Who Am I Prior to Experience?

Reality is a single, infinite whole whose nature is consciousness. This reality is felt, from the human perspective, as peace and happiness on the inside and love and beauty on the outside. The first problem we encounter when we attempt to know the universe is that knowing is filtered through sense perception. In order to know reality, we only need to know ourself. This self-knowledge is at the heart of all great religious and spiritual traditions. In order to know the nature of ourself, we must separate ourself from the objects of perception. What is our direct knowledge of ourself prior to perception? What am I prior to experience? What remains when even thought is removed? The revelation of our innate peace and happiness is the inevitable consequence of this recognition of our essential self.