For Seekers by Seekers

Everybody will agree that whatever I experience in the outer world is ‘not I’. If i can experience something, it is an object - so not me. Since I also experience my body, mind, memory, intellect - they are surely ‘not me’. The consciousness behind is the real me!

Sankara now reveals his true identity as that changeless, formless, all powerful, enlivening consciousness that pervades the entire universe yet not attached to it. Human goal is to become that consciousness through spiritual sadhana.

Sankara claims in this verse that he is neither born nor dies. Consequently, he has no affiliation created by birth - like father, mother, or any sort of relationships. He is beyond them. He does not distinguish between people and sees everyone as himself.

Sankara says that his identity is not in the good or not good work he does nor the results that accrue from the work he does. His identity is not in the spiritual practices he does. Neither is his identity of an experienced, experiencer or the act of experience.

Sankara after disowning that he is not the go further clarified that hatred, desire, greed, delusion, pride, jealousy which are six negative qualities of our mind /ego is not I. When we rid ourselves of these six negativity, we become perfect. We become that consciousness, happiness itself which does not have to do any work or respect any ethical rules anymore!

In Verse 2 of Nirvanashatakam, Sankara says he is not the life force either inside the body or outside, nor the seven types of tissues we are made up of. He says he is not even the five sheaths of human personality, nor the five organs of action

First verse of Nirvana Shatakam explains we are not the mind, intellect, memory, ego. Neither are we the five sense organs nor the five great elements. We are consciousness itself, that cognizant all these!!

We define ourselves by many ways - either by roles we play or by characteristics / attributes we assign to ourselves. But, is that truly who we are?