Self, the Origin - Identity - Part 2

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 - Read the Part 1 first.

The Story of the 'Self' - Who am I?

Why do we all look different? What happens if we all look alike? Will the concept of you and me be there? To elaborate on that concept - how do you explain the concept of color to a person born blind? The answer is you cannot. So, if we all start to look the same, the identity of 'self' will not be created, which is required to understand nature to even enjoy the beauty of nature.

The state of Being

Being in a state of connectedness with something immeasurable – almost paradoxically, it is essentially you, yet it is beyond or more significant than you. The inability to feel this connectedness gives rise to the illusion of separation from yourself and the world around you.

Being is deep within you, but you can't grasp it with your logical mind. The rational mind is full of thoughts and restlessness. When the mind is free of thoughts, you are in the present – In the Now.

Rene Descartes made his famous statement, Cogito Ergo Sum – I think, therefore I am. The fundamental error in this philosophy is equating thinking with Being. I feel the Descartes statement needs to be redefined as follows.

 'I think, therefore, I created my Self'

Thinking creates the Self, which traps us in our mind's prison. This makes us believe that we are nothing but our 'Self,' which is in our mind.

Our Emotions

Emotions are our mind's reflection on our body. Anger results from a hostile thought, which (our actions) can be linked to our past or future (threatening your existence). If you stay in the present (In the Now) state and do not think about the past or future, then this hostile thought will never result in Anger.

When you experience pure love or happiness, you actually experience stillness in your mind – you are in Now. Being in Now is negating the Self. Pure love must negate the Self; otherwise, its infatuation is wrapped under the cover of love. Meeting of like minds will eventually result in negating the Self. O Henry's short story Gift of the Magi exemplifies pure love.

"Buddha says that the pain or suffering arises through desire or craving. To free from pain, we need to cut off our desires."

Different forms of fear, like anxiety, stress, tension, worry, etc., are the effect of spending too much time in the future. Other forms of non-forgiveness, like bitterness, grievances, regret, guilt, resentment, etc., are the outcome of living in the past. This is much worse than living in the future because as you grow up, chances of your past increase if you start living in your past.

So, if you see – only the emotion of pure Love results in being in the present – In the Now. The rest of the feelings push you down in the past and carry considerable baggage as you move forward or continuously in the uncertain future, worrying about things that never happened. The key is understanding the essence of pure love – the negation of Self – which means you are ready to sacrifice your 'self' in pursuing the happiness of the other 'self.'

It's interesting to look at some references from religious texts: check for the Bible – Mathew 22:36-40 Christ's message of "Love thy neighbor." Experts (religious) say that's what all the religions say. If that's the case, then why can't a man from an 'A' religion or caste can't get married to a woman from a 'B' religion or caste according to any religious laws. So, all these are exclusive clubs meant to build and strengthen their own clubs – a collection of 'self' evolving into a bigger self rather than negating the Self – achieving the exact opposite of what all religions preach.

Mankind's greatest delight was "Kindness," the Roman philosopher/emperor Marcus Aurelius declared. Philosophers and thinkers echoed his views down the centuries. In the age of the flat world, free market, and the selfish gene, kindness/compassion is seen as a weakness. We fight in the name of religion/caste, color, country, language, etc., doing precisely the opposite of Love Thy Neighbor.

The Mind

Does the mind control you, or do you control your mind? The obvious answer is, 'Of course I control my mind!' The delusion is if we believe I am nothing but my mind – precisely what Descartes said, 'I think, therefore I am.' Can you switch off your mind if you feel you control your mind? Switch off means – Zero thoughts. It will be difficult, and you will probably say no, we can't. Here is an exercise by Eckhart Tolle – Close your eyes and think about the following thought that will come to your mind. You know what it is if it takes Time for your next thought. You have experienced the present – Now.

Consciousness and Thinking are synonymous. Consciousness is a vast ocean, and the process of Thinking is a small island. Thinking gives us the capability to learn, analyze, and decide. Thought cannot exist without consciousness. Enlightenment is a state where you rise above the idea into the broader realm of consciousness.

The Mind and Time
The mind is in love with 'Time'. Without the concept of Time, the thought can't survive. Thoughts shuttle between the past and the future. The happiness resulting from thinking of the past or the future is an illusion. In oscillating between the past and the future, the mind denies the present – 'Now.' Time stands still when you encounter pure love. Your mind is in the state of 'Now.'

What's Time? Time is nature's way of preventing all from happening at once!

Experience requires analysis of multiple 'Nows' (at least two Nows). This creates the impression of 'Time' moving forward. 

References

1.  Power of Now By Eckhart Tolle
2. End of Time By Julian Barbour
3. Quantum Enigma By Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner
4. On Kindness By Adam Philips and Barbara Taylor
5. The 21^st Century Brain (Explaining, mending and manipulating the mind) By Steven Rose
6. Rene Descartes – Wikipedia
7. Issac Newton – Wikipedia
8. http://www.allaboutgod.com/love-thy-neighbor.htm 
9.  http://integral-options.blogspot.com/2009/01/love-thy-neighbour.html