Irrespective of the oneness of our reality, we find ourselves living in an apparent duality, of subject and objects. We are the ‘subject’ of all our experience and everything else that we can come across, is an ‘object’.

This duality, between what we perceive as objects, and our self as their assumed perceiver, the subject-  is the basis of our belief in separation (other versus self), in this world. But this conceptual separation is only an illusion! Both the ‘perceived’ and ‘perceiver’ are concepts, a linked pair of interdependent opposites, in an apparent duality.

Perceiving happens, without any interference from our concepts of subject and object. Perception itself is direct, whole, uncontaminated and pure in the moment it occurs. But immediately after, we unconsciously split it by distinguishing into subject and object. This partitioning is only a habitual interpretation by the conditioned mind.

In the actual moment of any subjective perception, the concept of every ‘subject-object’ pair, is non-existent.

There is only one single undivided reality of perceiving. The superficial separation of subject from its object, is an afterthought. Their apparent duality is superimposed onto the oneness of the subjective experience of perceiving (knowing).

This ‘perceiving’ is simply the awareness, in which the concepts of the perceived (object) and the perceiver (subject) dissolve, into one act of knowing.

We are this perceiving or knowing!

We are neither the ‘known’ nor its apparent ‘knower’, but the one knowing into which they unite.

We are this inner space of awareness, which itself is the essential required presence, for any perceiving to occur. This ever-present space within us, we intimately know, as our feeling of ‘I am’. It always remains in our experience- before, during and after any perception arising. We can verify this any time, in our own subjective experience.

We are this, being-knowing perceiving awareness, of all that can be known through a body-mind. This is the one and only real ‘subject’ that we can be! We are this ultimate subject and our subjectivity can never itself be an object of our perception.

Just like an eye that can never see itself, we cannot perceive our own self. So, whenever we ‘see’ something- which we identify with as our ‘self’, we should know that it cannot possibly be our true reality! We can never really be, what we perceive as an object.

The misplaced ‘subject’ of our real self, is the concept of “me”.

From the reality of our alert awareness, we can observe our identification, with a concept of “me”, which is an object of our perception.

This “me”, that we frequently identify with, is an ‘object’, a collection of our personal tendencies accumulated over time. It is an aggregate of the experiences, opinions and habits collected and stored as memories in our body-mind. Each of these was and is, only an object of our perception. Together, this complex of compiled ‘objects’, is given a name, a label of “me” and the center of our subjectivity is mistakenly assigned to it!

We can clearly watch our individual thoughts, feelings, reactions, that we have unconsciously bundled up with this concept of “me”. The facts of our life-story are colored, modified and frequently distorted, through this screen of “me”. We can see the preferences and conditioning of “me”, as various patterns influencing and controlling the behavior of our individual body-mind.

On observing ourselves from our inner awareness, it becomes obvious, that our concept of “me” is only an object of our perception (like any other), but we have bestowed a special status to it. We have projected the subjectivity of our real Self on this “me”, which is merely an object! We do not realize that this is impossible.

Our real Self can only be a subject, never an object.

This projection of our real Self on “me”, and our identification with it (as a false subject), is an illusion, the very root of ‘ego’.

This false ‘subject’ is nonexistent, it is only an object, a concept, but we believe it is who we really are. We think, feel and behave under this assumption, suffering the consequences of this illusion!

‘Ego’ is a result of our identification, with the concept of “me”.

The misunderstanding which gives rise to ‘ego’, is our identification with an object of our perception (“me”), which we falsely assume to be our real subject.

If we can clearly understand this, it becomes obvious that ‘ego’ is not real, it can never be! It only appears to exist- like an illusion. It has caused too many problems in our lives, because we sincerely believed it was real, but it has never been a real thing! It was and is, only an illusion about the concept of “me”.

There is no ego, because there is no “me”, to legitimately represent our subjectivity.

Once convinced, that both “me” and its associated “ego”, cannot be real, we can consciously withdraw our mistakenly bestowed subjectivity, from this object of perception-  which we refer to as “me”.

We reintegrate our subjectivity back to where it really belongs- into our alert, conscious presence, our being-knowing, perceiving awareness.

Freedom from the illusion of “me” and ‘ego’.

Once we have seen and understood this clearly, what is left of our troubles, due to an illusory ‘ego’? In understanding clearly- that which is not, is simply not, it never was, nor is, nor will ever be- there already is freedom from this illusion!

Thinking mind is only a small limited part of our whole reality. A part can never grasp its whole, so we can never understand our whole reality, by tools of our thinking mind alone. But there is a way to use thought as an aid, to arrive at the correct understanding. It can help to clear away the misunderstanding, gain mental clarity, resolve logical contradictions, and to align all our actions with a rational comprehension of truth.

Intellectual understanding is the first step.

As a starting point, thoughts may be able to help us- to recognize, and convince us, to act from our real subjectivity-  instead of falsely assigning it to an object of our perception.

When mind is logically convinced, it already loosens the knots of the blind beliefs and false assumptions, tied up around nothing (“me” concept) to create an illusion of something (ego), which has been causing much unnecessary trouble in our lives.

Having realized this truth intellectually, we may still need to frequently remind ourselves- every time we habitually get carried away with this illusion, which we have unconsciously nurtured and strengthened for so long.

But gradually and surely, follows the complete unravelling of this illusion, at the level of our whole being- when this understanding becomes integrated into our total lived reality. Only then, the lasting freedom from that which is not real (ego), becomes possible.

In absence of ego, there is no automatic defensive or offensive reaction evoked from that bundle of stored memories, habits, and conditioned thinking. Then, we meet every moment with truth!

This direct perception, is simply facing the facts of a moment as they are– without the distortion from false concepts of ‘ego’- while firmly remaining one with our real subjectivity- not confusing, or mixing it with a fake center, created by an object of our perception (“me”).

Then, our response to any challenge in the now comes spontaneously from our real Self. Our action is direct, spontaneous and whole, aligned with truth. It is adequate and appropriate for the needs of each new moment, and brings harmony to totality of each situation.

We continue using our body-mind and their tools but not identifying with them as our real Self. Our body-mind then become instruments to be utilized freely by our reality for its expression, to serve the needs of the whole.

Upon withdrawing our subjectivity from the object “me”, restoring it back to our awareness and alert presence, we align with our truth, restoring the harmony in our lives.

In reality, we are always and can only be the ultimate subject, using diverse objects for our expression, in the dualistic world of manifestation.

When we clearly realize what we are not, we do not impulsively react from a personal, limited, narrow, egocentric view. Instead, we begin to spontaneously respond to everything from the whole wisdom of our Reality– which is the only valid ultimate subject.

Such is the effortless right action, which brings harmony and peace to our body-mind and surroundings. This is the best possible use of our physical existence, in the manifested space-time framework of apparent duality, and is the fulfilment of our destiny!