There are two selves in us. One is the immortal self that evolves from life to life. This has to be first discovered as through it we can discover our origin, the eternal unchanging Self that is the Source of everything and hence the universal Self.
There is however a temporary self, the ego-self that is the construct of Nature. It is like the outer scaffolding to build our outer individuality behind which the real house, that is to say the true individual is being built.
Both have to be discovered as well as developed. The true self is our spiritual being, the basis of our evolution across lives. It carries the seeds of our labour, our deeds in one lifetime for fruition in other lives that are yet to come. The ego-self is only a contrivance of Nature for this life, an instrument of the true self to receive from and respond to the world. It is like a temporary dress worn by the true self for outer purposes. It can be modified to make our life meaningful and purposeful and organise our personality and prioritise our goals.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
