Who Am I?

‘Who am I’?

    This question has never been answered due to the simple reason that it cannot be answered! However, this does not preclude one conyemplating on the problem and realizing ‘who he/she is’ with the help of a guru, an attained person, and through a well recognized path of yoga. But, the question is ‘Who is interestedin all these?” Only those who say ”Enough is enough; i want redemption from all this drama of life” only will look for redemption and finally come to this site.

    “Who am I?”

   This question is persistently asked by every jiva when it gets puzzled as to its role in life. It is confused. It is always somebody and not the real self. Hence it seeks an answer. What is the answer? The answer is very simple and direct. When all that are called ‘me and mine’ are discarded what remains is ‘that’ pure self. This pure self is inexplicable. It is pure bliss, total awareness of the true self. This state is found in deep sleep as well as a state of samadhi yoga. It is not an unconscious state; it is total awareness of the self and everything else within its self.

   A living being, jiva, will ultimately find out who he/she is after a long introspection, quest, inward journey! It (the jiva) discovers that it is an embodiment, acquisition of a material gross physical body and it is constantly changing with time; hence it is not the ‘sat’, true self. So also, the fickle mind,s always thinking about this and that, called ‘manovikalpa’, or’ chanchala chitta’, together with the perverted intelligence (vipareeta buddhi), is not the true self. The ‘ego’ (ahankar) that rules the jiva, too, is not the self. All these- manas, buddhi and ahankar, are at rest when the jiva when the jiva goes to deep sleep. So, the jiva finds that all these appendage- physical, mental or psychosomatic entity, is of no avail to find out the true self.

     Finally, a Guru (Yogacharya Shree Krishna) comes, as if by divine providence, to help the confused jiva (Arjuna) to redeem it from all this mire of mental or physical, earthly existence. However, it is not that easy; this needs a bit of carryover of the fruits of action (karma phala) carried over from the past (purvarjita), God’s grace (anugraha), and the blessings (ashirvada) of the departed souls, teachers, and elders.

     The jiva has to prepare for this long journey taking recourse to yoga through spiritual practices (adhyatma sadhana), satsang, and study of scriptures. Finally, the jiva comes to know that it is not ‘this’ and this’. It finds out that the true nature of the jiva is nothing but the ‘truth, consciousness and bliss (sat-chit-ananda) and, it is finally redeemed. This may happen instantly or may take several lives! This is a big question mark? It is all a question of discarding what all is acquired from birth, rather than adding accumulating wealth and appendages, prefixes, affixes, and afflictions to the name, form, and function or revelling in the mire of earthly existence, enjoying a sensuous life that is transient.

    The jiva located on this planet earth is a mysterious one. The earth is supposed to be an ideal place for jivarashi to survive and propagate. It is now clear from research findings in the fields of astronomy, physics, chemistry and biology that a few fundamental particles go to make the entire cosmic entity, the universe, consisting of the galaxies, stars, planets and their satellites, the living beings (jiva-rashi), and all that. These fundamental particles are subtler subatomic particles that radiate energy. The four types of forces that govern the universe are classified as: Gravity, Electromagnetism, Atomic Energy and some Strong and Weak forces. Yet another essential missing force which acts as a catalyst, or that binds all these, is believed to be there, yet to be discovered!

  Ancient scriptures give classification that is not much different from the present-day scientific one. The language may be different but the sum and substance are the same. Briefly, the scientific method is one of experimentation, observation, generalization and universal application. However, the findings are subject to further investigations and change; nothing is certain. They have thus presented hypotheses, postulations, theories of probability, etc. But, this is not the case with the scriptures that are intuitional statements, each one personally experienced by the learned ones through deep contemplation in transcendental meditation. These have been pronounced as final! There is no further question about it. Thus we have the opinions of the Spiritual scientists (vedantin) and the material scientists (padartha vijnyani). The views of the great sages are in aphorisms or cryptic verses, coded language with symbolism, imageries, and esoteric verses and need be properly decoded with the help of a learned teacher; so also, the mathematical equations, formulae, and theories that need a proper guide. Thus, nothing is easy and the common man remains ignorant of all these and somehow ekes out a living. Most of the people do not bother about the spiritual aspects and simply live on. 

  So, the question of ‘who am I’, ‘where am I’ and ‘what is it I am doing here’ remain unanswered.