The journey of the inquiry into our true identity begins by breaking up the Whole, which is our inner self, into many different parts or aspects.  

Breaking up the whole into parts requires that we recognize that whatever we experience, both the experienced and the experiencer are handed to us by our Karma.  It must be recognized, that the events are not our making neither are the results.  We hand over the responsibility for both to the higher power. This 'handing over' of responsibility is the Bhakthi aspect that vests the faith in the Paramathma to vest in us the strength and the resolve to face and overcome hurdles alog the path is an absolute cornerstone. No progress will be possible unless this attitude is ingrained into us. 

When we go on the journey of breaking up our own inner selves into many different parts, we should also become aware of their interdependancies.  Each part within us has a purpose. 

When we start to break up the different aspects within us, we do so with the intention of discovering the one source or one root from which the rest of the components take shape. In other words we are trying to identify the one attribute within us which represents our true self. 

This journey of breaking up ourselves into different pieces can occur only when we consciously distance ourselves from the objects that we are looking at. 

Take for example the external world which is the very first source of knowledge of our own inner self.  To learn from the external world, we have to observe.  To be able to observe, we should be able to stand apart from it as an objective observer.  If we get involved in it our minds will become clouded and we will not be able to learn the right lessons from the experience.  If we get involved and try to influence the events that occur, so that they fulfill our desires, we will get entrapped in the coils of life and extrication from the bonds will become onerous and our efforts at escaping will only tighten the coils even more. 

On the other hand if we sit in a corner and refuse to get involved in anything, there will be no learning.  Nothing will happen to stimulate the mind and get it going on the path of evolution. So how do we grow without getting inextricably involved?

This is where the role of the "I" (Or Ahamkaram or EGO) comes in.  As everything else about us, it is a two sided weapon and has to be used with great care.  It s indispensible in the early parts of the journey, but as we progress, it has to be cast aside.  In fact, unless it is cast aside in the final stages, we will not reach the destination.  

Lets look at what this "I" is and how it is to be used. 

In the process of learning, we require to seperate ourselves from the object of learning and yet we have to be part of it.  The "I" is the seperator, that helps us to distance ourselves from the objects of this world.  This is why the external world appears as a manifestation of different objects, shapes, sizes, colours, events and most importantly, lessons to be learned. In reality, it is nothing but a projection of our own inner selves. This ability to project ourselves, and become conscious of the various aspects of the external world is made possible by the "I" which takes on the role of the seperator.  

We observe the external world and we are a part of it, yet we evaluate the objects that we observe as being differernt from us. The ability to seperate is endowed on us. The ability to differentiate arises from the belief (either conscious or unconscious) that "We are not what we are able to observe". Which means we are basically implying that we are the observer and we are not the observed. So we alienate whatever we observer as not being our true selves.  

Two aspects of this differentiation are to be noted -

1.  We become conscious of an object or attribute only after we are able to seperate it and isolate it (from ourselves). Until we seperate there is no awareness. So our consciousness arises from our ability to isolate and observe the different aspects of our own inner selves. Without this seperation there will be no consciousness. 

2. When we are able to seperate a particular aspect and subject it to observation, that means that our mind has been able to isolate and seperate that object or attribute from its whole self.  After seperating that particular aspect, if we are able to continue to observer it, then it implies that that particular object or attrubute is not essential for our survival or existence. Which means that that particular aspect has served its purpose and is no longer needed to perpetuate our consciousness. We have outgrown that aspect of us and have evolved to a higher level. 

So the ability to break up the world of objects into differernt components is very essential for the search of the nature of our true selves.  

Unfortunately this process also results in the development of the EGO.  We assume that we are superior to everyhing that we are able observe.....!!!!!

More on this in the following web pages. 

Inquiry into the self means to look for one's true identity.  Questions such as - "Do my physical organs represent my true self?", are easily answered with a "No", simply because many handicapped people are able to get along without some of their physical faculties.  These days people can live on artifical hearts, donated kidneys and so on. 

A more difficult question to answer is - "Am "I" my mind"? 

The Puranas answer this question with a firm "No". 

The Puranas equate the true identity with a state of permenance. Our true identity is one that does not depend on the transient forces of this world for its existence. This permenance is the Atma - the unchanging and eternal consciousness. 

The Jiva Atma is entwined with the mind and its offsprings the human thought process and the senses.

The Vedas and the Shastras propound that thought is born out of the perception of the Material World. The material world is a preset sequence of events (Karma) perceived/experienced by the mind through the instrument of  the sense organs. 

The Paramathma says that the mind dies when its Karma is done. The Atma lives into the next level or takes on the next Janma, depending on how much of independance it managed to win from the mind and its sense organs.

The Jiva Atma or Conscousness is the passive observer.  It is the constant power source, but does not interfere in the decision making process.

So it is the ATMA that exists on a permanent basis.   

The ATMA is the true self. 

The ATMA is the vehicle that carries the net result of our "Punya" and "Papa" into the next Janma.

The cycle of births and deaths stops when we realize that our true self is the Atma which is not impacted by the push and pull of the material world.

This reincarnation stops when our thoughts evolve to the level where there is no more accumulation of Punya or Papa. 

Essentially, the Atman is freed from experiencing Karma when thought is no longer tied to or influenced by the sways of the material world.

As long it is attached to the thought process and is pulled and pushed by the opposites that stimulate thought, then it will be subject to reincarnation.

Establishment of the ATMA as the supreme controller of the inner self is a primary requirement to guide and evolve thought to higher and higher planes of existence. 

This can happen only when there is complete understanding and acceptance of the heirarchy within us.

Thought, which is the medium through which the Atma perceives the universe, has the potential to entrap and bind the ATMA permenantly to this material world. 

The ATMA cannot graduate out of this world unless the MIND is able to evolve out of the pushes and pulls that characterize everyday existence on this planet.

The Mind loves the pleasures that it experiences through the senses. The ATMA restrains the mind from falling into the trap of pleasures. This is a continous conflict which has to be resolved by ATMA taking control. 

The Atma can take control only when the realization sets into the mind that it does not represent our identity and that it is subservient to the true self which is the Atma.

For this realization to set in, two things have to happen.  First, the mind has to become subdued and become independant of the sense pleasures. Secondly, the Atma has to distance itself from the forces driving the mind.

The ability of the ATMA to distance itself from the Mind will determine its ability to observe and control the mental process. As long as it remains entwined with the Mind, it cannot observe, it cannot learn and it cannot control.

Does the mind evolve to become the Atma by evolving out of transcience and into permenance? 

The relationship between the ATMA and the MIND is an intricate one and will be examined in detail in later sections.

The "I" is an artificial seperation of the mind into two halves. One is the mirror that reflects everything back so the mind can see itself in action. This half is the external world.  The other half is the receiver of this reflection or the PERCEIVER.  This half assumes the responsibility of the IDENTITY ("I") or what is commonly known as the EGO. 

When put in the form of an equation,

Know = Known + Knower

The Ego or the Identity is the process by which the Mind seperates the Known from the Knower.

When we perceive other objects (mainly through the senses), the mind uses its capability to seperate itself from the observed object.  The mind takes the identity of "I" and assigns, a seperate "It", "That" or "Them" identity to the observed objects and people.

It would help to keep in mind that what it is observing and participating in is the fixed Karmic sequence of events that are played out within itself. This is very much like watching a modern virtual reality show except that we do not hold any switches in our hand  to control the action.  These switches or points of control are imbedded deep within the mind.

The mind has to reach within itself to be able to reach the control panel. 

The clues to reaching the switches are to be deciphered from the Karmic action being observed and very importantly, from the Paramathma's teachings. 

The artificial identity "I" or the EGO (Ahankara) which was created by the mind only for the purpose of differentiating the self from the observed events, assumes the role of theSEEKER. It assumes (or deludes itself) into taking ownership of all objects, people and events that it can observe/experiemce through the senses.

The fact that the observed events are the product of the Mind, of which the "I" is a part, is totally relegated to the background or completely discarded (even assuming that it is actually known). If the individual had not been intitated into the Paramathma's teaching, this fact about the Mind would not be anywhere in the picture and the "I" would be completely "in-charge" and take on the role of the ultimate seeker.

The impact of  Karmic events on the "I" is so great that it soon gets into "conflict" mode and attempts to use its resources and capabilities of the mind to take control of the situation and determine what events it wants to experience and what it wants to eliminate. 

The "I" is now completely lost in its Karma and the entanglement grows with each experience or event. The Mind is completely under the control of the "I" which was supposed to be only its own creation of convenience and was for the purpose of differentiation only.

There are now three entities - The MIND, The Identity "I" and our KARMA. 

So which of these is the SEEKER? Which is our TRUE Identity?

THE ANSWER COMES FROM THE PARAMATHMA's ASSERTION OF THE ESSENTIAL QUALITY OF THAT IDENTITY - WHICH IS - PERMANENCE.

PERMANENCE MEANS - NO CHANGE.

NO CHANGE MEANS - NO IMBALANCE.

NO IMBALANCE MEANS - THE FORCES OF PERCEPTION AND ENERGY ARE NOT DEPENDANT ON CREATION AND DESTRUCTION OF THE OPPOSITES. PERCEPTION IS NOT BOUND BY SPACE AND TIME. IT BECOMES INFINITE, BOUNDLESS.

BOUNDLESS MEANS - COMPLETELY EVOLVED. NO FURTHER DEVELOPMENT IS NEEDED. SELF REALIZED.

SELF REALIZED MEANS - EXISTENCE DOES NOT DEPEND ON EXTRANEOUS FORCES. ALL THAT IS NEEDED FOR SELF SUSTENANCE WILL BE GENERATED FROM WIThIN, AT WILL. THIS MEANS THAT EXISTENCE WILL NOT REQUIRE OF FORCES THAT ARE SUBJECT TO IMBALANCES AND CHANGE.

WHEN THE MIND BEGINS ITS INWARD LOOKING JOURNEY, ONE KEY ASPECT OF THE LEARNING MUST BE NOTED - LEARNING AND TRANSFORMATION ARE CONCURRENT PROCESSES. SO AS THE MIND LEARNS ABOUT ITSELF, IT UNDERGOES PERMANENT TRANSFORMATION. WHICH MEANS THAT THE SEEKER UNDERGOES CHANGES TO EVOLVE TO HIGHER AND HIGHER LEVELS OF EXISTENCE AS THE LEARNING PROGRESSES.

NOTE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEARNING ABOUT THE SELF AND LEARNING ABOUT "EXTERNAL OBJECTS". WHEN THE LEARNING OCCURS ABOUT EXTERNAL OBJECTS, THE MIND BECOMES THE OBSERVER. SO IT STAYS DETACHED AND UNAFFECTED. BUT IF THE MIND ACCEPTS THAT THE LEARNING FROM THE OBSERVATION IS ABOUT ITSELF, TRANSFORMATION BEGINS TO SET IN.

OF THE THREE entities, that we think may be our true identity, none of them is permanent.  Our Minds are always changing.  They exist only based on the experience of a changing environment. The artificial identity that the mind creates for differentiation and observation of its own reflection, will last only as long as the reflection (KARMA) lasts. Our KARMA only lasts as long as our human life.  

So the Identity is none of these.  That status is attributed to the ATMA. The ATMA carries the experiences endlessly from body to body until a perfect state of mind is attained. 

The ATMA is a dispassionate medium which only collects the extent of evolution attained during this life, keeps tracks of the Papa and Punya accumulated by the individual and facilitates either the attainment of permenance (or MOKSHAM) or reincarnation in a different body until the state of perfection of the mind is attained. 

The identity of the ATMA therefore appears disconnected from the MIND, and the EGO. However, it does have a direct connection with the Karma that we are given to experience. So the ATMA is a kind of controller (because of its determination of Karma) and account keeper (because of the tally of papa, punya and attainment) and the experience of Karma."  

Moksham is the merger of our ATMA (Jiva Atma) with the Paramathma which is the ultimate stae of permenance.

We however do not experience the ATMA directly, when we start out on this journey.  Initially, our perceptive domain and our "control" is restricted to the EGO and the MIND. 

As the MIND evolves, the influence of Karma diminishes.  This results in the diminishing influence of the EGO on the MIND. When the influence of the EGO on the MInd diminishes, the Jiva Atma and the Mind become much more interlinked and in the final stages the Jiva Atma and the Mind become one vehicle that merges with the Paramathma.  This is the point at which our perspective Mind attains permenance.

So the answer to the question about our identity is that it is different and ever-changing until the final point of realization of the TRUTH about aourself is attained.

According to the Paramathma and the Puranas, all human beings, whatever the origin, share a common identity. This identity has no birth or death, represents permanence and is accessible by all.

Our identity is central to the working of our thought process. All the thoughts in the Mind are centered around the "I". Our Mind is born with an ignorance of its own identity.

When it is conceived by the Mind, the identity is only temporary and is meant to expand the powers of the mind to enable it to look at itself.

A force of restraint is exercised on the mind by the Atma so that it is not entirely at the mercy of the wayward activity of the mind.  Attributes like compassion, acceptance, love, affection, tolerance take roots in the mind.  A more balanced outlook is developed.