Question:

When “I” watch my thoughts, is it my consciousness that’s doing the watching? Or another layer of the burrito altogether?

Answer:

You are watching the thoughts. You are not the mind, you are not the body, you have a mind, you have a body, they are just your tools. You are watching the thoughts coming & going in the mind. You are watching the body experiencing pain or pleasure. You are not doing anything & you are not experiencing anything, you are not the doer. You just a witness [sakshi] to whatever is happening!

Then who are you? Keep asking this question to yourself, ‘Who am I’?

Question:

Could you go over the different layers again (ego, intellect, etc)? I thought one of those layers was going to be the answer to a question I asked a few weeks ago (When “I” watch my thoughts, is it my consciousness that’s doing the watching? Or another layer of the burrito altogether?), but you didn’t mention anything like that in your answer.

Answer:

The intellect, memory & ego are all just tools. It is just the consciousness, the energy that we call ‘Purusha’ that is what is YOU in reality. You are the consciousness yourself but you have forgotten as you have identified yourself with this body and the tools of the body [mind, intellect, memory, ego]. YOU are not these tools. YOU are the consciousness yourself.

You are watching the thoughts. You are not the mind, you are not the body, you have a mind, you have a body, they are just your tools. You are watching the thoughts coming & going in the mind. You are watching the body experiencing pain or pleasure. You are not doing anything & you are not experiencing anything, you are not the doer. You are just a witness [sakshi] to whatever is happening!

When YOU the consciousness comes out of its false identities, it wakes up and recognizes itself. This recognition is enlightenment! Spiritually just attempts to wake you up again & again, maybe one day YOU will wake up.

‘Sakshi bhava’ or witnessing is YOU recognizing YOURSELF!