15th September, 1936

Talk 248.

Sri Bhagavan said: The Jnani ^[?] says, "I am the body"; The ajnani ^[?] says , "I am the body"; what is the difference? `I am' is the truth. The body is the limitation. The ajnani limits the `I' to the body. `I' remains independent of the body in sleep. The same `I' is now in the wakeful state. Though imagined to be within the body, `I' is without the body. The wrong notion is not `I am the body.' `I' says so. The body is insentient and cannot say so. The mistake lies in thinking that `I' is what `I' is not. `I' is not insentient. `I' cannot be the inert body. The body's movements are confounded with `I' and misery is the result. Whether the body works or not, `I' remains free and happy. The ajnani's `I' is the body only. That is the whole error. The jnani's `I' includes the body and everything else. Clearly some intermediate entity arises and gives rise to the confusion.

Mr. Vaidyanatha Iyer, a lawyer, asked: If the Jnani says "I am the body," what happens to him in death?

M.: He does not identify himself with the body even now.
D.: But you said just before that the Jnani says "I am the body."
M.: Yes. His `I' includes the body. For there cannot be anything apart from `I' for him. If the body falls away there is no loss for the `I'. `I' remains the same. If the body feels dead let it raise the question. Being inert it cannot. `I' never dies and does not ask the question. Who then dies? Who asks questions?

D.: For whom are all the sastras then? They cannot be for the real `I'.

They must be for the unreal `I'. The real one does not require them. It is strange that the unreal should have so many sastras for him.

M.: Yes. Quite so. Death is only a thought and nothing more. He who thinks raises troubles. Let the thinker tell us what happens to him in
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death. The real `I' is silent. One should not think `I am this - I am not that'. To say `this or that' is wrong. They are also limitations. Only `I am' is the truth. Silence is `I'. If one thinks `I am this', another thinks `I am this' and so on, there is a clash of thoughts and so many religions are the result. The truth remains as it is, not affected by any statements, conflicting or otherwise.

D.: What is death? Is it not the falling away of the body?
M.: Do you not desire it in sleep? What goes wrong then?
D.: But I know I shall wake up.
M.: Yes - thought again. There is the preceding thought `I shall wake up'. Thoughts rule the life. Freedom from thoughts is one's true nature - Bliss.