1. I AM is self evident (and, does not require yet another I to say I exist):
A jobless barber and one innocent Sardarji were waiting at a Railway Station for their train to arrive, at late night. Sardarji, with his usual long grown beard and mustache, is feeling very sleepy. He requested the barber to wake him up when train arrives. With a doubt, again requested, "sometimes when I am in deep sleep it is very difficult to wake me up. If I do not wake up, them carry me and put me in the train." Barber accepted, thinking, after all, this Sardarji is too thin and easy to carry.
Sardarji Slept.
For the barber, it is too boring to wait for the train. Also he wanted to verify whether his job skills are in tact or not. So he decided to give a full shave to Sardarji while he is asleep.
Barber removed all hair from Sardarji's face and head. But, since Sardarji is in deep sleep, did not noticed any of these activities.
Finally, the train arrived. Sardarji is still in deep sleep. So, barber lifted him and boarded the train. Barber kept the sleeping Sardaji in a berth and went to his seat.
In the morning, Sardarji woke up and went to toilet. There in a mirror he saw his reflection (which of course is a full shaved face) and yelled out "OH, THAT BARBER BOARDED SOMEBODY ELSE INSTEAD OF BOARDING ME IN TO THE TRAIN".
[Commentary: Assume, instead of seeing his image in a mirror, Sardarji has seen his photograph and expressed his inability to identify the image. We think, it is not a big joke. Even when Sardarji, on seeing his reflection in a mirror, expressing his surprise that how is that his face has changed is also not a big joke. The joke is that, Sardarji thought, "it is not I am, but somebody else". The only thing which does not require any proof and does not require any time to verify is the truth about "I am" or "I exist". This is a self luminous truth which does not require other "I" to confirm. Do we need a lamp to see other lamp? ]
2.
Missing Tenth man: Ten people crossed a river by swimming across it. On the other shore, they verified whether everybody crossed safely or not. So they counted themselves. Each person counted others and ignored himself. So they got a count of 9 only. They were lamenting that one person was drowned in the river.
A passer by seen them and asked the reason for their sadness. Upon hearing the story he told them how to count. "First count yourself, then others". Finally they found everything is all right.
[Commentary: The moral of this story is we should count the subject first. That is first ask "who am I?" before asking about others, world and god. Tenth man is always there. He did not disappeared at one time and appeared at the later time. He is always there.]
3. Princess of Kasi (How to overcome a mundane desire):
A young man has seen a picture of a beautiful young lady in his house attic. House maids told him that the picture is of Princess of Kasi. The young man fell in deep love for the princess of kasi. He is always thinking of her. He wants to marry her. He tried to suppress the desire, but could not. He became sad, because being an ordinary man he cannot marry the princess of Kasi. He became depressed.
His grand father, observing him asked for the reason of his sadness. Upon consoling the young man and assuring that he will not disclose the reason for his sadness, the youngman told the matter. Grand father asked to see the picture of the Princess of Kasi. Upon seeing the picture, the old man started laughing and told, "My dear grand son, this picture is your picture only. Some ten years back to perform a stage show, since there is nobody to play the Princess of Kasi role, we did a good makeup to you. This picture was drawn by a great artist."
[Commentary: Now, what happened to the desire of the young man? Is it got suppressed? Or is it satisfied? What happened to the desire? He is the girl whom he desired. Similarly, sages like Sri Ramana Maharshi, again and again tell us to find out who this I is? And, He says this is the real remedy for our sorrows, desires, etc. Upon finding who this I is, which is ones own real nature, one realises that the world is nothing but I-am. On the screen of I-am the world picture is appearing. If the ego wakes-up from the dream of world, the substratum I-am is known. Then, what happens to desires and fears? But, this should not be just an intellectual understanding. A real experience (not a delusion) of who this I-am has to dawn for this. Sages like Sri Ramana say this endeavor, that is the sadhana to wake-up, alone is a worthy thing. ]
4. Is this true or that? (King Janaka's question):