Neti Neti - "Not this Not this"

We come in this world through parents but know nothing about where we have come from and where do we intend to go. A newborn opens his eyes and starts wondering about the visible world. He sees the familiar objects which feeds, loves and cares for him and soon calls them as mother and father. The goals and aspirations of a growing child are the product of how his individuality adapts to his surrounding environment with which he associates. He starts running a race to seek this and that depending upon his aspirations which are awoken through association with his immediate outside world. For ex i became an engineer because i came to know that good students should become engineers. Next was the desire for a good job which will help me satisfy my desires. We all know beyond doubt that life on earth is transient but seem to overlook this fact in running behind this and that. We seem to avoid the basic question “Who we are ?”

Seeking an answer to this basic question has led to development of various philosophical systems. One of the foremost tools in helping one answer the question of “Who am I” is vedantic technique of “neti neti”. Neti is a sanskrit word and is formed after joining “Na” and “Iti” which means “not” and “this” respectively. The technique does not answers directly the question “Who am I” but removes the false associations that “I” has deluded himself to think. After all false associations are removed it is said that “I” shines on its own accord as sunlight reaches the earth once clouds are removed.

YOU ARE NOT THE BODY
One of the foremost doubts that a person has his considering himself just as the body. The illusion is so strong that the birth and death of the body is taken as the birth and death of the individual. The person even from his birth is greeted by outside world who say that he is looking good or bad and gradually a man begins to take himself as the body however on enquiry this is found to be incorrect. Lets enquire into it.

If the I is the body then does the “I” sense also suffer harm when physical body suffers harm. For ex Man who loose their limbs in accidents dont suffer any incompleteness in sense of I. 

The body initially was of the size of an ostrich egg at birth and grows bigger later. The sense of “I” does not grows with the body and remains static. Food which is taken becomes part of body. Food inturn comes from earth so in reality earth becomes body. What was earth yesterday has become body today. Earth becomes the body and body later become earth.  

When a man is dreaming during sleep, he although does not have a body but still the sense of I is there. The feeling that “I” was there persists even through the dream.

I therefore cant be body. Who am I then ?

This is the biggest wrong association and when it collapses it takes away all other associations with persons, job and emotions along with it. Nevertheless lets ponder on other associations.

YOU ARE NOT YOUR ROLE

People also often identify themselves with the role that time gives them. A person who takes cares of his child often takes the role of a mother and identifies herself with it. A little pondering on it will reveal that role is something which does not touches sense of “I”.

When someone is asked who you are ? The person often replies the role that he is playing. When a person who is working as a software engineer is asked who you are ? He replies that i am a software engineer. This also is not correct because if he leaves the job of software engineer I will still remain.

Pondering on these questions remove the false "I" and what remains shines as real "I".