possibilities for making its existence secure and creating self-delusion, the aspirant finds it impossible to cope with the endless upcropping of fresh forms of the ego. He can hope to deal successfully with the deceptive tricks of the ego only through the help and grace of a Perfect Master.
In most cases it is only when the aspirant is driven to realise the futility of all his efforts that he approaches the Master. By himself he can make no headway towards the goal which he dimly sights and seeks. Master is the last resort The stubborn persistence of the ego exasperates him, and in this clear perception of helplessness he surrenders to the Master as his last and only resort. The self-surrender amounts to an open admission that the aspirant now has given up all hope of tackling the problems of the ego by himself and that he relies solely upon the Master. It is like saying, “I am unable to end the wretched existence of this ego. I therefore look to you to intervene and slay it.” This step, however, turns out to be more fruitful than all other measures which might have been tried for the slimming down and subsequent annihilation of the ego. When, through the grace of the Master, the ignorance which constitutes the ego is dispelled, there is the dawn of Truth which is the goal of all creation.

Part III
THE FORMS OF THE EGO AND THEIR DISSOLUTION

THE ego subsists upon mundane possessions like power, fame, wealth, ability, attainments and accomplishments. It creates and recognises the “thine” in order to feel what is distinctively “mine.” Ego lives through idea of “mine” However, in spite of all the worldly things which it claims as “mine,” it constantly feels empty and incomplete. To make up for this deep restlessness in its own being, it seeks to fortify itself through further acquisitions. It brings the array of its entire varied possessions into relief by comparison with others who might be inferior in any one of the items stamped as “mine” and often uses these possessions for wanton and uncalled for self-display even to the disadvantage of others. The ego is dissatisfied in spite of its mundane possessions, but instead of cultivating detachment from them it seeks to derive satisfaction from a more intense sense of possession in contradistinction to others. The ego as an affirmation of separateness lives through the idea of “mine.”
The ego wants to feel separate and unique and it