What is this ‘I’? +

People study Vedanta and they are under the delusion and conclude and declare:~ "I Am-Brahman", but they fail to realize the fact that, Brahman is everywhere and in everything! The existence of Brahman is not limited to his physical identity because of it is the very essence of form, time, and space. 

The ‘I’ is ignorance. Till one holds the ‘I’ as the Self, it is impossible to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Thus, the seeker has to get rid of the ignorance, which is present in the form of ‘I’, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. 

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 innermost 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 there then only the mind is there. If the mind is there, then only the universe is there. If the universe is there then only the waking is there. 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 beyond the 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.
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• ‘I’ is duality.
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• ‘I’ is form, time, and space. 
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• ‘I’ is the universe.
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• ‘I’ is the waking. 
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• ‘I’ is the dream.
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• ‘I’ is an illusion. 
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• ‘I’ is the experience of birth, life, death, and the world. 

But remember:~

• Without the ‘I’ there is no ignorance.
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• Without the ‘I’ there is no duality.
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• Without the ‘I’ there is no form, time, and space
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• Without the ‘I’ there is no universe.
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• Without the ‘I’ there is no waking. 
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• Without the ‘I’ there is no dream.
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• Without the ‘I’ there is no illusion. 
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• Without the ‘I’ there is no experience of birth, life, death, and the world. 

The ‘I’ hides the truth of the Soul, the 'Self'. 

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) 

It is time to discard the ‘I’. Never use the word the ‘I’ or I AM for the Self.

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

First, you must make sure the ‘I’ itself is illusory because the ‘I’ is not permanent.

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.

Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-awareness. By holding on to theories one remains in the realm of duality. You have to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper Self-search. 

Finally when you become aware of the fact that, your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of dualistic illusion or Maya. :~Santthosh Kumaar