Meditation: Be Still, Know I Am

Joko Beck often quoted an expression from the Hebrew Bible: “Be still, know I am”. It describes our practice of just sitting or silent illumination. Silence is the stillness – it is the anchor, the stabiliser that naturally allows clear seeing to arise. The light that illuminates all phenomena is awareness. The Buddha said be a light unto yourself. You are the light. Recognise yourself as the light of knowing. This awareness is who we are. To “know I am” is to recognise who we truly are. We hold the body still and the light of awareness illuminates impermanence – the cosmic dance.