Every committed seeker of self-knowledge will knock into this question with themselves - who am I?
Am I my self-image? Am I my historical psychological self?
If I am my historical psychological self, if I am my self-image then indeed sorrow is my lot, because I can never be pleased with myself - I will remain an eternal seeker, constantly stuck in life of becoming something other than what I am, simply because I am displeased with myself.
Its good to ask this question to oneself - am I my self-image?
What is one's self-image? It is nothing but a bunch of ideas, a bunch of thoughts and some memories to which one gives life by owning up as one's self.
What are thoughts? They are movements in the mind-stuff - which can be perceived and indeed are perceived.
How can I be what I perceive - after all I am the perceiver, the observor, the subject who knows those thoughts, feelings, emotions ... all of the mind-stuff.
How did I mix up the subject with the object and the object with the subject? It's all one big confusion. How can I be both the perceiver and the perceived?
How come I am giving life to these thoughts,concepts, memories that constitute my self-image and owning them up as my self?
Every committed seeker of self-knowledge must have this much clarity at the least - that I am not my self-image - whatever that self-image may be. Since I am not my self-image, I do not have to put energy into improving it nor do I need to be driven by it.
Instead it is important to shift gear - to put one's energy into discovering what is the nature of the perceiver?
The perceiver's truth is formless independent Consciousness, the impartial witness with reference to all of the mind-stuff - the ego, the thoughts, the feelings, emotions, attitudes, values, decisions, memories etc.
In Consciousness there is no self-image - there is no self-identity. Consciousness is independent, formless and changeless - there can be no self-identity for consciousness. Consciousness is the underlying truth of the whole universe, absolutely free of the universe, even though the universe and everything in it is a seeming manifestation of itself.
When there is ignorance of the supremely free nature of Consciousness that shines here as self-evident 'I', a personality is formed consisting of a self-image in keeping with Isvara's psychological laws - a limited bound personality, who one identifies with and gives life to as 'I'. This self-image keeps one hostage because it is limited and bound - in its limitation it is demanding - it demands a great price - your freedom.
The self-image must be recognized as FALSE. How to recognize it as false?
See the truth of the perceiver being independent, changeless, ever-present.
How can change be perceived without the presence of something that is changeless? Trust in the Guru's words, trust in the Scriptures words which say that the truth of the perceiver is changeless independent formless and permanent. When you trust, you are not scared - and you will ready to disown, and let go of all that your believed to be true as your self. You will sincerely negate whatever is perceived as in the category of 'not-I'. That includes the self-image.
Now you are left with simply self-evident 'I' - and you cannot negate that I is consciousness - even if you want to.
It is about this self-evident 'I' who is never an object, who is ever the independent impartial witness, that Shastra reveals - is independent, changeless, formless, free of time, free of space, free of object, non-dually one, who in its own glory appears as all that is changing, dependent, temporary.
The limited self-image is ever dependent on you Consciousness to give it life. Once you discover your truth, at the very same moment you discover that the self-image is FALSE and even by habit if it makes a come back, you are able to stop giving it further life.
Om Tat Sat
Am I my self-image? Am I my historical psychological self?
If I am my historical psychological self, if I am my self-image then indeed sorrow is my lot, because I can never be pleased with myself - I will remain an eternal seeker, constantly stuck in life of becoming something other than what I am, simply because I am displeased with myself.
Its good to ask this question to oneself - am I my self-image?
What is one's self-image? It is nothing but a bunch of ideas, a bunch of thoughts and some memories to which one gives life by owning up as one's self.
What are thoughts? They are movements in the mind-stuff - which can be perceived and indeed are perceived.
How can I be what I perceive - after all I am the perceiver, the observor, the subject who knows those thoughts, feelings, emotions ... all of the mind-stuff.
How did I mix up the subject with the object and the object with the subject? It's all one big confusion. How can I be both the perceiver and the perceived?
How come I am giving life to these thoughts,concepts, memories that constitute my self-image and owning them up as my self?
Every committed seeker of self-knowledge must have this much clarity at the least - that I am not my self-image - whatever that self-image may be. Since I am not my self-image, I do not have to put energy into improving it nor do I need to be driven by it.
Instead it is important to shift gear - to put one's energy into discovering what is the nature of the perceiver?
The perceiver's truth is formless independent Consciousness, the impartial witness with reference to all of the mind-stuff - the ego, the thoughts, the feelings, emotions, attitudes, values, decisions, memories etc.
In Consciousness there is no self-image - there is no self-identity. Consciousness is independent, formless and changeless - there can be no self-identity for consciousness. Consciousness is the underlying truth of the whole universe, absolutely free of the universe, even though the universe and everything in it is a seeming manifestation of itself.
When there is ignorance of the supremely free nature of Consciousness that shines here as self-evident 'I', a personality is formed consisting of a self-image in keeping with Isvara's psychological laws - a limited bound personality, who one identifies with and gives life to as 'I'. This self-image keeps one hostage because it is limited and bound - in its limitation it is demanding - it demands a great price - your freedom.
The self-image must be recognized as FALSE. How to recognize it as false?
See the truth of the perceiver being independent, changeless, ever-present.
How can change be perceived without the presence of something that is changeless? Trust in the Guru's words, trust in the Scriptures words which say that the truth of the perceiver is changeless independent formless and permanent. When you trust, you are not scared - and you will ready to disown, and let go of all that your believed to be true as your self. You will sincerely negate whatever is perceived as in the category of 'not-I'. That includes the self-image.
Now you are left with simply self-evident 'I' - and you cannot negate that I is consciousness - even if you want to.
It is about this self-evident 'I' who is never an object, who is ever the independent impartial witness, that Shastra reveals - is independent, changeless, formless, free of time, free of space, free of object, non-dually one, who in its own glory appears as all that is changing, dependent, temporary.
The limited self-image is ever dependent on you Consciousness to give it life. Once you discover your truth, at the very same moment you discover that the self-image is FALSE and even by habit if it makes a come back, you are able to stop giving it further life.
Om Tat Sat
