By Swami Nishchalananda
The yogic texts tell us that ‘identification is the cause of bondage and non-identification is the key to wisdom’. What does this mean? Basically, it means that rigid self-identification (identification with the ego) keeps us bound in fix ed ways of thinking and behaviour. By ceasing to totally identify with our personality we allow space for a fundamental dimension of our being to reveal itself. Selfidentification moves on to a deeper level, our perspective changes and we start to have a more objective attitude to our ‘own’ mind. As a direct result of this we are gradually freed from the fetters of emotional and mental conditioning.