Most will read this blog and other such material on Advaita and wonder "what does it have which will benefit me?". Well, before you begin to read any further, let it be clear that there is nothing here that will benefit you. In fact, be warned that the more you read and digest what is being said here, the more likely is it that it will result in you losing all that you valued so far. The one thing that most people value is their identity with the body and mind- the "me". Just try insulting someone and you will get an immediate taste of what is being pointed to! Or how about if someone insults you.
As a result of the belief of being the body, one caters to the body and become a slave of the desires of the body. They become a slave to the demands of the mind. As is obvious, the mind can be a dominating and ruthless master. The "me" that is being pointed to here is the identity of being an individual. One may call it the ego, if they wish.
This individual identity is the well established feeling of being this body and this mind. Since early childhood, this has been ingrained into one's psyche by family, school and society. So strong is this individual identity that despite being convinced that one is neither the body nor the mind, the identity still persists for almost all but the very rare few. The three pillars of faith, devotion and surrender to the Guru are absolutely essential, in the opinion of this author, to dispel this idea of being the body and the mind i.e. an individual. Without the three pillars of faith, devotion and surrender to the Guru, this despicable "me" is not willing to give up the battle.
By constant inquiry into the nature of one's own self (vichara) and with the support of the three pillars, the despicable "me" will eventually subside. With the subsidence of the "me", one is in one's own Natural State which is beyond any description but always available to all. It is just a matter of seeing the false as false. The "me" is a false entity and should simply be recognized as such. Otherwise, this despicable "me" will make one dance to its tune. Hopefully the one reading this is that rare one to realize the false as false.
