Who's Steering the Ship? Unmasking the Illusion of Self in Advaita Vedanta
Listen up, because here's the rub: You think you're a person.
You think you've got this mind and body as your car, and you're the driver. How adorable. You think Advaita Vedanta is a question of who you are. Let me let you in on a secret, sport:
It's not about who you are; it's about what you're not.
What Are You, Chopped Liver? The Body Debunked.
Yeah, we get it, you've got a body. Muscles, bones, blood—congratulations.
You think this meat suit you're sporting is you. Newsflash: it ain't. You're like a guy who thinks he's his car just because he's sitting in the driver's seat.
The body is just a machine—heart pumps, lungs breathe, brain thinks. But you? You're the space that allows for the experience. Want a story? Look at good ol' Descartes. The guy sits in his room doubting everything, everything, until he gets to "I think, therefore I am." Here's the catch—Descartes stopped too soon.
If he went a bit further, he'd realize he's not the thinker but the space in which thinking occurs.
Mind: Your Personal Drama Queen
So you think your thoughts are you?
Oh, please. Your mind is a never-ending sitcom of ridiculous plots and laugh tracks.
Look, your mind works like an overenthusiastic screenwriter—always creating stories. "I like this, I hate that, she's the one, he's not the one." Drama, drama, drama. Imagine Shakespeare had it right: "All the world's a stage."
Your mind is but an actor, and a melodramatic one at that. We're talking daytime Emmy material here. But the consciousness watching the show? That's more you.
And unlike a Netflix subscription, you can't cancel it.
Consciousness: The Ultimate Stagehand
Here's the kicker: if you're not the body or the mind, you're left with awareness.
You can't see it, can't touch it, but boy, you can't escape it. It's like the air—you don't see it, but you'd drop dead without it. Remember when Galileo turned his telescope to the sky? He didn't discover new stars; they were always there. He just pointed out what was overlooked.
Similarly, Advaita Vedanta isn't telling you to be something you're not; it's showing you what you've always been.
Here's Your Wake-up Call
Alright, let's wrap this carnival up. You've been asking:
"If I'm not my body and mind, then who am I?"
But you're asking the wrong question, sport. It's not about gaining something; it's about losing—the beliefs, the dramas, the utter nonsense. Strip it all away, and what you have left is pure consciousness. Or God, or the universe, or whatever you wanna call it.
Here's some actionable advice: Stop looking at the finger pointing to the moon and look at the moon itself. You're not this or that—you're the whole damn sky.
Take a moment, breathe, and let that sink in. Welcome to the show, kid.