Table of Contents
Summary of Today’s Teaching
- The concepts of “I” (ego) and “mine” (attachment) are not merely the cause of our suffering; they are the very definition of bondage itself.
- Over countless lifetimes, our false identification with the physical body has been driven deep into our consciousness, much like a screw driven into wood.
- True liberation requires actively reversing this conditioning through conscious assertion, either by denying the “I” or expanding it to encompass the entire universe.
Welcome to Day 4 of our year-long journey into self-knowledge. In our previous sessions, we explored how pure, limitless awareness falsely identifies with the physical body. Having understood that initial misstep, we must now examine how the resulting concepts of “I” and “mine” construct the very prison of our daily anxiety.
Have you ever noticed the sharp, physiological spike of anxiety when someone scratches your car, compared to the indifference you feel when seeing a scratch on a stranger’s car? Or consider the heavy, exhausting burden of defending your personal reputation. That sudden contraction, that heavy feeling of vulnerability, is the direct, lived experience of the trap of “I” and “mine.”
The Birth of Vulnerability
Imagine stepping into a vast, open field, feeling entirely free and unbounded. Now, imagine drawing a small circle in the dirt and deciding, “I am only what is inside this tiny circle.” Instantly, everything outside that circle becomes a potential threat. You suddenly feel small, incomplete, and inherently vulnerable.
To compensate for this terrifying sense of lack, you start reaching outside the circle. You grab at people, wealth, objects, and status, aggressively labeling them “mine” in a desperate attempt to build a fortress of security. We spend our entire lives toiling for the illusion of ownership, failing to realize that at death, everything we claimed as our own will be left behind.
This agonizing state of mind—defined by constant worry, lack of peace, and a lingering feeling of utter failure—is exactly what the texts mean by the Sanskrit term Bandhana, or bondage. The illusion that you are limited to the physical body and possess independent agency is called Ahamkara (the ego or the “I”). The profound, primary ignorance that causes this false identification is called Ajnana (or Avidya).
“Bondage means that state where one always thinks in terms of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. In this state of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ one experiences worries, misery, lack of peace, a feeling of lacking something and a feeling of utter failure or worthlessness.” – Sri Ganapatrao Maharaj
The Two Demons of Suffering
In Advaita Vedanta, the transition from pure awareness to a suffering individual is cemented by these twin concepts of ego and attachment. They are the pillars of the trap.
“I (ego), and ‘mine’ (attachment) are two demons that haunt us in this world. They have smothered the Self. He, alone, who has freed himself from the clutches of ‘I and mine’ is truly fortunate.” – Sri Ranjit Maharaj
Our relentless pursuit of possessions and status is not a personal failing, but a mechanical trick of ignorance to keep us looking outward.
“Maya’s other ploy is to instill the idea of ownership in you and propel you to work for her… You keep shouting ‘mine’, ‘mine’, all the time and ultimately you depart from this world leaving behind what you claimed to be yours!” – Sri Ganapatrao Maharaj
Reversing the Conditioning
How do we dismantle a trap we have spent lifetimes building? Sri Ganapatrao Maharaj illustrates this process using the metaphor of a screw.
Over countless lifetimes, by repeatedly affirming “I am the body, I am the mind, this world is mine,” the seeker has driven the screw of Ajnana (ignorance) deep into the wood of their consciousness. To remove a screw from woodwork, you cannot simply pull it out by force. It must be meticulously rotated in the exact opposite direction.
Similarly, the seeker must actively “unscrew” their bondage. You must repeatedly assert the exact opposite of your conditioning to back the screw out of the wood.
Daily Practice and Self-Inquiry
To remove the psychological burden of “I” and “mine,” we must put the theory into practice today. Choose one of the following two methods to focus on as you move through your day:
- The Reversal Technique: Whenever you feel anxiety, frustration, or suffering over a possession, a situation, or a relationship today, actively intercept the thought. Consciously assert: “I don’t exist. There is no ‘me’ and ‘mine’. I am not this body, this is not mine.” By repeatedly declaring the opposite of your conditioning, you begin to unscrew the grip of anxiety, stripping it of its foundation.
- The Attitude of Universal Ownership: If dropping the concepts of “I” and “mine” feels too abstract or difficult today, Sri Ranjit Maharaj offers a powerful alternative. Expand the concepts to infinity. Cultivate the attitude: “I am everywhere, in all.” When you sincerely feel that everything in the universe is yourself, the anxious, protective grasp over specific, limited objects (like “my house” or “my success”) naturally dissolves into peace.