Buddhism refers to the egoic state as “Anattā” and “Atman“. The Tao Te Ching mentions “the false self that we concoct for others to love.”  We have been aware of our egoic states for centuries, maybe even for ever, but do we truly understand what the ego is? I don’t care for the term “Ego” as it is over used and misrepresented to often. I prefer to refer to the egoic state as “Bodily Self” and will use this term going forward.

The Bodily Self is that which keeps you grounded to this earthly existence. It is the part of you that gives you craving for things, the desire to want more and tendencies to become jealous. It is that part of you that rages war with one another over trivial things, makes you feel superior as well as worthless. It is the part of you that holds all emotion and feeling. It is in fact, as you experience it on earth, a real self but not your true self.

The bodily self is purposefully designed to keep you under the guise of physical reality and existence. Many say that the “purpose” of life is to remember your true self, which I don’t completely agree with. We all have the ability to remember who or what we are, and we all feel this from time to time. Remembering who you are is no great feat, no great purpose to strive for (although few may recognize it), simply find the present moment, look inside yourself, seek silence and you will remember who you are.

The one true purpose of your existence is simply to “Experience”. To experience all things, all emotions, all scenarios good or bad (which there is no good or bad, but that’s another conversation) from many different perspectives in many different bodies, both human and non-human, throughout many different lifetimes You are one existence manifested in many forms. You are God’s imagination.