The Sanskrit word “ahamkara” has quite a different meaning from the concept of “ego” in Western psychology. Ahamkara is your sense of self, your “I-ness”, your persona and sense of being a separate entity. Through surrender, you can develop the ability to react from a place beyond your individual ego; this means that you are often able to touch others on a far deeper level. You would be as much incapable of taking unfair advantage of them as you would let them take advantage of you.

To make spiritual progress, it is important empower and purify your sense of self, but only up to a point. You must cultivate a strong sense of self-worth before you can transcend it.