What is the nature of the 'I' beyond the physical body

This is something that has been discussed multiple times on this chamber by different people. I wanted to share a little of my perspective from a slightly different angle. I am Indian. The concept of the 'I' is discussed extensively in ancient Buddhist, Jain, Hindu, and other texts. I have read many of these Indian scriptures. I am going to give my interpretation of Buddhist scriptures, the Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita. I have been interested in the nature of the 'I' since I was a child. Mostly because I felt that the 'I' was too important to be simply a collection of cells. <br><br>Buddhist scripture has a slightly different description of the 'I' than Hindu scripture. The essence of the 'I' is not explicitly mentioned in Buddhist texts but is hinted at many times. The Buddhist scriptures describe the mind to be made up of five aggregates or 'skandhas' - form, sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. While the body and brain have the capacity to influence the function of the 'I', your consciousness is not limited to the body. The consciousness, 'I', is indestructible and cannot be proven to be created or destroyed. Just like energy, the consciousness, the 'I', cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. Just like energy, the consciousness is the basis of everything, the source of all things. Our consciousness is constantly changing from one state to another. So the 'I' undergoes complete change with each passing moment. This is as close as you can get to pinpointing the consciousness. The consciousness can neither be proven nor disproven by 'science' because it cannot be physically measured. It transcends the physical realm. The 'I' is different from the brain. The brain is necessary for the physical manifestation of the 'I', but the 'I' is not a byproduct of the brain activity. <br><br>The Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, two ancient Hindu texts, have a different idea of the 'I'. According to the Upanishads, the 'I' is indestructible, infinite, omniscient, and the source of all things. It is consciousness. The 'I' cannot be created or destroyed. It is beyond the five elements - earth, water, fire, air, and space. It is not born or dead, it does not decay, and it cannot be divided. It is the source of all, a unified consciousness. While the mind decays with age and eventually dies, the 'I' lives on. While the body and brain have the capacity to influence the function of the 'I', your consciousness is not limited to the body. The Bhagavad Gita agrees with this idea. It describes the 'I' as consciousness, an indestructible, infinite consciousness. It is beyond the five elements and the mind. The consciousness, 'I', transcends the physical realm. It is the source of all. The 'I' is indestructible and cannot be created or destroyed. It is infinite. The consciousness, 'I', is the basis of everything and is the source of all things. Just like energy, the consciousness is indestructible and infinite. The consciousness, 'I', is beyond the five elements and the mind. It is omnipotent. It transcends the physical realm. The 'I' is indestructible and infinite. It is the basis of everything and the source of all things. The 'I' is not of this world, but it is not something alien to us. It is the source of all things. It is beyond the five elements and the mind. It is omnipotent. It transcends the physical realm. The 'I' is not the brain, body, mind, or thoughts. It is beyond the five elements and the mind. It is beyond duality, and beyond the mind. The 'I' is not of this world, but it is not something alien to us. The 'I' is indestructible and infinite. It is indestructible and infinite. Our consciousness is constantly changing from one state to another. So the 'I' undergoes complete change with each passing moment. This is as close as you can get to pinpointing the consciousness. This is the nature of 'I', beyond the physical body. <br><br>References<br><br>\*The Upanishads<br><br>\*The Bhagavad Gita<br><br>\*Buddhist Scripture