Most of us believe we know who we are, but what we really find is a conventional or socially
constructed self. However, most of us do not understand what is referred to as the Real Self. What could be the difference between the two? The ordinary self is based upon our relationship to areas of social living and does not intrinsically relate to the deeper part of who we really are. On the other hand, the Real Self, although interacting with different areas of social living, is not dependent upon an identity that is a structure or constructed upon the interaction.
Let’s give an example of the Real Self and the ordinary or conventional self. Let us take the conventional self
first. If I were a tennis player and won three straight sets, then I would base my identity upon this match or my performance. I may think to myself, ‘I shot a good game today’, or even ‘I am a good tennis player’. Notice that it is a constructed self-image. It is an internal construction, based upon a personal conclusion of how I think I played in this particular sport. Now, let us look at an idea of what could be the Real Self.
The Real Self is not based upon a personal conclusion or an internally constructed self-image. It is actually
beyond our normal thinking and feeling processes or functions. What could this be? The Real Self depends upon contact with a deeper part of the mind that is beyond our normal thoughts and feelings that are forever processing our relationship to the world, or the various social processes. It is the depth of the mind that witnesses these things. However, there must be some aspect of the self that is more worldly, or is contacting specific social areas we are engaging. Let us explain how this works.
This Witness or the Space beyond our thoughts and feelings, along with our essential Existence or what some
philosophers call our essential ‘Being’, will form one or more Qualities that enable us to act appropriately in the world. There are many of these Qualities: joy, love, dexterity, clarity and purity are some of them. When a person contacts their Real Self, they not only realize or tune into the transcendent portion of the mind, but with the assistance of their innate Being, they form or ‘produce’ universal Qualities that not only optimize our functioning, but actually ‘feel’ like a part of
who we really are.
So, in the example above, the constructed, conventional identity involve the different images, feelings and thoughts around myself winning the tennis game. The Real Self, however, is experienced as the deeper portion of the mind, together with different Qualities, such as Energy, Joy and Dexterity - held together by Being, or Pure Existence. In other words, I am not just a tennis player or a winner of a game, but I am the deeper Qualities that involve the higher functioning of the game, itself. I feel the joy of the tennis game: or I am joy. I feel or experience the dexterity of the tennis match; therefore, a deeper part of me is dexterity and so on.
The conventional self or socially constructed Identity is not, literally, wrong or false, as long as it is does
does not contain emotions or opinions that are not objective. To realize that I won the tennis game is true and this is how this can be communicated or understood in conventional terms. It is silly to try to forget this or ignore it. On a practical level, I won the game. On the other hand, if I were to think that I am the greatest tennis player in the world, just because I won this game would be a false identity. However, the ‘Real’ Identity is something that is deeper and valuable because it is not based upon a changeable, self-image or personal conclusion, but upon the realization of a vital aspect of living intelligence.
The way that we can construct the Real Self is the through different trainings which develop or transform our basic structures of experience, or what the ancients referred to as the “faculties”. Normally, we use them in ways that are not conductive to higher development, and thus, we contact our conventional identities, which are usually superficial and some times even false. Throught the exercising of our newly developed structures of experience, such as our instincts, attention, volition and so forth, we can the deeper part of our self, or our Essential Identity.
When the trainings have been implimented, we can discover more of who we really are, instead of only constructed social identities. These have practical use, but do not at who we really are. Our attachment to them is what causes the constant ups and downs of life, that reveal nothing more than emotional instability. When we have the courage to look with more honesty, we will realize that we hold on to these identities for fear of our own emptiness.
There is nothing to fear when we look at our own minds and emotions; we may temporarily find ‘nothing’, but this is an aspect of who we really are. Our own pure consciousness reveals an empty nature, which not only is very interesting but full of peace and the originator of many other wonderful qualities, that are not so easily accessed through the conventional ego and personality.
William Edwards
Author, Trainer
The Skill of Wisdom
www.wisdomskill.com wisdomskill@gmail.com
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