What is the real you? ( Self Image,Image for Others and Image By Others).

In Indian spiritual tradition self has three profiles -

Ahamgara - Self Image, image one has about oneself.

Mamagara - Image for Others, Image projected to others

Anyagara - Image by others, Image held by others.

The life as such revolves around these three images.

Among these images,

“Image for others” is consciously built by us, so we know it is an image.

Similarly,

we know “image by others” is only an image because it is opinion of others.

But, when it comes to self image, it is difficult to know that it is also an image.

We take self image as our true self, though it is also an opinion, a self opinion.

All the relationships in our life are between this self image and images of others

and all aspirations in life are aspirations of this image.

When image changes or mutates, everything changes along with that.

To put it concretely,

“wife” is an image of a woman,

It is very rare for a man to look at the woman behind the image of wife and vice versa.

It is so with other labels as well.

Coming back to abstract,

If, what I consider as ‘me’ is only a self image,

What is the substratum on which this image is built?

Is there such a thing or there is only image and nothing else.

To understand the question, we can look at it from a different angle.

Nature exist.

Nature exists independent of the image i have about it.

Likewise,

Does a self exist independent of the image i have about it (Self Image)?

There has to be such an entity because,

We, being part of nature,

There must be a element within us which is part of that independent nature and so

independent of our self image.

That element is the true self or the true ‘me’ or ‘you’.

This can be felt or one can have a glimpse of it by transcending the images.

Transcending the self image begins with looking at facts and not sticking to one’s opinions.

Even if the facts are uncomfortable to one’s  self image.

Constant awareness and effort gradually loosens the grip of images and enable us to see

the existence of such an entity.

It is a journey without any idea of a destination.

It is not about knowing the unknown but unknowing the known.

Sect of Christian mystics called it “Cloud of Unknowing”.