For every aspirant it is essential to become free from the sense of ‘I’ (ego) and ‘mine’. The reason is that the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ is an illusion by which the embodied soul comes within bondage.
‘Mein aru mor tor tein maya, jehi bas keenhe jeev nikaaya
(Manasa, Aranya. 15/2)
‘I’ and ‘mine, ‘you’ and ‘yours’ is delusion which has captivated all Jeevas of the entire universe.’
Mein, mere ki jevari, gal bandhyo sansaar,
Daas kabira kyon bandhe, jaake Ram adhaar.
‘I and mine is the chain which has tied the world, but why should saint Kabira come within that chain who has taken abode in Rama?’
In Srimad Bhagavadgita, God in the Disiplines of Action (Karmayog), Knowledge (Jnanayog) and Devotion (Bhaktiyog), has insisted in all the three yogas, the necessity of becoming free from the sens of mine and egoism.
In Karmayog –
nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sa śāntim adhigacchati (Gita 2/71)
‘He being free from the sense of mine-ness and egoism, attains peace.’
In Jnanayog –
ahaṅkāraṁ balaṁ darpaṁ kāmaṁ krodhaṁ parigraham
vimucya nirmamaḥ śānto brahma-bhūyāya kalpate
(Gita 18/53)
‘Free from egotism and mineness, he rests in comprehensive Brahma.’
In Bhaktiyog –
‘nirmamo nirahaṅkāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣamī’
‘Egoless and free from the sense of mine he is balanced both in pain and pleasure.’
In this respect one aspect on which the aspirant has to give more attention is that the real self is free from egoism, and miness. ‘I’ and ‘mineness’ not real, both of them have been falsely presumed to be our own self. If these were truly real, then we could never become free from the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ and God would not have talked about being free from egoism and mineness. It is only because of this that God has mentioned to be free from egoism and mineness.
What is ‘I’?
This is the experience of every man that ‘I am’ (my own self). This ‘I am’ is the combination of physical and divine elements (i.e. the perishable and immortal elements which is called the know of both elements (Chijjadagranthi).
Although there appears to be the prominence of ‘I’ in this combination and ‘am’ appears to be supplementary (secondary) but if it is viewed from a real angle, then the prominent among the two is ‘Is’ (existential part of this combination) and not ‘I’. The reason being that ‘I’ gets changed but ‘am’ does not change. For example ‘I am a child’, ‘I am a young person’, I am an old man’, ‘I am sick’, ‘I am healthy’. In all these states ‘I’ changes but ‘am’ does not change. ‘Am’ remains the same without undergoing any modification. ‘I’ stands as a part of Nature and ‘am’ is a fragment of God. This ‘am’ is an indicator of the existence. It is because of ‘I’ that ‘am’ is used. If ‘I’ does not co-exist then ‘am’ shall not remain at all, but ‘is’ will remain. That ‘is’ is a universal existence. It is due to the presence of ‘I’ that omnipresent ‘am’ appears to us to exist.
‘I’, ‘you’, ‘this’ and ‘that’ – in all the four, ‘am’ is used only with ‘I’, with the remaining three ‘is’, is only associated as ‘thou art (is)’, ‘this is’ and ‘that is’. We can say to infinite beings from times immemorial as ‘is’ that ‘these are living beings’. Earth, heaven, hell (the lower infernal regions) – all universes can be said as ‘is’. All the four ages of Hindu mythology – Satyayuga, Treta, Dwapara and Kaliyug can be called as ‘is’. But the speaker who says ‘I’ always remains one. In the present day language, all the votes go with ‘is’, the ‘I’ obtains only one single vote.
‘I’ is a physical element and ‘am’ is a divine element. ‘I’ and ‘am’ – both mix and identify with each other and this identity of them is Chijjadagranthi. The clear proof of this reality is that we desire bliss which exists eternally and at the same time we desire perishable sensual pleasures and accumulation of material things. These two categories reflect the identification of ‘I’ and ‘am’ elements.
We like to exist eternally (we want to remain alive always). The desire does not arise in that element which does not exist eternally and nor does it occur in that element which exists eternally. This desire arises in that which exists eternally, but in which the fear of death has entered.
The fear of death comes due to association of perishable nature, because inert nature is perishable, but the eternal existence is imperishable, The meaning is that by adding ‘I’ in the divine existence ‘is’, we create the desire for living. Therefore the desire for living is neither in ‘I’ nor in ‘am’ but rather in ‘I’ am – it exists in this identity. Due to this fusion of two separate identities, the desire for sensual pleasure and the quest for salvation – both of them exist.
‘I am’ – in both of them, if we give importance to ‘I’, then the desire for worldly enjoyments and accumulations shall arise. If we give priority to ‘am’, then the desire for God (salvation) shall arise. When the presumed relationship with ‘I’ i.e. its identification shall come to an end, then the desire for worldly objects will come to an end and the desire for God shall be fulfilled. The reason is that the entire world is always incomplete, therefore its desires never get fulfilled and God is complete, therefore His desire never remains unfulfilled which means it is always fulfilled.
Whether it is the desire for worldly pleasures or the desire for salvation; all desires arise due to identification with unreal world. By the end of such identification, we become free from bondage during our own lifetime. In fact we are free from bondage during our life time. In fact we are free from bondage during our life time, but we don’t realize this liberation because of the identification of the self with ‘I’. Therefore the entity which is already attained by all of us eternally, the same reality is achieved and that perishable which is always detached, the same is eliminated or it comes to an end.
Our Realization of Reality
Question: “I’ is a separate entity and ‘am’ is a separate element, how can we realize their separation?
Answer: All of us know that is wakeful state and in the state of dreams, we have dealings but in sound sleep there are no dealings. The reaso being that in awakened, but it merges in ignorance, but our won existence persists, therefore after awakening from sound sleep, we say that I slept so soundly that I knew nothing during that sound sleep. So when I did not now anything, it proves that ‘I’ (the self) was aware of not knowing anything during that period, otherwise how it could be said that I knew nothing about that period. This thing has proved that during the period of awakening and drem, when ‘I’ ness remains awakened our existence is always present and in sound sleep despite ‘I’ ness not being awakened our existence remains undoubtedly. Therefore we are knower of the feeling of ‘I’ ness and also the absence of ‘I’ ness. If we were not distinct from ‘I’ ness, we had been only in the form of ego, then in the state of sound sleep, at the elimination of the sense of ‘I’ ness, we would also not have been in existence.* Therefore without ‘I’ ness our self existence is naturally proved.
We know the presence (existence) or absence (destruction) of ego (I) i.e., we know both the aspects of this ‘I’ but no one knows absence or elimination of one’s own self because the self is never non-existent –
nābhāvo vidyate sataḥ (Gita 2/16)
‘The real never ceases to be.’
Our real self which illumines the presence and absence of untrue thing ‘ego’, eternally exists. For instance just as we were in awakened state yesterday and at night we were in the dream state or in sound sleep state and today, we are again in awakened state, then we realize the existence of the feeling of ego in wakeful and dream state but in sound sleep we realize the absence of ego.
The states such as awakening etc., do not remain continuously – this is also our experience. Therefore the self is the unextinguishable light which illumines ego and other states. Therefore we say that yesterday ‘I’ was awake, the same ‘I’ am am awake today and the same “I’ also existed in my sound sleep and in my dream. The meaning is that in all the three stages we realiz our eternal existence. In the same manner we may go to any womb, our ego changes, but our real existence (the self) does not undergo any change (which means it remains unchanged). Just as formerly we used to say that ‘I am a child’, then we began to say that ‘I am a young man’ and now we say that ‘I am an old man’. Thus childhood, youth and old age are separate; but the self remains the same. Thus during the changes in the states, the self did not change. Similarly the Jeevatma while coming in human body presumes that ‘I am a human being’. After becoming deity, he presumes that ‘I am deity’, on becoming an animal he starts feeling that ‘I am an animal’, on being a ghost and evil spirit he feels ‘I am a ghost’ or ‘an evil spirit’ etc. By this description it is proved that after the embodied soul acquires a new body, ego, gets changed, but our existence does not change. In this way, in sound sleep, the absence of ego and after acquiring the new body, the ego changes – everyone realizes it but no one ever experiences the absence of his own existence and nor such experience can occur.
This has been proven by this that ego (‘I’ ness) is not our real self or existence. Our mistake occurs because we do not respect this fact and do not give importance to it. If we give importance to this fact, then the impressions of the past of ‘I’ ness which are present within us from times immemorial by getting lesser and lesser slowly, will ultimately finish altogether.
Our Real Self
Our real self is only an eternal existence. There is no difference of I, You, this and that in that existence. I, You, this and that are of the category of nature and the real self transcends nature. These are four in number and the existence is always alone and one. All these four are relative and the entity or real self is absolute. All these four are enlightened and the existence is enligtener. All these four are super structures and the existence is the original foundation. All these four come i the purview of our knowledge and the existential reality is the knower of all four.
There is change and complete absence of all these four and there is never a change in the reality (existence) and therefore there is never the slightest absence of this reality. Therefore the change in all the four, their production and their destruction, is experienced by us but the change in the real self or its coming or its going, presence or absence, production or destruction, is never felt by one of us at any moment.
I, you, this and that, all these four are untru, insentient and sorrowful, but the divine reality, is truth, consciousness adn bliss solidified. All are eternally established in this sentient existence. While performing world physical behavior, the reality remains the same. In that reality there cannot be even the slightest modification or commotion or disquietude or perturbation. In that existence there is neither egoism nor mineness. That reality is only knowledge personified, there is no knower of this knowledge, there the knowledge or Jnana exists but there is not its knower. So long there is knower, till then there is unipresence or individuality. After the end of unipresence or individuality, only the immutable, egoless, and universal reality remains which is naturally attained to every individual.*
In that reality, there are no states of awakening, dream, sound sleep, swoon (faint) and trance (Samadhi). All these five states are perishable and changeable, and the reality is eternal. The stages are illumined while the reality is the illuminator.
All these five states are separate from each other, they change, they have a beginning and an end, but the self is totally free from such changes. Just as the dream, the things seen (really non-existing) dono exist in the same way, the knower of those objects i.e. the dreamer’s ego is also false. In dream state the awakening state is suppressed, it does not extinguish but in the awakening state, the dream state comes to a complete end. Therefore along with the dream state, its ego also comes to an end. In the same way, during the awakened stage, the ego which is perceived by an individual, that also at the time of death, comes to an end, but due to identificaiton of the self with the body, on getting a new body, again the ego is awakened. Although in awakening and dream states etc., ego is also different from one another but because of their reality (existence) being one, the ego also appears as one.
The Turiya state (fourth stage) is also there, which is said to be the state beyond sound sleep, but in reality the Turiya state is not any state, but on the basis of relativity of the three states, it is called the fourth state. It is called the state of liberation on the relativity basis of the bondage state, It is also called as the state of extreme bliss (beattitude of God) (Nirvaanapad).
Pad Nirvaan lakhe koyi virala,
Teen lok mein kaal samaanaa
Chouthe lok mein naam nisaan, lakhe koyi virala |
The stage of extreme bliss (salvation) is achieved by a rare individual, the death is dominating and pervading in all the three worlds. The name symbol is present in the fourth world which is visualized by the same very rare individual.’
Turiya state or salvation state or the state of be-attitude of God is not any state but this is our own real self or existence.
The Method to Root out ‘I’ ness
How can ego be rooted out? If this question remains alive for all the twenty-four hours, then such ego shall come to an end. In fact the ego is already on-existing but due to the lack of true earnest desire, this fact is not realized. In the biography of a saint it has been mentioned that those were the days of summer, he was feeling extremely thirsty and the cold water was already stored in the nearby pot. But he had the earnest desire that he would not drink water before Self-realization. With that burning desire, he immediately had Self-realization. If such Self-realization is attained once, then it shall remain for ever.
Yajjyaatvaa na punarmohamevam yaysasi paandav (Gita 4/35)
‘Acquiring that knowledge of the self, you will no more be subjected to delusion.’
Three methods have been mentioned for removing the ego – They are paths of Action, Knowledge and Devotion.
In Yoga of action one should perform various services for others, provide comforts for others without selfish motive, then the individual’s own desire for pleasures and accumulation of wealth and things will come to an end. After the elimination of the desire for enjoying pleasure completely, ego shall be destroyed because this ego is bease on the desire for pleasures. In Yoga for Knowledge, through discrimination one should understand that we do not have any kind of relationship with the unreal, but our relationship exists with the omnipresent real self (existence). Having realized this fact, the ego will be rooted out. In Yoga of Devotion, assuming that only God is mine, and this world is not mine. By believing this reality, one should become indifferent to worldly matters and surrender himself to God, then also the ego shall be eradicated. In the Yoga of action (Karmayog), the ego becomes purified, in the Yoga of Knowledge (Jnanayog), the ego is completely edstroyed, and in the Yoga of Devotion (Bhaktiyog), the ego is changed. The result of all these three is one and the same.
The ego is temporary and changeable in nature. This is the experience of all of us. In a single day, ego gets changed many times. Before father, I say that I am a son, and in the presence of the son; I say that I am a father. If someone asks us ‘Please tell me whether you are a father or a son, then what shall be our answer ?’ If there could be only one true ego, then we could anser the truth positives. When we leave this artificiality and we look towards reality, then only we shall discover the real thing. We are the existence (reality) which exists in all of them. That reality is our true nature. If our real self had been a father, it would never have been a son. If before a son, I say that I am a father, and in front of the father, I say that I am a son, then this is the relative ego, which is only useful for social behavior. The attitude of egoism (ahamvritti) is not the doer (agent), but it is an instrument. The ego is the doer itself as I am eating, I am drinking, I am speaking etc., these are normal activities which are performed by the ‘ego-attitude’ but the ego remains continuously in all of these activities. By taking those activities, weh we look in us some sort of specialty, a sense of egoism just as ‘I am a rich man’, ‘I am a wise man’, ‘I am an intelligent man’, ‘I am a lecturer’ etc. In Gita it is mention –
Ahankaaravimoodhaatma kartaahamiti manyate || (Gita 3/27)
‘The fool whose mind is deluded by egoism, considers himself to be the doer’ (Gita 3/27)
In fact the elf is not the doer. Therefore the aspirant should hold, ‘I do nothing’, and he should stand firmly on this truth.
Naiva kinchitkaromiti yukto manyet tattvavit | (Gita 5 / 8)
‘A Sankhyayogi however, who knows the reality of things even though seeing, hearing, touching, seeing, eating, going, sleeping, breathing, speaking, passing urine and stool, talking and operning and closing the eyes, must believe that he does nothing.’
When a striver does not have the sense of doership and taintedness, he attains perfection i.e. acquires the ultimate union with God.
Yasya nahamkrto bhaavo budhriyasya na lipyate, यस्य नाहंकृतो भावो बुद्धिर्यस्य न लिप्यते। (Gita 18/17)
The attachment to the family, things, money bodies etc., is the taintedness of intellect. The sense of doership and taintedness-both are not real but they have been presumed.
Narayana ! Narayana !! Narayana !!!
From “For Salvation of Mankind” by Shradhey Swamiji Shri Ramsukhdasji Maharaj
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