This profound statement separates your true essence from your physical and mental aspects. It asserts that your fundamental nature is pure, unchanging awareness, distinct from the temporary sensations and thoughts you experience, pointing to an eternal self.
Quote by Adi Shankaracharya: “Neither am I the body, nor the senses, nor the mind. I am pure consciousness.”
Neither am I the body, nor the senses, nor the mind. I am pure consciousness.
Insight
Historical Context
The 'Nirvana Shatakam' is a poetic composition by Shankaracharya where the practitioner negates all identification with the material world and mind to affirm their true nature as blissful consciousness, a core tenet of Advaita Vedanta.
About the Author
Eighth-century Indian philosopher and theologian who consolidated the Advaita Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy, arguing for a strictly non-dual understanding of reality. He traveled across India establishing monasteries and debating rival schools, and his commentaries on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras remain foundational texts in Hindu thought.
View all quotes by Adi Shankaracharya