Krishna Unlimited - "I" THE AHANKAARAM

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"I" THE AHANKAARAM

We are born with the false and illusory identity "I". As long as "I" remains the centerpiece of the thought process, the mind will remain entrapped by worldly pleasures. In order to be able to move the false identity "I" out of the center of the mind and the thought process and take the first steps towards evolution, the "I" has to be shed. In order to do this, the mind has to know what the "I" is and where does it reside in order that the mind may replace or eliminate the illusion that is within and anchor itself on reality.

Everyone believes that he or she is the best thing that happened to the Human Race. This is the "I" or Ego's way of looking at the self relative to the world. This illusion is sustained by seeking success of the self which is the same as the failure of another. In a war, it is always one side that wins and one loses.

When the mind is anchored on an illusion, it seeks the sensations that come with built in conflict. Seeking worldly recognition ends up in a never ending conflict that needs to isolate success and eliminate failure. This is an almost impossible task, since success for one always translates to failure of another. The karma then bounces back to restore parity by reversing the success with failure and failure with success. This back and forth swing of the karmic cycles is never ending and there is no one that can do anything about.

Let us take a closer look at the "I".

Sri Ramana Maharishi has said that if you turn the attention of the mind on to the "I", it will disappear. The "I" takes on the control of the mind only when it turns to objects other than the "I". In other words the "I" is responsible for the enablement of the mind to be conscious of objects other than itself. It is therefore that which enables the mind to be turned to look outward at the external world. So the mind cannot perceive an object external to itself without the feeling of the "I". This is the AHANKAARA (or EGO) from which the external world takes shape in the mind.

IT IS WITH THE PHYSICAL WORLD THAT "I" IDENTIFIES MOST. THIS IS AN ENTANGLEMENT THAT GETS VERY COMPLICATED AND KEEPS THE MIND IN AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF DISTRACTION AND INVOLVEMENT. AN EFFORT TO SUSTAIN AND ENHANCE THIS IDENTIFICATION, IT SEEKS ACCEPTANCE (BY OTHER PEOPLE) AS A SOURCE OF SELF ASSURANCE AND ATTAINMENT OF "SUCCESS" WHICH COULD LEAD TO INNER PEACE

"I" CANNOT EXIST IN ISOLATION. THIS IS WHY THE RISHIS OF ANCIENT TIMES (INCLUDING SRI RAMANA MAHARISHI) LEFT FOR THE FOREST TO LIVE IN ISOLATION. THE "I" NEEDS OBJECTS, RELATIONSHIPS, POSSESSIONS IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO RELATE TO LIFE.

IT CONSTANTLY METAMORPHS INTO VARIOUS PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL FORMS. IT STARTS OUT BY IDENTIFYING ITSELF WITH THE PHYSICAL BODY. IT THEN LEARNS THAT MOST OF THE PHYSICAL BODY HAS AN AGENDA OF ITS OWN AND CANNOT BE CONTROLLED.

THE IDENTIFICATION THEN MOVES TO THE EXTERNAL WORLD. T DOES NOT HAVE ANY PROPERTIES OF ITS OWN.

THE MIND LEARNS THROUGH OBSERVATION THAT ACCEPTANCE COMES ONLY WITH DISPLAY OF CERTAIN CHARECTERISTICS SUCH AS MATERIAL POSSESSIONS, GOOD APPEARANCE, FAME ETC.

THE "I" THEN IMPLANTS ITS PRIMARY TOOL - DESIRE, INTO THE MIND. USING DESIRE FOR WEALTH, POSSESSIONS, FAME AS THE FUEL, THE MIND STARTS TO DEVELOP A NUMBER OF ATTRIBUTES SUCH AS ACQUISITION OF WORLDLY KNOWLEDGE, ACQUISITION OF WEALTH, SEEKING ACCEPTANCE THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS AND ATTACHMENT etc.

THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE MIND NOW CENTERS AROUND PROJECTION OF THE "I" INTO "PROMINENCE" IN THE EXTERNAL WORLD. ALL OF THE MIND's CAPABILITIES ARE NOW DEVELOPED AROUND THIS OBJECTIVE.

THIS IS HOW THE MIND DEVELOPS KAMA, KRODHA, LOBHA, MOHA, MADA, MATSARYA. THESE ESSENTIALLY CONSTITUTE "I"'s TOOLKIT.

Being born out of insecurity, fear and ignorance of itself, the "I" develops certain needs to be able to perpetuate itself. All of its "children" are born out of this fundemental need.

THESE CHILDREN COMPRISE THE MULTIPLE ILLUSIONS AND DELUSIONS THAT ARE BUILT INTO THE FABRIC OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS.

The children are desire and its fulfillment, preoccupation with the material world, "value" system based on "success" and "failure", incessant projection of the self,

The "I" operates by creating illusory "NEEDS". It then attempts to manipulate the environment to fulfill these needs. Thought that is born out of the need for fulfilment is caught in a trap/circle, because of the unending stream of needs.

The thought process needs conviction that it does have an identity. This conviction is developed by establishing control over the environment including over fellow living beings. Ownership and control establish the existence of the "I" and also is considered as an indicator that the intellect is progressing on the correct path. Some of the means by which the thought process reinforces the existence of the "I" are;

"POWER" THROUGH OWNERSHIP.

"CONTROL" THROUGH ACQUISITION.

SELF PROJECTION THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS.

RESPONSIBILITY AND JUSTIFICATION OF PERCEIVED "DUTIES" and "OBLIGATIONS" THROUGH RELATIONSHIP.

Control over the perceived universe through Acquisition, Ownership, and Relationship. This control enables the "I" to manipulate property and people at "will". This control over an environment that is perceived separate from the self, establishes the existence and sustenance of the fictitous identity. This conviction has to be sustained and reinforced through increasing control.

"I"'s OWNERSHIP OF THE INSTRUMENTS OF PERCEPTION.

PHYSICAL SENSES

ABILITY TO PERCEIVE AND INTERPRET THE SIGNALS FROM THE SENSES (INPUT)

ABILITY TO PROCESS THE SIGNALS AGAINT ANY OBJECTIVES AND TAKE NECESSARY ACTION (OUTPUT).

These are well known physical properties that we all have and are not actually dealt with by the Puranas except to provide a list our physical attributes.

HOWEVER, THE PURANAS GO ONE STEP HIGHER AND SAY THAT THE INFORMATION PERCEIVED AND INTERPRETED THROUGH THE SENSES HAS TO GO THROUGH A BELIEF SYSTEM. THE PURPOSE IS THAT THE THOUGHT PROCESS SHOULD HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THIS INFORMATION IS AS REAL AS ITSELF. ONLY THEN WILL IT TAKE ACTION TO EITHER EXTRACT BENEFIT TO ITSELF OR TO AVOID HARM OR DAMAGE TO ITSELF. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE REQUIREMENTS.

Belief in the reality and existence of the perceived events.

Belief that perception represents the Truth.

Belief that the events perceived relate to an environment that actually exists outside of the "I".

THE PURANAS ARE CATEGORICAL THAT THE EVENTS AND OBJECTS PERCEIVED THROUGH THE SENSES ARE ILLUSIONAL OR MAYA, BUT THE THOUGHT PROCESS, BLINDED BY ITS OWN EGO PERCEIVES THESE AS REAL, AND IS ENTRAPPED BY KARMA INTO THE CONTINUANCE OF THESE ILLUSIONS.

So what is the alternative to conflict in the mind? Is it possible to think without using the opposing forces of conflict? To examine the alternatives, there needs to be an understanding of what the cause of conflict in the mind is and resolve it to move to the next stage. This process of transformation is the path of Bhakthi as laid out in Srimad Bhagavatham.

The major conflict in the mind that torments all human beings is caused by Desire. This is the conflict between the desire to yield to temptations, (physical and mental), the need to show restraint to avoid consequences, based on the recall of past experience of a similar nature (or the known experiences of other people).

There is also a small representation from the Dharmic sense that is built into us over time as to what the "right thing to do" is.

In this conflicted state, and given its limited knowledge of the future, the course of action is based on the stronger representation, viz., to yield to temptation and face the consequences or to forego the temptation because the consequences are too severe.

The end result is Unhappiness, or if there is actually some success (since success and failure alternate), then at best, short lived happiness.

It is clear that the use of conflict, as the basis of generation of thought in the Mind, is a waste of an incredible tool.

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Krishna Unlimited

United States
suresh@Krishnaunlimited.com