Expert: Joe McSorley - 11/30/2009

Question
Hi Joe,

I'm trying to determine what tradition "to know yourself is to know God" comes from.  Do you know?

Thanks for your help!

With Blessings,

erin

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Answer
Hi Erin,
 Sorry for the delay in answering, I was actually in Quebec when you sent this and now I am back in the US.
  This language is commonly used by different Indian gurus who come from the Hindu tradition but are not necessarliy teaching a form of Hinduism.  Both Ramana Maharishi and Sri Nisargadatta use this language.  The one caveat that I would offer you is that they do not use the word 'God' like Westerners do, they are not talking about a separate creator deity but talking about 'suchness', things as they are, nature, ourselves, the universe as it is as an expresson of Brahman/God and not separate from one another.  This is not the creator/created dichotomy of the West.
  Take care,
          Joe