Why is identifying with the body considered ignorance (ego)? | உடலை ‘நான்’ என்று அடையாளப்படுத்துவது ஏன் அறியாமை (அகங்காரம்) என்று கருதப்படுகிறது?

The witness consciousness in waking, dream, and deep sleep states is the all-pervading, omnipresent, all-powerful primordial energy. Through 'I' thought, it manifested as sound, and from that sound it becomes light which fills the entire Universe. A scientist says that everything in the world is made of atoms. But a devotee sees everything as filled with God. A wise person says that everything seen lies in the awareness of the beholder. By constant enquiry, the seeker finally becomes one with Divine. A devotee who searches for God worships deeply, and he becomes That itself. After becoming That, his real nature is the nature of the Self (Atma), which is your true nature too. The qualities of the Self are love, grace, wisdom, power, beauty, bliss, peace. But you do not see yourself as the Self, you see yourself as a physical form. Every day you look in the mirror. You only see your body, not your true Self. Yet you say, “I saw myself.” In truth you only saw your body. Just as you see your car when you sit inside it, you only see the body in which you live. Your real nature is not this body. It exists inside. If you want to see your true Self, you must turn inward. That inner Self is covered by unnecessary qualities like desire, anger, greed, attachment, pride, and jealousy. Because of these coverings, you think the body is you. When you see the body, you think you are beautiful or strong. But this body will perish. You are the eternal witnessing Self. You are not the beauty or strength of the body. When you go beyond the body, you sometimes think you are an angry person. When anger comes, you even say that you may become like an animal. But that means you are not anger itself. Ego means considering something unreal as real. When you think the perishable body is “I,” that is ego and ignorance. The aim of the Vedas is to remove this ego and ignorance. Think about it. If you travel in a car, are you the car? If you ride in a chariot, are you the chariot? No, the vehicle belongs to you, but you are not the vehicle. In the same way, you are not the senses touch, speech, sight, smell, or hearing. You are not the mind either. You are not even the charioteer. With your physical eyes and intellect you only see the outer body. Do you truly see the Guru? The Guru is not limited by the physical body. He exists within that body and within you. He speaks, sees, and hears from within. If you search outside for ages, you will not find this inner reality. Turn your senses and mind inward. When you see this inner awareness, you will see the Supreme within it. In this world there are solid forms, liquids, heat, air, and space. But behind all these elements there is one fundamental reality, the Supreme Truth. It is eternal, permanent, and everlasting. It alone truly exists. That is why sages call it the Ultimate Reality. Where is this truth? It exists everywhere. There is no place where it is absent. That is why the Siddhas said, “Do not leave the place where it exists and search for it where it does not exist, O precious one of wisdom.” You are all treasures of wisdom. The divine power already exists within you. If you turn inward, you can see the vision of God. You do not need to walk to temples or go on pilgrimages. You do not need to travel far or climb mountains to see God. In this age, God already exists within you wherever you are. You need only the mind. If you turn the mind inward, you can see the divine. But your mind looks at things outside. The intellect tries to know everything outside itself. Yet it fears to know itself. When knowledge truly knows itself, it shines as the Lord of the Universe.

Let Wisdom Flourish!
Let Peace Prevail!
Let us protect Mother earth!
Let us protect the Universe!

Santhosam

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