion of endless negation — as if someone keeps repeating “I am not this, I am not that,” then after years of practice, this “I am not this” begins to dominate the memory, and it starts to seem like this is the very purpose of life.

It is true that, in the beginning of spiritual practice, to develop a practical understanding, the “I” must experientially understand that it is not this body, not these senses. Later it is established that “I am not the objects, not the nature.” This leads to a feeling of detachment. For those who are mentally too attached to objects, the body and senses, or to imagination — to the extent that psychological disorders arise — this experience is quite essential. Ultimately, this practice is excellent for experiencing detachment from objects, but it is suitable only in the initial stages of practice. This method also works for those who are more inclined toward negativity or who are excessively immersed in worldly objects. Therefore, the principle of Neti Neti is used to understand the nature of external phenomena.

But the essential aim of the Purusha is not merely to know what he is not; the fundamental goal is to know and experience what he is, and who he is. Certainly, there is a sense of satisfaction in knowing what one is not — but that alone cannot bring one into a state of complete doubtlessness, total peace, joy, and Self-realization.

That is why I have always stood by this path — that the journey of meditation begins fundamentally for the knowledge of one’s true self. Therefore, meditation is not an intellectual negation — it is direct experience. When the feeling of “I” deepens in meditation, then at that moment, it no longer remains important to know “what I am not” — because in that very moment, it also becomes clear through direct and practical realization what all the “I” is not. This knowledge should arise spontaneously.

Merely repeating Neti Neti or even experiencing it directly may also create obstacles in the realization of the soul. On the contrary, if in the practice, the feeling of Etat Asti — “This is, this is” — arises within as a silent proclamation, and that proclamation is simply: Ahamasmi — I am.

Look at a child — he does not say, “I am not water, I am not air, I am not this universe.” He simply is. That presence itself is his greatest declaration. Similarly, when one descends into the depths of meditation, the soul affirms itself — not through logic or negation, but through its sheer being.

It is also stated in the Upanishads:

“Prajñānam Brahma” — Brahman is consciousness. And when that consciousness rests in itself, then there is no need for it to declare what it is not, nor to prove what it is. In that moment, I am — that alone is its completeness.

Therefore, in the practice of meditation, rather than continuously thinking and experiencing “What am I not?”, the seeker must awaken this silent inner feeling — “I am — and this being alone is the ultimate truth.”

be Yogi Anoop

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