“In Vedanta we use the word Atma for individual consciousness, which is the real me. Think of this. We use the word ‘I’ the most number of times a day referring to oneself. Only a conscious entity can use this word in the first place.  That is why we call the human birth a rare one. So what are we referring to when we say I?  Core to Hindu philosophy is the phrase ‘Tat tvam asi’, or ‘thou art that’.  It means that our true nature, our deepest Self, is all-encompassing; beyond space, time and causation.   

 In order to realize this, we have been provided with three states of consciousness – The waking, the dream and the deep sleep. In waking, we are aware of all the interactions we are having with the world outside. In dream, we have an internal world created by our own mind and are witness to it.  In sleep there is no interaction of the mind and body with anything, yet we are conscious of this fact that there is nothing.  The only common factor is Consciousness.  So what is this that seems to be a witness of everything?

The job of consciousness is to be an illuminator.  Let’s take the Sun. It illuminates but does not participate in anything. Its light helps us to Know.  It has no bias, likes or dislikes. If anything comes in its path, it will illuminate that thing.  This is the inherent quality of the sun’s light.  Similarly, the Atman or your consciousness illuminates your knowing. Without this, the data will remain unknown. it is in you and outside of you all the time. Therefore, the mind and body, which is just a bundle of matter, becomes sentient and aware. This principle is called Atma.  This is the basis of all you are and what you know.  This you refer to as ‘I’ . Next time you use ‘I’, just ask yourself:  What ‘I’?. 

The whole journey of self discovery is to move away from the body-mind complex as ‘I’, to the Atman as ‘I’. Since Atman is without parts and has no limitation of space, time or causation, everything outside of you is also essentially the Atman or consciousness.  So you envelop the whole world as ‘I’.  This is Brahman or universal consciousness. The vedanta says, knowing this, all else is known. Naturally the fear of death disappears and you can claim freedom. THINK.”