The root cause of all identification is the “I-thought.”

Just like every other thought popping up in your head, the “images” of your office when at home and the “images” of your home when at the office, foods, cars, friends, enemies, and parents. Don’t get me wrong: images are useful to live in this world. But they mostly overpower you and are the cause of your suffering. You don’t believe me? Then why do you rant about your office colleagues in front of your wife at home? Perhaps your boss is a jerk, but complaining about him does not alter the situation.

Understand the fact that these images are not the actual objects or persons, just like a menu is not the food. It only points to the food. Similarly, all the images popping up in your head are just pointers. They point to the actual thing or person in real life.

In exactly the same manner, when you utter I-I-I-I-I-I-.......1000 times in a day, like: I do this or I did that, I walk, I talk, I’m going for a shower, I’m going for a walk, I’m going to the gym, and I’m gonna drive today, I’m gonna do laundry, I’m gonna party, I’m gonna meet my boyfriend, and so on. Bring your attention to this subject, “I-the-doer,” or “I’m.” This is what I mean by “I-thought.” It’s a thought, “I,” or “I-thought,” produced by the mind. It is similar to other images of cars, parents, and friends, and so on. It is the mind itself disguised as a pseudo “I.” But it is superimposed on your consciousness, the real “I.” The day you catch it, understand it, witness it, or write it down on a piece of paper, particularly in the most difficult times, you’re beginning to disassociate from your clever self and starting to realize your true self. Or if you find it hard to catch the “I-thought,” I would say catch the “you-thought.” Did you ever pick a fight against your buddy? How many times did you blame him by saying “You-You-You-You” (in a loud voice) during the conversation? You did this or you did that or you were unfair to me, and so on. Him being him is the reflection of you being you. He arises because you are.

Often times, have you experienced that you are stuck on one thing, or cannot get rid of something or someone? Like a stubborn kid crying for a toy, you might be doing the same thing for a job. Or you might be crying for a girl or boy, and you cannot get over them. Have you faced such a situation? Do you ever question why you are not powerful enough to get over them? Why does your thinking oscillate around the same situation for prolonged periods of time? The reason is you are interested in that situation. It boils down to the “I-thought,” or a self-conflicting situation where you are partially involved and partially disinterested in that situation or person. It is the same self-conflicting situation Arjuna found himself in when he had to fight against his brothers (“my relatives”) in the Mahabharat. Have you ever thought of completely irrelevant events or people in your life? Why would you? Such thoughts do not arise repetitively because you are not interested in them.

Always remember: whenever you face a difficult situation or people in life, it is a perfect opportunity to see the “I-thought” operating in real time. But you can do the same in easy times too. You almost always miss the chance if you are not interested in the truth. You have to be 100% honest with yourself and ready to face the truth, despite the fact that whether or not you are right and the other person is wrong in the situation, or even though it is not even your fault. Just ask yourself: which thought was believed in the first place? What am I wrongly believing in here? The answer may not come immediately, but one day it is going to clear the cloud of “I-thought(s),” perhaps when you are relaxing in the bathtub or when you wake up in the morning with clarity. Who knows?