questions

  

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You are a man because you identify with the body. If you do not identify with the body, what gender are you? After leaving the body, the vital breath and the ‘I am’ merge into the substratum. Then where is man or woman?

First you have what is called ‘atma-bhava’ – that is the ‘I am’ sense. Later, this sense identifies with the form of a body, when it is called ‘aham-akar’, the ‘I am’ form, this is ego. Ego is never a title or name, but just a sense of ‘I am’ prior to words. 

The waking state, the sleep state and the knowingness ‘I am’ constitute an ego. In the absence of these three states what do you think you are? What would be the evidence of your existence?

Give up all questions except one ‘who am I?’. After all the only fact you are sure of is that you ‘are’. The ‘I am’ is certain, the ‘I am this’ is not. Struggle to find out what you are in reality.


—Nisargadatta Maharaj

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