Who am I anyway?

Stacey had some comments on yesterday’s blog: Finding security in an ever changing world:

Great article Michael, I would definitely have to agree with your writing saying that security comes from perception in life. All of life is built upon how we view it from within. This goes for all things in life, whether it is financial or physical problems. They still have to be dealt with within our own minds and reasoning, and this will ultimately determine how we deal with situations going on around us.

Yes I agree that our identity should not be linked to objects. We are not objects; we are people, who can also think about the space to which we live.

All the best,
Stacey T Pollock
http://creationtheory.weebly.com

Hi Stacey,

Thank you for your comments. The very key to the mystery of the universe is discovering that we are not an object. This means that we are not limited by what we see. So self-knowledge is a matter of stripping off limitation like you strip off worn out clothes. In the end you discover that you are the seer herself, unencumbered by any of the objects that you see.

Then, of course, you can still chose to wear the clothes. But you don’t take yourself to be the clothes. In Vedanta, the knowledge tradition in India, when you take your identity to be an object, it is called misidentification.

This is like in the dim evening light, taking a rope to be a snake, or a post to be a ghost. When you finally see what’s there, you put an end to fear. You also put an end to running after happiness and security in objects that just can’t give you what you already have.

To know the world, return home
If you want to know what the world is, just return to your true home. In Vedanta this home is called Consciousness and Bliss. Your identity is limitless, free from the least feeling of separation. Standing here you get to see what the One God really is. It is not which one. God is one without a second. This is not a matter of faith. When you know yourself you know what God is.

So what is an object? Well, you don’t take your self to be a house or a car. So we can eliminate them quickly. Yes, we can summarily say that you are not a house. But what about this body, you see that too, don’t you? So are you limited to a body or are you the Awareness that sees the body?

Inquiry is revisiting the objects that you thought were you
I think that you can see where we a going here. You really want to revisit those objects that seem like they are you. You know, “This is just the way I am” or “This is just me.” These are the little assumptions that keep us centered right smack in the middle of limitation. But now we can look at these objects with fresh eyes. This is a freshness that comes from our newly found wisdom.

So moving in a little closer, what about the mind? As you pointed out in your article, we barely know what the mind is anyway. But we do know our thoughts, don’t we? Thoughts are just objects that we see; they are not us. So we even stand beyond the reach of the mind.

Are we limited to a person?
Now what about the person represented by the thought ‘I?’ Aren’t we aware of that thought too? “I know, I don’t know, I walk, or I’m a writer.” In all of these cases the ‘I’ is just an object that we also see, isn’t it? So the most surprising part of this inquiry into our nature is that we even stand beyond the person.

Then how do you know your self?
So the next obvious question is, if we are beyond the mind, how can we know our self? We are not an object that is seen. So there has to be a different way, don’t you agree? The answer is that we know our self because we are our self. Since our nature is Consciousness and Bliss, we don’t need a light outside of our self to see what we are.

If we wanted to see the sun, we would not have to light a candle, right? We know the sun by its own light. In the same way we know our self because we are consciousness, without the need for a separate consciousness.

Indeed it is misidentification to think that it is the mind that perceives the world. It is by our own consciousness that we know the world, and know our own mind too. So it is really our nature, Consciousness that lights up the world.

Here we find a freedom that we never knew existed
We can’t stand apart from this Consciousness and look at it as though it were an object. But we know Consciousness in all of its magnificent radiance. We know Consciousness because we are Consciousness, unfettered by any of the limitations that we see. Standing here we discover a freedom that we never knew existed.

Stacey, your comments and questions are always welcome here.
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Question everything
Here I always encourage questions. People take too much for granted about the world, their body, mind, and their nature. Questioning encourages you to take a fresh look. Looking afresh, once again life becomes fresh and a real adventure. Without changing a thing, everyday experiences become completely new. If you need help with your questions you can write me at 
michael@light-up-your-life.com.

Please join us
Every Tuesday we hold a meeting here in our house in Los Gatos California. All too often it is only my wife and I that attend. But we still have a wonderful time. If you find yourself in this area and would like to attend here is a link where you can find more information

www.light-up-your-life.com/talks.html

Other resources available to you
If you need a more basic understanding of this Self-Knowledge or if you just want support for your practice, go to www.light-up-your-life.com and read down the main column. Also check out the different links that we provide as resources. They can help you to sharpen the focus of your meditation practice.

Another resource that we offer is the book, Making Your Wisdom Come Alive, a step by step guide taking you from your everyday experience to the highest wisdom and truth. To find out more, click on the link below:

wisdom.light-up-your-life.com

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Please Tell Your Friend
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You have my best wishes,

Michael Gluckman