Gnani: If the ‘I’ is in its real ‘I’ location, then it is not ego. If you believe ‘I am Chandulal’, then the superimposition of the ‘I’ on Chandulal is ego. When you identify ‘I’ with your real Self (its proper place), then it is not ego. If the ‘I’ comes out of its incorrectly positioned place (Chandulal) and assumes its real place, then the ego is gone. Therefore, you do not have to get rid of the ‘I’, but you just need to put the ‘I’ in its correct location.

Until now, you were not even aware that all your beliefs are wrong. Until now, your belief was that ‘I am Chandulal’. But all these are mere adjustments, temporary adjustments only. All these relatives are temporary adjustments and ‘You’ are permanent. However, you do not have the awareness of the permanent yet.

This is an effort on one’s part to remain hidden from one’s own Self for endless lives. Is it not strange that for infinite lives one has remained hidden from his Real Self and yet he knows everything that is related to the non-self? How long do you think he will remain hidden from his Real Self? This life is meant for the realization of one’s Real Self. The human life is expressly meant for the investigation of one’s true identity. Otherwise, one will wander aimlessly. Do you not think it is imperative that you will need to know the answer to “Who am I ? Will you not need to enquire about who you really are?

Questioner: What technique or method is there by which I can come to know my Real Self?

Gnani: ‘I’ is the elemental form and ‘My’ is a circumstantial form. The circumstantial form and the elemental form are always separate. ‘I’ is the natural elemental form.

‘I’ is God and ‘My’ is maya (illusion). Everything that falls under ‘My’ is illusion. ‘My’ is all maya. ‘My’ is filled with all varieties of maya. The moment you say ‘My’, you are under the influence of maaya. Whenever you say ‘My’, you become attached to whatever you refer to as ‘My’. ‘I’ thus attaches to ‘My’. ‘My’ cannot attach to ‘I’. ‘My’ is relative to ‘I’.

…to be continued in next part…

–from the book shivoham

–Shikha Punjani