Why You Are NOT The Body - Part 1

You have always believed yourself to be the body. That is one of the primary reasons for your suffering. You have falsely assumed the identity of being the body. Yet, when you carefully analyze this question of whether you really are the body, you will be amazed by the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. There are two ways of being convinced about the answer to any question. One way is when someone shows you the answer and the other way is for you to discover the answer your self. In the case of established falsehood, the second method is the only way to expose the falsehood. Therefore, it is absolutely essential for you to discover yourself that you are NOT the body.  No amount of convincing by anyone else will make you realize the false identity you have accepted i.e. "I am the body".

While there are infinite pointers to why you are not the body, we will discuss a few of them and hopefully that will trigger the process of discovery for the one who is reading this essay. Let us begin by assuming you are the body, since you have been fully ingrained into believing this so far.

If indeed you are the body,  what material part of the body are you? Meaning, are you the water which compromises approximately 70% of the body, or are you the various minerals including carbon, iron, calcium, magnesium etc.? Or are you the oxygen or air that fill up the lungs and is carried by the blood? Or are you the space that is in between the cells and fills up the crevices of the interior of the body? Can you find yourself anywhere in particular in this material structure called the body? If so, where and which specific material can you call your self to be?  Confused? Good! That is why it is necessary to start the process of discovery and hunt down this entity called "me" or "I" in this body that you want to identify with. You must find your self. 

You start objecting after you listen to the above, and that is understandable. So, let us look at it from another angle. So, who is reading this article right now? Your answer would be " I am reading, naturally".  All right, since you have already confirmed that you are the body, can you please answer which material part of the body is the one which is reading? Is it the carbon, water, oxygen, space or is it the iron, magnesium, potassium or zinc? Oh, the whole body is reading it? Is it the eyes that are reading it and if so, could the eyes placed in a bowl of formalin actually read? Obviously, the hands and feet or the trunk cannot be reading. Can't be the whole body in that case. Let us perhaps narrow it down a little more. Perhaps it is the brain. Really? The brain is also composed of the same material as the rest of the body with the exception that there is more water in the brain. Once again could it be the water or the carbon doing the reading?  Can inanimate materials really see and read, comprehend, speak, hear or perceive? If not, then please answer who or what is it that does the act of perception, hearing, speaking or seeing. You get the drift of where this is going. If you really want to discover your self, you MUST answer and convince yourself regarding the questions and answers.

Not convinced yet? OK, then let us argue from a different angle. Remember, every one has his own way of doing things. You own this computer on which you are reading this message. If anyone asks you, whose computer is it? You answer, "my computer". There is you - the owner or one who is possessing the computer. And, there is the computer - the object that is possessed. In the same manner, if someone asks you, "whose body is it?". You answer, "my body". Again, the same conclusion. There is you - the owner of the body or one who possesses the body. And, there is the body -the object possessed.  The owner cannot be the one that is owned.  So, you have to figure out -"who is the owner"?

Anyway, one can go on and on about why you are NOT the body. It is pointless going on putting it all down on paper. Unless one can be convinced after self-questioning or self inquiry, one can go around in circles and make this whole discussion into an endless conversation piece. One must ask one's own self and figure it out. Go figure!

Communicating Truth

There are several ways in which the Truth can be communicated to the seeker. For those of you who are new to the teachings of Advaita Vedanta, it may perhaps be beneficial to familiarize yourself with them before trying to understand the matter being discussed below. While it is absolutely true that no practice or sadhana is really necessary for Self Realization, for most of the seekers, a level of mental preparedness is essential to grasp the pointers to the Truth. There are several methods to improve the one pointedness or focus of the mind on only one object so as to filter out all unnecessary distractions for the mind.  This one pointedness or determination of the mind is essential for the arrow of the pointer to strike the target. These methods would again depend on the nature of the mind of the seeker and level of maturity of the seeker. The methods include prayer, meditation, chanting (japa) or breath control (pranayama).  It is beyond the scope of today's discussion to address all these methods and the reader is advised to inquire about the same in the many exhaustive works of Vedanta already available.

This discussion is regarding the pointers from the Guru when the seeker asks the Guru about the Ultimate Truth.  This is true of seekers who have perhaps already exhausted all other avenues of reaching the Ultimate goal and have come to the Guru in desperation and hope to be finally liberated. Generally, depending on the level of maturity of the mind of the seeker, the Jnani (Realized one) will try to point him/her to the Truth. The Jnani can know, based on the questions that the seeker asks as well as the responses or answers to questions from the seeker, as to the level of maturity of the seeker. There are basically two methods of communication in this world. One is through the medium of silence and the other is through the medium of language and words or gestures, and the second is through silence. For most of you readers, the first method may seem a bit strange as to be even mentioned. Since, we are addressing this matter in the state of duality, remember that opposites or dyads are the nature of duality. What is silence without sound and what is sound without silence?

The Guru/ Jnani may decide to convey the message through silence or the look of Grace. Bhagawan Ramana Maharshi is a well known for using this method of conveying the Truth. It is a powerful method with immediate results for the mature seeker who is ready. To give an analogy, if the wood is dry and ready, a spark is all it takes for it to burn immediately. On the other hand, if the wood is only partially dry, it takes a little while for it to catch the fire and may need several attempts to light it. A wood that is still wet, will need more time for it to dry before the spark can even attempt to get it to burn. In the same way, the state of mind will determine if the pointer from the Guru will achieve immediate results or if more time is needed. In the method of silence, all it needs is for the Guru to look into the eyes of the seeker and the seeker is no more. The seeker becomes one with the Guru and the message gets through.

The other method of communication is through the medium of words or language. Since most seekers are immersed in this state of duality and language is the medium of duality (the speaker and the listener), this method is likely to work for the majority. Shree Nisargadatta Maharaj is an example of a Jnani who exploited this method of communication. After all, it does not matter how the message gets through to the seeker, the goal of the Guru is to make sure that it gets through. Even if the message from the Guru does not light the fire right away, in due course of time it will. The words of the Guru will never go to waste on the ears of a sincere and determined seeker. It is just a matter of time before the seed shall sprout, as the Maharaj used to say.

In Search of God

What is the seeker actually seeking? Is he or she not searching for God? The search begins by looking for God and the search ends in one's own Self.  One goes out in search, only to return back to one's own Self. God Realization and Self Realization are one and the same.

The search is not outside but within. Saint Kabir has made this so clear in this simple but profound couplet. No need for any further discussion. As simple and as clear a pointer as can be.

Jab Mein Tha Tab Hari Nahin, Jab Hari Hai Mein Nahin
Sab Andhiyara Mit Gaya, Jab Deepak Dekhya Mahin

Translation

When "I" was, then Hari (God) was not, Now Hari (God) "is" and "I" am not
All the darkness (ignorance) got erased, When I saw the Light within.

The Known is Not Real

Strange as it may seem, the seeker is on a quest of more knowledge. The seeker feels that one more bit of information may seal the deal in his search for the Truth or Reality. The seeker strongly believes that there may be a missing bit of information that will somehow solve the puzzle of the nature of Reality. Nothing can be farther from the truth.

While it is true that a Guru is a must for showing the way to Reality, the Guru actually does not tell the seeker the Truth. The Guru is a guidepost pointing in the direction of Reality. The seeker must then do a sincere inquiry into the nature of Reality and constantly keep his mind focused on this matter of interest. Why is it that the Guru will not reveal the Truth to the seeker? Is the Guru not interested in the liberation of the seeker? Of course not.  There is nothing more important to the Guru than to liberate the seeker. The Guru keeps repeating the same instructions again and again. It is the doubting seeker that fails to grasp the pointers from the Guru.

The Guru has told that whatever is known is not Real. For those of you who are still wondering what exactly does one mean by "Real", here is an explanation. In brief, Real would be anything that does not change. It thereby implies that the Real would be changeless, unmoving, immortal (beyond birth and death) and eternal (beyond time). On inquiry it becomes obvious that all that is within the realm of the known is capable of change.  All objective knowledge is therefore unreal. The only unchanging knowledge is the Self Knowledge or the Knowingness that I am. This is the closest one can get to information about Reality. However, this knowledge or sense of being or sense of 'I', is also not real. You have to investigate as to when and how you got this knowledge or sense of 'I'. Is this sense of 'I' going to last forever? Is this sense of 'I' not related to the presence of a body?  If there is no body, would there be a sense of 'I'?  This sense of 'I' came spontaneously and will go spontaneously. There is nothing you can do to hold on to it. But, as long as it is there, you love this 'I' and want it to go on forever.  Ramana Maharshi said "what comes and goes is not real".  So, you know that this 'I' is also not real.

The Knowledge itself knows that the 'I' is unreal.  There is no entity that has this knowledge. Just Knowledge itself Knowing. In the absence of the 'I', who is there is know the Reality?  The Jnani (one who has Realized) does not go about saying " I am Real and you are unreal". On the other hand, the Jnani says " I am unreal and you are unreal".  The Jnani knows that the play of dyad and triads, of knowledge and ignorance, is itself an illusion or maya.

The Jnani knows that the Unknown is the Reality.  Whatever is known cannot be Real.  Therefore, you can only know what you are not. 

My True Identity is No Identity

The problem with most seekers is that they eagerly jump from one identity to another. As the thoughts flow, so do the identities. Even on somehow arriving at the pointers to the Truth, they get fooled into thinking that they are now unique in their thinking process and so must be different from the other persons. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The fact is that you are no different from any other person. All is ONE and ONE is All.  All that appears different is just that- an appearance. When one turns one's attention to one's own self, the appearance disappears immediately. An appearance cannot be without the one to whom it appears.  The substratum is the same regardless of the appearance. The problem is that almost everyone is interested in the appearance and therefore forgets one's own self. You may say one ignores one's own self. Hence the confusion with various identities that one adopts or imposes upon one self.

When one truly turns the attention of the mind away from the objects, which are nothing but appearances, and LOOKS at one's own Source, then it becomes clear that one cannot identify with any thing.  Zero (shoonya). Upon careful inquiry, all identities dissolve into nothingness. One is left empty.   And yet, even saying emptiness or nothingness is not true since that in itself would create a mental concept and thus create another identity in itself.  All concepts are based on opposites. Emptiness versus fullness. Nothingness versus somethingness.  But your True Identity transcends all concepts.  The best way to perhaps describe THAT which is beyond any description would be to say that your True Identity is No Identity. THAT is who you really are. All else is an appearance - basically, nothing-just an illusion.

Time to Wake Up

You think you are awake right now, isn't it? You argue that this is the waking state.  No argument there unless and until you really inquire into your Real Identity. Upon careful inquiry you will come to the conclusion that you are actually not awake. This is the primary dream state or primary illusion state. The 'I am' is the primary illusion or dream state. This illusory state gives one the impression of being, being an entity. This 'I am' latches on to various thoughts and establishes various identities. Thus the confusion of one's True Nature. Yet, it is through this primary dream state that one can establish one's own True Nature and Realize the falseness of this state that one calls the "waking state" and become free.

The dream one gets in sleep is the secondary dream state. Often, the secondary dream results in images and events related to the primary dream state. Then, there is the deep sleep state or dreamless sleep. All these states come and go. YOU(the REAL You) are none of these states. YOU are the one who is AWARE of these states. You remain still and are AWARE of the movement or absence of movement in all these states. Is it not time for you to actually WAKE UP?

The Guru Is Not An Individual

When one starts out inquiring into one's own nature, he or she is still trapped in the false belief that he or she is an entity separate and independent of the world of objects around them. The seeker then comes across a Guru or Teacher who being Enlightened, gives the seeker Knowledge of the Truth. The Guru points one to one's own True Nature and encourages one to inquire within. However, instead of Listening to the words of the Guru, the seeker often starts looking up to the Guru as an individual who has pointed out the Truth. Because of the false assumption that the Guru is indeed the body-mind entity (individual) who is speaking the words, the words of the Guru fail to hit the intended target, which is the ego or the false self of the seeker. The seeker thus fails to grasp the real meaning of the pointers. The greater problem however is that the seeker starts to make judgements on the behavior, character, actions and personality of the Guru and begins to wonder as to how this can be reconciled with what is being heard coming from the mouth of the Guru. The Guru when seen as an individual seems like any ordinary person, full of the contradictions that make up an individual.  Your impression of what a Guru should look and behave like may not necessarily correlate to what is presented to you by the Guru. The profound words coming from the mouth of the Guru seem to be contradictory to the general impression one may get on seeing the Guru as an individual. It is one of the main reasons why the pointers from the Guru are not fully absorbed.

When one takes oneself to be an individual, it is but natural to look at all others as individuals, separate from your own self. But, when one Realizes that one is not an individual, then there is no distinction between oneself and the others. When listening to the words of the Guru, do not believe that you are listening to an individual. On the contrary, realize that it is consciousness speaking to consciousness. To state it better, speaking and listening are happening in consciousness. There is in reality, no entity involved in this process. When one lets the Message from the Guru penetrate deep into the very consciousness that one is, then there is profound and definite shift in the consciousness which leads to Self Realization.

The Guru is in fact nameless and formless. No identity can be given to the Guru. The Guru is none other than your own Self. The Guru is not separate from you. The one who thinks is separate is the ghost that you call "me". On inquiry you will realize that there is no entity here that you can call "me" or "mine". So, give up trying to analyze the personality that is trying to teach you the Truth. Instead, sit quietly and LISTEN to the words of the Guru. For the words of the Guru themselves will lead you to the Truth of who you really, really are.