The 'I-thought'

Let us examine the sense of self or the feeling of being a 'me'.

At this moment, it seems as though there is a separate entity typing these words on a laptop.
There are thoughts passing through the 'mind' of this entity.

These thoughts keep changing every millisecond. From some unknown origin, these thoughts seem to arise and then disappear. The common element that binds these thoughts is known as the mind or the 'I-thought".

The 'I-thought' is the root thought which binds all these seemingly random thoughts into a coherent structure.

An existence of a separate entity or the 'Me' is assumed in order to establish a common link binding these thoughts like a chord of string binding the beads together.

But what gives rise to the 'I-thought'?

Rather is there an independent individual that exists apart from this 'I-thought'?

It appears that there is a body sitting on a chair typing these words. But for the mind, even the body would be unacknowledged. Hence it seems that the 'I-thought' is tied to the mind regardless of the presence or absence of the body. In fact the sensation of the body seems to be present whenever the 'I-thought' arises.

Thus, it seems that the sense of self is tied to the I-thought rather than the body. The body seems to be the condensed form of the 'I-thought'.

So the question then arises, from where does the 'I-thought' arise?

Looking for the source of the 'I-thought', nothing can be found.

Does this indicate that the 'I-thought' has no source or that one is simply unable to find it?

Who infact is trying to find the source of the 'I-thought'? Is it the 'I-thought' itself?
How can the 'I-thought' find its own source?

Anything can only be found by an 'I-thought'. The very notion of finding the source is something that only the 'I-thought' can indulge in. So, it seems that try as you might, there is no going beyond the 'I-thought'.

Being the first thought how can it go beyond itself? And who else other than the 'I-thought' can ever attempt to 'go beyond' All attempts to do or know something has to have an 'I-thought' who is the doer or the knower?

So, we reach a point beyond which it is simple impossible to proceed. So what can be done now?
This is the fundamental paradox of the 'I-thought'. It simply cannot go beyond itself?

At this point the 'I-thought' has to accept defeat. The self is inevitably defeated the moment it tries to go beyond itself. Even the notion of a 'Creator' lies within the 'I-thought'. Since the 'I-thought' is incapable of finding its source, it has to accept that its source or cause does not exist. Without any cause thus, the 'I-thought' itself cannot not exist.

Hence, there is no cause for the 'I-thought'. This means that the 'I-thought' itself does not exist.
This means that the self itself does not exist. It is only an appearance, like the appearance of a desert mirage.