Krishna's statement points to the surface understanding that our physical body is not the entirety of our being. We identify with our physical sensations, our appearance, and the limitations of our corporeal existence. This is the common, everyday perception.

However, within the Advaita Vedanta tradition of Hinduism, this illusion, known as *maya*, is far more profound. Maya is the cosmic power that veils the true, eternal nature of reality – the Atman, which is identical to Brahman, the Absolute. The ego (*ahamkara*) is the false identification of the self with the non-self, primarily the body and mind. Believing 'I am this body' is the root ignorance that binds one to the cycle of birth and death (*samsara*). True awakening, as taught in the Bhagavad Gita, involves realizing your divine, unchanging essence, which is pure consciousness, distinct from the perishable physical form and the fluctuating mental states. This realization liberates you from suffering.

In your life: Practice observing your thoughts and feelings without identifying them as 'you', recognizing the unchanging awareness behind them.