Category:I and Mine
Theme Analysis
In the teachings of Śrīla Prabhupāda, the fundamental disease of material existence is diagnosed as the false ego, which manifests in two primary conceptions: "I" and "mine." The concept of "I" refers to the illusion of identifying the eternal spirit soul with the temporary material body. The concept of "mine" is the natural byproduct of this false identification, leading the conditioned soul to claim ownership over everything related to the body—such as family, property, nation, and wealth. Śrīla Prabhupāda explains that this misconception is the root cause of all material entanglement, political strife, and individual suffering. The illusory energy tightens this knot through the attraction between male and female, gradually entangling the living entity in a complex web of attachments. The only cure for this deep-rooted ignorance is to awaken one's real ego—understanding oneself to be an eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa—and to realize that everything ultimately belongs to the Supreme Lord.
- The Root of Illusion ("I Am This Body"): The foundational mistake of the conditioned soul is to think, "I am this material body." Without knowledge of the spirit soul, everyone naturally assumes their temporary physical form is their true self.
- The Trap of Ownership ("Everything is Mine"): Flowing from the false "I," the living entity develops the illusion of "mine," claiming falsely to be the proprietor of land, wealth, and family, forgetting that they arrived empty-handed and will leave empty-handed.
- The Tightening Knot of Attachment: The material world is designed to trap the soul further through sex life. The union of male and female significantly increases the illusion of "I and mine," leading to a desperate search for apartments, money, and societal recognition.
- The Cure of Real Ego: Śrīla Prabhupāda teaches that liberation is not the destruction of the ego, but its purification. Real ego means giving up the false claims of "I and mine" and accepting one's constitutional position as an eternal servitor of Kṛṣṇa.
- Explore the synthesized essence of this category in this Vanipedia article: I and Mine - The Dual Knots of False Ego.
Pages in category "I and Mine"
The following 62 pages are in this category, out of 62 total.
A
- Almost everyone is thinking that he is this body; he has no information of the spirit soul. Guided by this misconception, one always thinks, "This is my body, and anything in relationship with this body is mine"
- As long as one is a servant of mental concoctions, one cannot be completely free from the disease of "I" and "mine."
B
- Because He has no material body, He has no false conception of "I and mine." It is therefore incorrect to think that He feels pleasure or pain when blasphemed or offered prayers. This is impossible for Him
- Because of sinful activities we become attracted by the illusion of material attachment, and we think, "I am this body." I think of the body as myself and of bodily possessions as "mine"
- Being full of contradictions, all forms of religion but bhagavata-dharma work under conceptions of fruitive results and distinctions of "you and I" and "yours and mine"
- Brahma said, "Just see my impudence! I wanted to supersede You (Krsna) by my own personal power, and I was very puffed up with this tiny power of mine"
I
- "I am this body" or "Everything in relationship to the body is mine" is called false ego, but when one is self-realized and thinks that he is an eternal servitor of the Supreme Lord, that identification is real ego
- I have come here in Switzerland. If I remain here for one month and I claim, "Oh, this is mine," what is this? So similarly, I come as guest. Everyone comes as guest in the womb of his mother and lives here for fifty years. He is claiming, "It is mine"
- If one is attracted by this root of illusory conceptions - "I" and "mine" - he will have to remain within this material world in different exalted or nasty positions
- If wife is there, then some money must be coming, that means work, land or factory, children, home, friends, community, nation, like that there is increasing complication of illusion of thinking: This is mine, that is mine
- In the higher stage of speculative knowledge, the same misconception of "mine" is transformed into "I am," or "It is all I am," etc
- In the lower state the conception of "mine" is very prominent, and in the higher state the misconception of "I" is prominent
- Influenced by the material consciousness of "I" and "mine," he begins to enjoy and suffer through his senses. Thus the living entity is entrapped
N
- Nonsensical talks are not supported by the principles of Vedic literatures, and first-grade nonsense talk is "It is I, it is mine
- Now that I have become fixed in the Absolute Truth, henceforward I shall not identify myself with the body. I shall give up false conceptions of "I" and "mine" and fix my mind on the lotus feet of Krsna
O
- O Lord, persons who are entangled by undesirabel eagerness for the temporary body and kinsmen, and who are bound by thoughts of "mine" and "I," are unable to see Your lotus feet, although Your lotus feet are situated within their own bodies
- O my friends, sons of demons! In this material world, even those who are apparently advanced in education have the propensity to consider, "This is mine, and that is for others"
- On the basis of the misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of 'I and mine'
- On the basis of this misconception, which ties together the hearts of the male and female, one becomes attracted to his body, home, property, children, relatives and wealth. In this way one increases life's illusions and thinks in terms of "I and mine."
- One gives up the basic principle of illusion (I and mine) and becomes liberated. Thus one goes to the transcendental world
- One should not be misled by misconceptions of "I" and "mine"
P
- People who are entangled in academic knowledge are conditioned souls who are confused about the facts of "I", "mine" and "my" understanding. Consequently they are unable to detach their minds from the external energy
- Prahlada Maharaja replied that a man engrossed in the material consciousness of duality, thinking, "This is mine, and that belongs to my enemy," should give up his householder life and go to the forest to worship the Supreme Lord
T
- The conditioned souls are eager to identify with the body and consider that the body is "myself" and that anything in relationship with the body or possessions of the body is - mine
- The consciousness of material identification (such as "I" and "mine") still continues because such consciousness has been extant from time immemorial
- The defect is that in the root is wrong. Everyone's thinking "It is my country. It is my family. It is my society. It is my property." This "mine" is illusion
- The different positions of the living entities in the material world under multifarious manifestations of bodies are due to the misconception of "mine" and "I"
- The dualities found within this material world, such as beginning and end, mine and theirs, are all absent from the personality of the Supreme Lord
- The entire world is bewildered because people are thinking, "This is my land," "America is mine," "India is mine." Not knowing the real value of life, people think that the material body and the land where it is produced are all in all
- The false ego - "I am," and "It is mine," which constitute the basic principle of material existence - includes ten sense organs for material activities
- The idea that "I am this body, and everything belonging to this body is mine" increases, and as the whole world is put into moha, sectarian societies, families and nationalities are created, and they fight with one another
- The illusioned living entity appears in so many forms offered by the external energy of the Lord. While enjoying in the modes of material nature, the encaged living entity misconceives, thinking in terms of "I" and "mine"
- The illusory energy of the Lord cannot take precedence, being ashamed of her position, but those who are bewildered by her always talk nonsense, being absorbed in thoughts of "It is I" and "It is mine"
- The impetus for lording it over material nature is the sense of "mine" and "I". "I am the lord of all that I survey. So many things I possess, and I shall possess more and more. Who can be richer than I in wealth and education?"
- The karmi thinks of this world as "mine," and the jnani thinks "I am" everything. The whole material conception of politics, sociology, philanthropy, altruism, etc., conceived by the conditioned souls is on the basis of this misconceived "I" and "mine"
- The karmis are fond of the conception of "mine," the jnanis are fond of the conception of "I," and both of them are unqualified to be free from the bondage of the illusory energy
- The living entity in his material condition is dreaming falsely that this is "mine" and this is "I."
- The misconception of "I am the Lord," or "I am the Supreme," is more dangerous than the misconception of "mine"
- The perfect process is to accept Krsna as the Supreme in everything, and the best perfection in culturing knowledge is to surrender unto Him because He is the source of everything. Only in that conception can one get rid of the misconception of I and mine
- The whole materialistic world is moving under such false egoism of "I" and "mine," but the factual effect of chanting the holy name is to become free from such misconceptions
- Therefore none of you should be aggrieved for the loss of the body - whether your own or those of others. Only in ignorance does one make bodily distinctions, thinking "Who am I? Who are the others? What is mine? What is for others?"
- They (people of the world) avariciously base their undertakings on the perishable conceptions of "my" and "mine." As long as they do not take shelter of Your safe lotus feet, they are full of such anxieties
- This is because those great kings could not even conquer the false consciousness of "I am this body, and this is my property." Thus they simply created enmity with rival kings, fought with them and died without having discharged life's real mission
- Those who are before God and who surrender unto Him, cannot be influenced by the deluding energy; they are free from the misconception of "It is I, it is mine," and therefore they do not accept a false God or pose themselves as equal to the Supreme Lord
- Thus (by the attraction between male and female) one becomes entangled in the bodily conception of "I" and "mine."
- To become untinged by the modes of material nature is the qualification for entering into the service of the Lord. As long as one is a servant of mental concoctions, one cannot be completely free from the disease of "I" and "mine"
W
- We are attached to this material world. But when we are united, man and woman together, our attachment for this material world becomes increased. Material world means "I am this body, and in relationship with this body everything is mine"
- When all these (buildings, children, friends, relatives and wealth) are acquired, the conditioned soul becomes overwhelmed by such entanglements, and the false sense of egoism, or the sense of "myself" and "mine," becomes prominent
- When one is completely cleansed of the impurities of lust and greed produced from the false identification of the body as "I" and bodily possessions as "mine," one's mind becomes purified
- Who has created this country, this vast land, the sky, the sea, the ocean? I have not created. So how can I claim that this is mine? I have come empty-handed from the womb of my mother, and I shall go empty-handed