Conscious Immortality

CONSCIOUS IMMORTALITY

There are neither good nor bad qualities in the Self.
The Self is free from all qualities. Qualities pertain to the mind only.

The enquiry should be where the 'I' is. After the rise of the 'I' -thought, there is false identification of the 'I' with the body, the senses, and the mind. Self is wrongly associated with them; one has lost sight of the true Self.

In order to sift the pure 'I' from the contaminated I', this discarding (of the koshas or sheaths referred to in the Shastras) is mentioned. It does not mean exactly the discarding of the non-self, but more the find ing of the real Self.

The real Self is the infinite 'I-I' in perfection. It is eternal. It has no origin and no end. The other 'I' is born and dies. It is impermanent. See to whom the changing thoughts occur. They will be found to arise after the 'I'-thought. Hold onto the 'I'-thought and they will subside. The Self alone will remain.

- p 157