I am not I

I am not I.

I am studying Advaita Vedanta. It is a radical school of spirituality that challenges us to question and reverse our most basic assumptions. It is not for everybody but if you are an intellectual sort of person (like I am) you may find it not only interesting but also useful.

One of the most basic assumptions that we all accept without questioning is that I am I. Or rather I am this Body Mind complex. It never occurs to us to question this view. Unless you study Advaita Vedanta that is.

We accept ourselves to be this Body Mind Complex or the ego sense. Advaita proves to us through faultless logic (and with more than just one line of reasoning) that we are nothing of the sort.

At the same time you are told (in Advaita) that you are Brahman. Aham Brahmasmi  is one of the mahavakyas of Advaita philosophy.

So you are Atman (or Brahman). And you are not the ego sense (that is caused by identification with the Body Mind complex). So you are not you and I am not I.

The Atman is supposed to be the Sakshi (a witness). This is not in the sense of witnessing with the mind. It is a Sakshi in the sense of illuminating all of existence just like the Sun illumines the entire Universe.

Another line of reasoning that proves that we are not the ego sense is that our existence is dream-like. Just as when we are dreaming we imagine ourselves to be someone. We are not the person we take ourselves to be in the dream. Similarly we are not the person we take ourselves to be in this waking existence.

There are many such lines of reasoning that go to prove that I (the Atman) is not I (the ego sense).

So what are the implications of our not being the Body Mind complex (or the ego sense).

According to Swami Sarvapriyananda, if we accept this, then just about every problem we have is transcended (or put in its proper perspective).

It is not that the problems will be solved. You will still face the same problems on the job, financial worries, relationship troubles and so on. But these will not be your problems.

You are the Atman and not the Body Mind complex.

You are not going to die. That main worry or fear will be seen to be what it is. It is the Body Mind complex that dies and not the Atman.

Your emotional troubles and even physical health issues are not your problems. You will find yourself getting a certain distance from these issues. The sting of life; of the kicks and blows that are faced by the ego will be reduced. You will not take them as seriously as you did earlier.

That being the case you will find it easier to be detached and to think clearly. This will give you an increased ability to deal with the problems of life.

For more on Advaita Vedanta please watch the video series below:

Highly recommended.

This video series is on the basic concepts of Advaita explained simply and meant for beginners.

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