For the student of Vedanta, the greatest gift is not found in the physical realm, but in a profound discovery of another dimension altogether—the dimension of our own true Self/ Atma.

After deep listening (śravaṇam) and reflection (mananam), the Vedantic student arrives at a life-altering conviction: “I am not this limited, growing, greying, and going body-mind complex.

 I am the limitless Ātman—the conscious, eternal principle—which has an incidental body as a temporary instrument for interaction in this world.”

This understanding reveals a freedom that is absolute. As Ātma, I have no limitations in time. I was present before this body’s conception, I am present during its entire journey, and I will remain after its dissolution. The body’s end is not my end. I am immortal—not as a future promise, but as my present, undeniable reality.

All limitations, pains, and problems belong to the body-mind equipment, not to me, the conscious Self. Just as the frightening events of a dream do not affect the sleeping person, so too I am of a higher order of reality. Therefore, anything that happens to my body, family, possessions, or profession—though requiring my responsible engagement—cannot fundamentally touch or diminish me.

Once I know my true nature, thanks to the grace of the Guru and the scriptures, the most important spiritual practice (sādhana) begins: nididhyāsanam—contemplative abidance in this knowledge. This is best done in the quiet clarity of the morning, a practice known as prātaḥ-smaraṇam (morning remembrance).

Upon waking, I consciously remind myself: “I am not this body. I am the limitless, all-pervading Awareness.” I then, with full awareness, “enter the costume” of this body-mind and sincerely play whatever roles the day demands—as a doctor, parent, friend, or citizen. I engage with energy and compassion, yet with the inner lightness of an actor who knows the script is temporary. What cannot be cured must be enjoyed, but it can be done with grace when I know I am untouched by it. This is possible because I know I am not the role; I am the free Awareness behind the role, and this play continues only until the final curtain of sleep or the body’s end.

This knowledge is the ultimate liberation. I claim not only freedom while living (jīvanmukti) but also freedom from the karmic cycle that determines future births and deaths. The knot of ignorance (avidyā) is severed. All existential doubts are resolved. I understand that freedom is not a distant goal to be achieved; it is my very nature, here and now.

This recognition—that our essential being is eternal, conscious, and free—is the greatest gift a human being can receive and the most profound blessing we can offer to the world.

Download PDF

Srī Gurubhyo Namaḥ.