And to understand our concept of this image, I ask you to tell me: “Who are you?” And you might probably reply, “I am Milena.”

But that is your name, a collection of letters. “Sorry, you're right, My name is Milena, I'm 25 years old, I live in Argentina, and I'm a painter.” Tremendous, all of it, but I didn't ask where you live, I didn't ask what you do for work, I asked you: Who are you? Wouldn't you still be there, conscious of your existence, even if you weren't a painter or didn't live in Argentina?

You realize, then, that you never asked yourself, “Who am I?”

“Well, I am my thoughts.” Really? Ask yourself in your head: “What will my next thought be?” Do it now.

Did you notice? There was a moment when no thought appeared.

Did you cease to exist when you stopped thinking? Isn't there a continuity of Being, from your birth to this very day?

Who looks when you look? Who sees the dreams you dream? Who hears when you hear? “I! It is I. I look when I look, I hear when I hear, I see what I dream, I.”

Now imagine ceasing to exist. Imagine being unconscious. Can you?

No. Why? Because that is what you are. The most sacred word in your entire vocabulary. Consciousness and Presence.

You realize, you are the experiencer, you are The Observer. The one who watches all events from somewhere in the head. You are the Hindu “Atman.” You are the Buddhist “Self.” You are the Judeo-Christian “Soul.” You are. Here and Now. The consciousness behind. The Observer of experiences, thoughts, and emotions. You are The Observer. You are the one seated in the seat of consciousness. You are.

So I ask you again, who are you? And now, understanding the distance between you and your labels, you and your jobs, you and your responsibilities, you and your thoughts, you and your emotions, you and every object of knowledge; you respond:

“I am. I am the one who watches. I am The Observer. I am pure consciousness and absolute presence.”

And you sit in the seat of consciousness and watch the mysteries of life unfold.