"It is I..."

And so another Curse is broken. Congratulations to Theo Epstein, the team, and all long-suffering Cubs fans.

I confess that I didn't watch a single pitch; worse, or perhaps, better, depending upon your perspective, I was so detached from the World Series that the only time it entered my thoughts is when I'd overhear someone talking about it (or 'overread' it via Twitter).

Considering that there was a time in my life when I was so completely consumed with baseball, particularly Red Sox Nation baseball, that I doubt I ever went longer than hour in a day without thinking about baseball—indeed, baseball was a very part of my core identity; it defined a major piece of "who I am"—it may seem strange, then, to be so removed from that identity now.

But the more I think about it, the more I consider that it isn't strange at all.

What I'm getting at is that all the major religions and much of Western philosophy as well, posit that there is the "ego-self" and then the "beyond the ego-self." And, we are instructed, that most of our trouble (suffering) is when we think that the ego-self is all there is.

But the ego-self is just a mirage, just a costume in the "All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players" sense.

Related, one of the principles of Vedanta (and other philosophies) is the seemingly trite notion that "the only constant is change." I say "seemingly trite" because on the surface it appears like any other throw away aphorism you might find in a fortune cookie, but, for me at least, accepting this notion of the ever-changing everything and living this notion of ever-changing is pretty much the whole ball of wax for me with regard to feeling a sense of personal tranquility.

Along those lines, then, it follows that the ego-self changes as well. You are not the same you you were 12 years ago, 12 months ago, or even the same you you were 12 seconds ago.

So the Soxaholix-blogging ego "I" was there, at that moment of time, but now he isn't.

I've changed. Or rather the ego-I has changed. The true I is forever unchanging, eternal.

'In the beginning, this universe was but the self [Viraj] of a human form. He reflected and found nothing else but himself. He first uttered, "I am he". Therefore he was called Aham [I]. Hence, to this day, when a person is addressed, he first says, "It is I", and then says the other name that he may have.' (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, I iv 1, p. 64)

Hodgkinson, Brian (2006-06-05). The Essence of Vedanta: The Ancient Wisdom of Indian Philosophy (Kindle Locations 1723-1726). Arcturus Publishing. Kindle Edition.

The extra amusing thing here is that because of my use of the pseudonym on these pages I've added another layer of mirage to the ego-I, and even that is subject to same force, getting swept away in the current of change.