Holding the Self as the ‘I’ and trying to assimilate Advaitic truth is like trying to drain the ocean drop by drop.+

Make sure ‘I’ is not the Self. If the  ‘I’ is not the Self then whatever you have seen, known, believed, and experienced as an individual is bound to be a falsehood.

If the Self is not ‘I’ then there is no other ‘I’ because the ‘I’ exist only in the domain of the duality. The Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The nature of the Soul is ‘I’-less. The ‘I’ is an illusory nature of the ‘I’. The ‘I’ appears and disappears.

Holding the Self as the  ‘I’ and trying to assimilate Advaitic truth is like trying to drain the ocean drop by drop.

What is this “I”? The ‘I’ is the mind. The body and the world together are the mind. If the mind is there, then only you and your experience of the world are there. If the mind is not there, then you and your mind cease to exist.

The mind is present in the form of the universe’ the universe appears as the waking or dream(duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).

If the ‘I’ is an illusion,  then it is no use of inquiring ‘Who Am I?. Until one holds the ‘I’ as the self,  is caught up in the prison of the duality.  

Sage Sankara:~  VC~.63: "Without knowing and examining the external world, one can’t know the Truth, as the idea that the external world exists, won't go. It can go only by an inquiry into the nature of the external world.

A deeper self-search reveals the fact that by inquiring the Who Am I?  wisdom will not dawn. Who Am I?- inquiry is only for beginners and it is inadequate and useless in the later stages.

That is why Sage Sankara: ~  VC~.61~ For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

VC-  v6~ Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal gods be propitiated---yet, without the realization of one‘s identity with the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together.

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

Until one gets convinced that the ‘I’ is not the Self, he will remain in ignorance of the formless  Soul of the innermost Self. If the  Self is formless, then the experience of birth, life, death, and the world is bound to be an illusion. Therefore, it is necessary to know and realize the fact that,  the Self is not the form, but it is formless before indulging in the inner (mental) journey.

The inquiry is not the set of questions but clearing all the doubts and confusion through deeper reasoning on his own.   There are no scope arguments in pursuit of truth because it is a personal journey that starts within the illusion (waking) and ends in realizing the truth. 

Thus, the arguments based on the false self will not lead one toward the non-dualistic goal. The seeker of truth has to share assimilation of knowledge and help and inspire fellow seekers and divert their attention from outer to inwardness.

  
The inquiry is to realize:~

v  “With what one knows himself and his experience of the world?

v  How he and his experience of the world have come into existence and with what? 

Until one becomes aware of that, that, which is responsible for him to function as a person and perceive the world, he will not become aware of the fact that the true Self is a formless, nameless identity. 

It cannot be called anything and it cannot be approached because it exists prior to waking or dream. And prior to the appearance of waking and dream, there is nothingness or emptiness.  That emptiness or nothingness itself is the Soul or Spirit, which is the formless substance and the witness of the three states.

Without this formless substance which is in the form of consciousness, nothing can exist. The Soul, the Self is the center of physical existence.  When the center is aware of the objects (waking or dream) it becomes the mind or the ‘I’.  When the center is aware of its formless non-dual true nature, it is the Soul, the Self. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Remember:~

First, know what this 'I' suppose 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 the waking or dream (duality and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality). 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. The consciousness pervades everything and everywhere in all three states.

Without knowing what the mind is, 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 present then only the universe is present. 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 truth of the whole. The ‘I’ hides the truth.

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)

Those Gurus who expound ‘I-centric’ knowledge is propagating ignorance. The seeker has to be aware of the fact that the ‘I’ itself is ignorance. The truth is hidden by the ‘I’.  

Bhagavad Gita: ~ “You must first see the ‘I’ as illusory before you see others as illusory. ~ CH.2 v.16

If you stick to ‘I-centric Gurus and their teaching you are sticking up to ignorance. By following ‘I-centric’ teaching even after a hundred years you will never realize the ‘Self’ hidden by the ‘I’.  If you are seeking truth then you should not waste your precious time and fortune by attending the Satsangha and retreats.

That is why Bhagavan Buddha said: ~ ‘Believe nothing because a wise man said it, Believe nothing because it is generally held. Believe nothing because it is written. Believe nothing because it is said to be divine. Believe nothing because someone else said it. But believe only what you yourself judge to be true.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is the truth’ and ‘’what is untruth’. It takes time for the Soul, the  Self to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one realizes the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.:~Santthosh Kumaar