In the thirteenth dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali delves into the subject of knowing, or basic knowledge, at the deepest level of awareness. Different from ordinary knowledge, basic knowledge is inherent and immediate, an important feature of reality. You can know Being by being Being, he says; know consciousness by being consciousness, know peace by being peace. Being and knowing are the same thing, he explains, two sides of a coin. Some of what Hameed shares here is unique to his Diamond Approach teaching, and not found in other spiritual teachings, such as what he imparts about the origin of mind and the distinction he makes between pure being and pure awareness.

Hameed explains that we need our conceptual mind (to do our taxes, he laughs), but that reification—treating concepts as if they were real things—creates obstacles and alienates us from our true nature. The aim of all spiritual practice is to go beyond reification to immediate experience, he says. When Hameed describes the difference between pure presence and pure awareness, John wonders, how does Hameed remember the state of pure awareness when there’s no knowing in that state? And what does it feel like to experience no ground of being? Hameed answers in his usual enlightening, gently humorous way, leaving listeners in a state of open-minded wonder. Vastly illuminating, this conversation goes directly to the heart of being and the heart of knowing at the very foundation of true nature. Recorded July 17, 2025.

“Being is the origin of mind.”

Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1

Introducing the 13th dialogue in the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, focusing on the basic knowing at the foundation of our awareness & the reified way we see reality (00:46)
The work is to recognize that reification is happening (02:55)
We need to understand there are two kinds of knowing: ordinary knowing and basic knowing (04:12)
There are degrees of how immediate our knowing is (07:55)
Where does mind come from? (09:52)
The recognition of Being and the knowing of Being are the same thing; this is a basic nondual understanding (11:45)
The ground of mind is knowing: without knowing there is no mind (15:20)
To know implies a concept: the concept of being (17:25)
Reification is a developmental achievement (23:14)
The story of Maharishi and the Senate committee (26:50)
The aim of all spiritual practice is to go beyond reification to immediate experience (27:43)
For the realized individual, basic knowing is primary (29:58)
Knowing always means concept (31:56)
We can get to an awareness that is free of knowing; what Hameed calls nonconceptual, pure awareness (35:41)

Resources & References – Part 1

A. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of The Diamond Approach
A. H....

A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series (Dialogue 13, Part 1) – Our Deepest Knowing: Awakening to Pure Being and Pure Awareness

Deep Transformation

A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series (Dialogue 13, Part 1) – Our Deepest Knowing: Awakening to Pure Being and Pure Awareness