I think, therefore I am! Or I am always there! Which is true?

I think, therefore I am! Or I am always there! Which is true?

I am always there. I never cease to exist. Yes, each one of us feels this way. No one denies that they exist. However, there is a popular saying that seems to contradict the feeling, “I exist always”, and so it needs some clarification and explanation, which I am providing here.

The popular saying that I am referring to is as follows.

“I think, therefore I am!”   But I don’t think in deep sleep. Does it mean that I don’t exist in deep sleep? The truth is I am there in sleep, dream and waking. I am always there, whether I think or not.

Well, now we have established the fact that one always exists, whether there are thoughts or not. We know now that the Mind may not be active with thoughts, but Pure Being is always there. No one denies their existence. However, the statement “I am always there; I always exist” creates some questions. What about before birth and after death? Who am I and What happens to the “I” then?

Also when one is sleeping in dreamless sleep, there are no thoughts. But in the waking state, there are thoughts.  Where do the thoughts come from? There must be some  “Thinking I” who thinks those thoughts. Who is this “I”? Is this “Thinking I” different from the “Being I”? Are there two different I’s, or are they one and the same?

And the main question is, why is there peace and tranquility in deep sleep, but unhappiness or misery in the waking state? Even if there is a little pleasure or happiness in the waking state, it is not lasting and it is usually mixed with restlessness and unhappiness. Or a person or thing that gives pleasure or happiness at one time, leads to pain and misery at another time.

The answers to all these questions can be summarized as follows. The Truth is there is only one “I Am”, the Being that always exists. It is Eternal and Immortal. It’s nature is Pure Being, Awareness and Happiness. It is not contaminated by thoughts. IT is unattached and free The closest thing to feeling that Being is in Deep Sleep. However, we are not aware of It. We are sunk in ignorance.

When one wakes up, the ego also called the “I-Thought” emerges from a Blissful State and gives rise to the whole universe that is seen. It is the cause of misery and unhappiness. It hides the happy Being and projects the world and its turmoils. This “I” is not Real, because it appears and disappears. It appears in the waking and dream states, but sinks in the deep sleep state. Such a “transitory I” cannot be Real. But the Pure Being from which this Ego or the I-Thought arises is Real, Changeless, Eternal and Blissful. It is beyond birth and death. We see people pass away, and yet we feel that we will never die and that we will always exist. The reason is because it is the Truth if you know your Self as the Pure Being. The Pure Being never dies, but only the body dies. To realize that one is beyond the body and the mind and is Eternal is the Goal of one’s birth. This is the Real Nature of everyone, but the ego hides it. To trace the source of the ego, and to know, feel and Realize one’s True Nature is the Purpose of one’s birth. 

One has to first understand these facts intellectually, then put them into practice. For this Teachings and Guidance from a Guru or Master are necessary. The Teachings are useful and worthwhile only if they come from a Genius, a Sage, a Guru who has already accomplished the Goal and has experienced it. A genuine seeker who longs for lasting Happiness, Liberation from Bondage and Immortality seeks the Teachings of such a Mahatma, a Great Soul, contemplates on the Teachings deeply, practices the Teachings earnestly and realizes the True Self which is of the nature of Sat-Chit-Ananda, Being-Awareness-Bliss. The saying, “Practice makes perfect” becomes literally true when one trusts the Guru and follows the Guru’s instructions in all its details. So, make the effort, listen and learn, practice little by little what you have learnt, and realize that you are not the body or the mind, but the Eternal Being which is of the nature of Existence-Awarness-Bliss.