The answer to query “Who Am I?” cannot be found Intellectually, since the true I, the subject of the I, is prior to intellect.
The answer is "you cannot find it" because it is already here. It is not hidden away, to be found after an extended search.
The source/existence...whatever we wish to call it cannot be touched by thought. It is the *one* thing that cannot be touched by thought.
If you have seen this for yourself, then the search ends. for there is no more runway. There is no magic that takes one beyond the intellect and reveals something new - after several years.
But to fully round it off -
Q:
Who am I?
A: Not a useful question. You are the questioner or in other words, you are yourself. Case closed.
A better question is,
Q:
Per Advaita, who is in ignorance?
A: I say 'per Advaita' because, if you had never encountered Vedanta,
you would not consider yourself to be in ignorance. But as Advaita came along and told you that you are in ignorance (and has kindled your curiosity), you have to follow the line of questioning to figure out what this is about. The simple answer is, you are in ignorance.
Q:
Ignorant about what?
A: There are two perspectives to existence. You are familiar with one, but ignorant about the other.
Q:
What are these two perspectives?
A: The first is your current perception of existence. You are an individual, a specific person in time and space. There are many others like you. There is a past, present and future. You were born and will die someday.
The second perspective is where you see the role of thought. You see that everything is a thought - including yourself, other people, space, time (past, the present, the future). All are thoughts. Yet, you
infer a substratum that powers thought, but is not touched by thought and is therefore not within time or space. Without time, there is no beginning and there is no end and also no eternity. Hence, no birth and no death. This substratum exists. Nothing else can be said about it for any adjective./noun in relation to it is incorrect. Calling it existence too is not entirely correct.
The Advaita ignorance is ignorance of the second perspective.
Q:
Does this knowledge produce change?
A: Yes and No. The individual's circumstances do not change. The individual's actions and destiny will not change (change from what??). What does change is that the search comes to an end. The realization of the
absence of non-existence (and hence, no birth and no death) can be profound.
Q:
If this is so simple, who do most seekers not see it?
A: Because of the baggage created by scholars for nearly 3000 years - obfuscating and mystifying it to ridiculous levels. This baggage creates false expectations and these expectations become the barrier. Simply put, they are looking for something that does not exist and hence,
the search never ends.
The other complication is Advaita is the *only* branch of Vedanta that supports the concept of Jivanmukti. No other branch supports it for their conception of Moksha is very different and only happens after mortal death. This concept creates the stereotype of a "Jnani" - which leads to confusion. How do you identify a Jnani? Are we supposed to emulate them? There is
no way to know these things and people get lost in their own assumptions.
Now, go back to the Mahavakyas and see them again in the light of the above and things will fall into place.