Our True Nature-Part II

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In the process of discovering our true nature, if we consider ourselves as the body, there is something else remaining apart from the body. For example, we involuntarily say “My head," “My leg," “My hands," for that matter, “My body" etc. Apart from the head, legs, hands and the other organs of the body, and the very body itself, there is something that we say as “My!"

Further more if we can pause to think, we will get to know that it is we who say that the body is 'I' but the body does not say so. It does not say itself as 'I'

So what is that which is the 'I' or our identity?

Our mental form is a mere reflection of our physical form. The mental embodiment of ourselves fall apart with the truth of one's physical disassociation with oneself.

Hence all the above questions associated with “Who are you?" or “Who am I" do not have a base with the idea of one is the body, tumbling down like a tower made out of playing cards without a proper base.

We may now refer to our idea of associating ourselves with our body as 'assumed identity'

To venture into discovering one's true identity from a different angle, our assumed identity is intact in the waking state, where we talk, work, eat and carry out our day to day activities.

In the dream state, when we have dreams, our identity may not have to be the same. For example, one may dream of becoming a pauper when he is actually a rich man. Or may dream of having died, when he is still alive! Or may dream to be in the pink of health when he is actually ailing!, and one may dream of having a crooked nose when one actually has a good one! Thus our identity in the dream state need not have to correspond with the waking state.

Further more when we are deep in sleep, there is no sign of our assumed identity what so ever!

So it is logical to have a totally different identity or the true identity that encompasses all the three states and remains the same in all the three states. The feeling of 'I' remains in all three states irrespective of being clouded by the assumed identity.

It is only very natural to enquire now from where our assumed identity comes from. In the deep sleep state our assumed identity is totally absent. While waking up, it pops up again. It is clear that it dissolves in the deep sleep state and pops up back again with vigour once we wake up out of our sleep. So there is definitely a source or a base where the assumed identity dissolves and rises again.

What is that source? What is it's nature?