7. WE ARE PRISONERS OF THE EGO
Why is it that we do not realize Chit or Consciousness? Why is it that we do not experience the state of the true self that we are? It is because of the ego. From the time we are born, we are given a name, an identity so that we can be identified. Unfortunately, instead of using it as an identity, we become the ego. We say, 'I am Steven', as we look at a class photograph of our school, and we say, 'That is me,' as we identify ourselves with the body.
The ego makes us live a life of mistaken identity. As it imprisons us behind bars of ignorance, it stops us from being conscious of who we truly are. It stops us from that awareness of the true Consciousness, our true existence.
Our goal is to transcend the ego. Unless we let go of the ego, we can never realize the Truth of Chit, the Consciousness that we are. Along with the body and the mind, the ego works to enslave us in ignorance, and we don't experience the Bliss, that comes from Chit, or Consciousness of Sat, the Truth.
Don't we know the Truth? Of course, we do. But despite knowing the Truth, we are not conscious of it because we are prisoners of the ego, the mind, and the senses of the body. Unless we become free from the ego, unless we realize the Truth of 'Who am I?', we will continue to live as the ego, without being conscious of our true existence and thus suffer. Our challenge is to realize the Divine Consciousness that we are.