Knowing The Self In One’s Self: The End of the "Somebody" Illusion.
The sun has just set in Ubud, Bali. You’ve finished dinner with friends, said your goodbyes, and begun the walk home alone. As you move along the dimly lit, narrow path, your heart stops.
There, just feet in front of you, is a snake.
You freeze. You know that Krait snakes are out at night and are lethal. It lies there perfectly still, coiled and waiting for you to make a move. Your breath becomes shallow; your muscles tense. You slowly back up, heart hammering against your ribs. Finally, you reach for your phone and turn on the flashlight.
Upon shining the light on the snake, your fear vanishes instantly. It wasn’t a predator. It was just a discarded piece of rope.
From Perception to Epiphany
This analogy is one of the oldest narratives on fear found throughout the Upanishads, which is not designed to teach us not to fear snakes or discard the reality of caution. It is a classic analogy, an illustration of how our immediate experience of “reality” isn’t always true.
To understand the pathology of truth, we are taught that reality must be approached with a sense of wakefulness. We are taught that our approach to experiencing life is plagued by Maya (misconception).
So what is happening in the process of perceiving a snake, reacting in fear, only to be relived that this apparent “snake” is but only a piece of rope? Well, the “reality we are perceiving is referred to as Maya (misconception). And this misconception can only be solved by the Quantum Processing Engine of Buddhi (the Intellect), which analyzes and collapses the dualistic data of Manas (the Mind) into a singular comprehensible conclusion. This processing engine functions accordingly: Vichara (logical inquiry & reasonability) → Viveka (self-directed inquiry and discernment) → Vijnana (understanding/comprehension of data), and → Jnana (precise knowledge).
| Step | Sanskrit | Translation | The Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.Trigger | Maya | Misconception | You see a "snake" (the error). |
| 2.Method | Vichara | Logical Inquiry & Reasonability | You pause and start asking: "Is this really a snake?" |
| 3.Tool | Viveka | Self-directed Inquiry & Discernment | You separate the rope's attributes from a snake's attributes. |
| 4.Method | Vijnana | Understanding & Comprehension | Using the tools above, you "figure it out" and verify the truth. |
| 5.Result | Jnana | Precise Knowledge | The misconception is gone; you now know it's a rope. |
Just as the light of your phone demystified your imagination—revealing the snake to be in fact a mere piece of rope, similarly, the “light” of Buddhi (our intellect) is used to demystify the misconception (Maya) that you are only the body. This “light” is the driving force for realizing that the True Self (Atman) exists within the individual (Jiva).
In regards to the Snake and Rope analogy, this realization doesn't just "calm your nerves"—it deletes the very foundation of the fear itself. When the "snake" is gone, you no longer need to manage your immediate fear of snakes; the threat simply ceases to exist.
Likewise, being able to comprehend the “knowing your true Self,” alters the entire trajectory of your life. Most of us spend our years running from "ropes" that we’ve mistaken as "snakes." We build entire lives based on the fear of things that aren't actually there—and in doing so, we remain bound by our suffering.
Waking From The Burden
There is a verse in the Maharamayana of Valmiki, where prince Rama speaks of being “No longer bound to the sufferings.” In this verse, he describes how he is no longer ruminating on his human history and the formalities of being human.
On a deeper level, he’s also talking about how hes developing a spiritual amnesia towards worldly allurement, specifically his Samskaras, Vasanas and Smritis—the impressions, habits and histories that act as impetuous voices running in the background of our daily thinking.
Let me explain.
Samskaras = Impressions / Imprints / Scars: Think of Samskaras as "formative impressions," “Imprints” or “Scars” that have left a mark on you. Samskaras are a permanent record of what happened, shaping how you formulate intentions, how make your choices and how you commit to actions. Your first break up. A dog biting you as a child. A difficult, abusive childhood. Samskaras are not only associated to negative traumas or challenges. They are also formed by wonderful, positive experience.
Vasanas = Habits / Tendencies: Vasanas are the "habits" of your personality that result from these Samskaras (formative impressions). Think of it like this: While out on a walk with your parents as a young child, you were bit by a dog. And because of that, now in your adulthood, anytime you’re in close proximity to a dog your first, immediate thoughts are based on a fear that it may bite you. The habit of fear is the Vasana—a tendency to think or act a certain way.
Smṛti = History / Recall: This is the active "History Lesson" or the "Playback." Smṛti means history. In this context, Smrti is when you consciously think back and say, "I remember that." Smriti’s is the active recall of all the things that have happened in the storybook of “you.”
The Beholder of Samskara, Vasanas and Smrtis
The person who self identifies with their history and story is the perfect example of the “Somebody Complex.” But here’s an important question:
What if there is no identification as a ‘Somebody?
What happens if you let go of propagating the separate self identity complex?
We’ll this is exactly what prince Rama is describing to us. He’s saying,
“The imprints, the habits and the histories belong to the personality. And if you cease to believe in your personality—the imprints, the habits and the histories cease to exert pressure on the processes of the human psyche.”
From the Srimad Maharamayana of Valmiki:
श्रीराम उवाच ।
संपरिज्ञातमात्रेण किलानेनात्मनात्मना ।
पुनर्दोषा न बाधन्ते मरणाद्याः कदाचन ॥ ७ ॥śrīrāma uvāca |
saṃparijñātamātreṇa kilānenātmanātmanā |
punardoṣā na bādhante maraṇādyāḥ kadācanaHaving realized the true Self (Atman) in one’s self (Jiva), they are no longer bound to the sufferings associated to life and death.
— Srimad Maharamayan of Valmiki 3.6.7
In this verse, Rama asserts that by thorough, complete, and all-encompassing knowledge that the true Self is within the human body, there is an immunity to the sufferings that arise. This doesn’t exclude the challenges of life from ever arising. It just means your evolving. It means that your karmic footprint in life is lighter, so there’s of course less challenges arising, and also, you are not formulating intentions and thoughts or making life-choices from a place of limitation, fear or impulse.
In this verse, Rama is describing the radical effect of Variagya working within the Psyche of the Human being. The use of the Sanskrit word: “Kila,” in this verse, translating to “known”, “indeed” or “certainly”— displays Rama’s growing conviction in the true Self. He has realized that the true Self is not a destination, but rather a shift in the operating system of consciousness that renders the entire “Matrix” of birth and death harmless.
This doesn’t imply that injuries, hardships, or challenges don’t arise. It’s asserting that:
Your response to the injuries, hardships, and challenges has changed.
And the rate in which the injuries, hardships, and challenges arise, has significantly decreased due to greater operational efficiency in the Psyche. In other words, there has been a massive cognitive leap in consciousness. Greater efficiency = greater efficacy.
The True Self: Your Divine Operating System
Prior to human incarnation, there are no doubts. There is no “knowledge, knower, or known.” This is because intellection, pattern recognition, identification, personalization and doubts are all qualities associated to the human psyche, which is entirely attributed to the human being (Jiva).
The true Self is the highest frequency your living psyche can tune into. As a frequency or realization, it acts as a constant reminder:
You are not the body or human being (Jiva).
You are not your impressions, habits and histories associated to the human being.
You are the true Self (Atman) existing as Pure Awareness (Cit).
The true Self frequency the Human Being can tune into, is the substrate of all virtue. It tells us,
“You are not the body. Your are the Atman (true Self) existing as Pure Awareness (Cit). All things of the material world, including the appearance, the characters, the body and the persona—are all bound by impermanence. The body, the persona, the world, its characters and all its histories are not going to remain. Not at all. You are pure awareness (Cit), and pure awareness is the essence of the Atman—prior to incarnation and during this incarnation, now.”
Stop Underestimating Yourself
Take a moment to digest this: Happiness, peace, and everything of noble virtue is within you. You have just forgotten that you are the source of it and that it is contained in you. Align with that truth and learn to give yourself spontaneous happiness and peace, now.
Stop constantly underestimating yourself, thinking:
“I am somebody. I am one of the family members. I am a person in the world. My age is.”
Because this Somebodyness is obscuring your self-realization.
Remember, your life as a 100-year movie. You are the actor, not the character. Do your duties, play your role with excellence, but stay unconcerned (Vairagya) with the drama by using your Light (Vichara, Viveka, Vijnana, Jnana).
देहे यावदहंभावो दृश्येऽस्मिन्यावदात्मना ।
यावन्ममेदमित्यास्था तावच्चित्तादिविभ्रमः ॥ ३१ ॥dehe yāvadahaṃbhāvo dṛśye'sminyāvadātmanā |
yāvanmamedamityāsthā tāvaccittādivibhramaḥThe error of the mind and its perceptibles continues as long as one believes he is his personality and his body; and understands the phenomenal world as a reality; and has the selfishness to think such and such things to be his.
—Srimad Maharamayana of Valmiki 6.2.31
The Spiritual Hunger
We’ve discussed what your “Light” is and how to use it, and why it will benefit you. But lets go deeper. To reach self-realization, everything must be "rendered down" to its original truth—every imprint, every habit, and every memory from birth up unto right now, today.
As you enact this quality, you will develop a "spiritual apathy" toward the world. This isn't a coldness. It's a loss of compulsive appetite for worldly pleasure, knowing everything is bound by impermanence. And in exchange, an overwhelming spiritual garden of plentitude will burn in you like a luminous sun.
Lastly, to answer the age old question, “Why is spirituality required in this life?” It’s because you have forgotten your true identity, and that forgetfulness tortures you every day.
Make The Shift, Today!
Spend five minutes today in silence. Look at one "snake" in your life—a recurring fear or a past memory. Ask yourself: "To whom does this memory belong?" If the "Somebody" isn't there to claim it, does the fear still have a grip?
Wisdom grows when shared. If today’s essay sparked a question or a new perspective, I’d love to hear it. Drop a comment below—I’ll be checking in throughout the day to answer questions and dive deeper into these truths with you.
