Wooden Log Crocodile

The “wooden log crocodile” story refers to a famous legend from the life of Adi Shankaracharya, where a crocodile grabs his leg in the Poorna River at his birthplace, Kalady; he miraculously convinces his mother to permit him to renounce worldly life (sannyasa), and the crocodile releases him, marking the start of his spiritual journey. The “wooden log” element appears in a philosophical parallel, symbolizing the futility of spiritual pursuit when attached to the body, as in mistaking a crocodile for a log to cross a river.

All experiences in life are fleeting, by nature, with no choice of ours.

Natural forces create them and dissolve them.

Who arranges for a beautiful sunrise?

And, who created the eyes for you to see it?

And yet somehow, we end up putting our stamp on it: “I saw a beautiful sunrise.”

Who is “I”? What is “I.

This is the Ego, and that is the cause of our sufferings.

The next day, on a cloudy morning, the Ego will be looking for a similar sunrise and will be disappointed.

Our behaviors, emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and our whole lives revolve around the Ego, a futile attempt to survive.

Even our lives are transient experiences, originating from nothingness and constantly marching back into it; they’re part of a relentless process.

Putting a stamp on it is foolishness.

And yet our Ego never fails to do just that, and suffers.

The ego is an illusion.

Fighting with it is like fighting with a self-created paper tiger.

But the question arises, if there is no Ego, then who is really experiencing the experience?

Consciousness.