The ‘I’ is what the seeker has to begin his investigation. A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ will help the seeker.+

 

It is no use in knowing who you are because you are the birth entity. Your individual experience of birth, life, death, and the world is merely an illusion. It is no use of inquiring ‘Who am I?- which exposes only the false nature of the form.

‘Who am ‘I’? - inquiry was introduced by Sage Sankara for beginners. Your journey will not be complete with ‘Who am ‘I’? or ‘I AM THAT’ - teaching. For Advanced seekers ‘Who am ‘I’? and I AM THAT’- teaching becomes inadequate and useless to realize the truth hidden by the ‘I’, which is the dualistic illusion.

Unless you unfold the truth of the world that confronts you will not be able to realize the ‘Self’ is hidden by ignorance.

That is why Sage Sankara: ~VC- 63- Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

Sage Sankara clearly says:~ “As a treasure hidden underground requires (for its extraction) competent instruction, excavation, the removal of stones and other such things lying above it and (finally) grasping, but never comes out by being (merely) called out by name, so the transparent Truth of the ‘Self’, which is hidden by Maya and its effects, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, followed by reflection, meditation and so forth, but not through perverted arguments.

Therefore, the wise should, as in the case of disease and the like, personally strive by all the means in their power of reason Sage Sankara clearly says the truth is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman (Gnani) then why to go after a Guru or yogi who is not a Gnani.

Sage Sankara: ~ “VC~ All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms, is nothing else but Brahman (Soul) which is free from all the limitations of human thought”.

The ‘I’ is what the seeker has to begin his investigation with. A perfect understanding of ‘what is what’ will help the seeker to reach the Soul, which is the Self.

Sage Sankara: ~VC~ if the universe is true, let it then be perceived in the state of deep sleep also. As it is not at all perceived, it must be unreal and false like dreams.

This universe is nothing but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. From the Soul, the universe appears and when the universe disappears from consciousness, consciousness remains without any division of form, time, and space.

Remember: First find out what this ‘I’ is supposed to be in actuality.

What is this ‘I’?

The ‘I’ is not a thought. The ‘I’ is the mind. The mind is the whole universe. The universe appears as waking or dream (duality and disappears as deep sleep (non-duality). The one that appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality) is the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness pervades everything and everywhere in all three states.

Without knowing what is the mind, it is impossible to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

People think the mind is within the body, but deeper self-search reveals the fact that the world in which you exist itself is the mind.

When the ‘I’ is present then only the mind is present. If the mind is there then only the universe is there. If the universe is present then only the waking is present. Thus, it is very much necessary to realize the ‘what ‘I’ is in actuality.

Without knowing ‘what is this ‘I’ it is impossible to realize the ‘I-less’ truth, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space.

Till you hold the ‘Self ‘as the ‘I’ you will never be able to get Self-realization.

‘I’ hides the Soul, which is the Self. ‘

'I’ is ignorance.

‘I’ is the duality.

‘I’ is form, time, and space.

‘I’ is the universe.

‘I’ is the waking.

‘I’ is the dream.

‘I’ is the illusion.

‘I’ is the experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

Remember:~

Without the ‘I’, there is no ignorance.

Without the ‘I’, there is no duality.

Without the ‘I’ there is no form, time, and space.

Without the ‘I’, there is no universe.

Without the ‘I’, there is no waking.

Without the ‘I’, there is no dream.

Without the ‘I’, there is no illusion.

Without the ‘I’, there is no experience of birth, life, death, and the world.

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, the Self.

The ‘I’ hides the Soul, which is the cause of the 'I'.

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say ‘I’ if you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, you are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ The permanent is always there, only the transient ‘I’ comes and goes. (2.18)

Sage Sankara said: ~ Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way. (1) Vivekachoodamani v 56, pg. 25

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to study the Scriptures, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

~ then why indulge in studying the scriptures.

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to study philosophy, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~then why indulge in studying philosophy.

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to indulge in rituals, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman.

~ then why indulge in rituals.

Sage Sankara says: ~ there is no need to indulge in yoga, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman

~ then why indulge in yoga.

Sage Sankara says the transparent Truth of the ‘Self’, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman, (Gnani) then why you are sticking a Guru who is not a Gnani.

Sage Sankara says ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.: ~ Santthosh Kummar