The Logos: The Meletic Testament (Chapter 55 The Self Vs The Ego)
Lorient Montaner
đź“ś Chapter 55: The Self Vs The Ego
1. This morning, beneath the olive tree, I felt the stirrings of the self. It does not announce itself with grandeur, but arrives quietly, like the first light upon the Acropolis. The ego, by contrast, is never still. It demands attention, even in solitude.
2. The self seeks the truth without reward. It is content to observe, to listen and to be. The ego is restless. It hungers for recognition, even when none is deserved. I have lived both, and I know which brings peace.
3. As I walked through the agora, I saw men trading not only goods, but identities. The ego wears many masks to disguise itself. The self wears none. It is bare, and therefore unafraid.
4. I once believed strength lay in assertion—in the power to persuade, to dominate, but I have come to see that true strength lies in restraint. The ego shouts, whilst the self waits.
5. A merchant offered me fine cloth from the East. I declined, not out of virtue, but because I recognised the temptation. The ego would have accepted, and worn it proudly. The self has no need for adornment.
6. I do not praise the self for its virtues, but I know the self listens when I speak. The ego scoffs, fearing what it cannot control. It is not our true self. It is the shadow cast by our desires, our fears and our impulses.
7. A man must never yield, but I have yielded, and in doing so, I discovered a deeper courage. The ego resists. The self reflects, and finds strength in the building of the character.
8. The philosophers speak of virtue, of reason and of the good. I have read their words, and I have lived them. The ego quotes them. The self embodies them.
9. I stood before a temple ruins. I was unaware of its history, of its gods and of its politics. I was simply present. In that moment, I saw the self in its purest form—unburdened by knowledge, yet wise.
10. At night, I sit alone and reflect. The ego fears solitude. It seeks distraction. The self embraces the silence, for it is in silence that the truth is heard.
11. In the shadow of the Stoa, I listened to a young man recite the teachings of Zeno. He spoke with conviction, but I sensed the ego behind his words—seeking approval, not understanding. The self does not perform. It contemplates.
12. I have learnt that the ego thrives on comparison. It cannot exist without measuring itself against others. The self, by contrast, is whole. It does not compete, because it does not lack reasoning.
13. There was a time I believed the self could be taught, but I now see it must be remembered. It is not acquired through study, but uncovered through silence.
14. The ego is clever. It mimics wisdom, borrows virtue, and wears humility like a cloak, but the self is honest. It does not pretend. It simply is.
15. I passed a statue today. It had a gaze that was stern, a posture regal. The ego would have seen the power in its form. The self sees balance—mind and strength in harmony.
16. A Roman official spoke in the agora, promising order and prosperity. The crowd applauded. I remained still. The ego is drawn to promises. The self waits for the truth to be revealed.
17. I once conversed about the nature of justice with another philosopher. We both quoted the ancients ones, both defended our views, but later, in solitude, I realised the ego had spoken on his behalf. The self does not argue—it seeks understanding.
18. The ego fears being forgotten or forsaken. It builds monuments, carves its name in stone. The self leaves no actual mark of stone as a lasting vestige, yet its presence endures.
19. I watched a beggar share his bread with a stray dog. No one noticed but me. In that moment, I saw the self—quiet, generous and unseen.
20. The ego is loud in the marketplace, but silent in the soul. The self is silent in the world, but loud within.
21. I have come to believe that suffering reveals the self. When the ego is stripped away—by loss, by failure, by grief—the self emerges, not as a victor, but as a witness.
22. A woman one day, spoke of visions, of angels and fire. Her words were strange, yet sincere. She declared that she was a Christian, but the ego in her would dismiss her words with her actions. She spoke of martyrdom. The self listens, even when it does not agree.
23. The self is not an idea. It is not martyrdom. It is a presence—subtle, enduring, beneath all thought.
24. The ego seeks clarity, certainty, control. The self embraces mystery. It walks without knowing, and confides in the path.
25. I have seen men die for honour, for country and for gods, but the self does not die—it returns, again and again, in every act of virtues.
26. The ego is impatient. It demands answers. The self waits, knowing that the truth unfolds in time, even though the ego tempts the self with vices.
27. I once feared death. I feared the loss of identity, of memory and of selfhood, but now I see that what dies is the ego. The self remains, untouched.
28. The self is not mine. It is not yours. It belongs to no one, yet it lives in all who are human. The ego is the opposite of the self, standing in stark contrast to the essence of who we truly are.
29. A Christian man once spoke of grace. His words were foreign. He spoke of faith, but I told him that the self when recognised is something beyond faith. It has no need for attachment to doctrine.
30. Athens is changing. The old gods are fading. New voices rise with a new god, but beneath it all, the self endures. It is older than Olympus, quieter than Rome, and deeper than any creed or god that man could establish.
31. A Christian spoke to me of faith—of surrender to a higher will. I listened, but I did not follow. Meleticism teaches that there is no divinity above that governs over the self. The self does not kneel. It stands in quiet awareness.
32. I have seen men use sin to excuse their vices. The self does not ask for pardon. It seeks to understand, and in understanding, it transforms. Temptation is not the precursor to sin. Sin is a religious concept that has no truth in philosophy.
33. The ego loves certainty. It clings to dogma, to scripture and to law. The self walks without a map, guided only by the light it carries.
34. I do not bow to any god for the need to be saved. When the self is broken. It is because it is buried—beneath fear, pride, and illusion manifested by the ego.
35. A Christian priest told me that the truth is revealed through revelation, but I have found the truth in silence, in solitude and in the slow unfolding of thought. The self does not receive—it discovers.
36. The Christians say that sin is a stain upon the soul, but I have seen the ego use guilt to bind the mind after temptation has failed. The self does not fear error. It learns from it, and moves forth. It redeems itself through virtues.
37. I do not pray. I reflect. I do not worship. I contemplate. The self does not beg for divine favour—it seeks alignment with what is.
38. The Christians gather in secret, their voices trembling with faith. I do not share their faith, for I see their faith as a semblance of longing. The self does not long for faith, it embraces virtues.
39. They say the soul is judged, but who shall judge the self? It is not subject to reward or punishment. It is beyond merit. It simply is in its nature.
40. I have seen the ego masquerade as piety before the self-righteous. It kneels, it weeps, it sings, but beneath the rituals, it still seeks power. The self does not perform. It lives to be ethical.
41. Meleticism does not promise heaven or the afterlife. It offers clarity. It does not threaten with a hell. It reveals the truth. The self does not fear the afterlife—it attends to the present, knowing that it is fate not faith that awaits one after death.
42. A woman asked me if I believed in miracles. I told her I believe in change. The ego waits for signs. The self becomes the sign. The greatest wonder in life is life itself.
43. She spoke of love as a divine command, but I have seen love arise from understanding, not decree. The self loves because it sees itself in others—not because it is told to.
44. The ego seeks salvation from its dilemma. It fears its own impermanence. The self does not seek to be saved. It seeks to be known and accepted.
45. I do not reject their scriptures because they are divine. I reject the idea that the truth must be written through their god. The self does not need to write nothing, for it speaks in every moment.
46. The Christians say the body has fallen, the world is corrupt, but I have walked through Athens and seen the beauty in decay. The self does not divide sacred from profane. It finds unity in all things.
47. The ego fears death because it clings to actual form to survive. The self does not fear death—it accepts the inevitability of death.
48. I have watched the rise of Christianity with observation and caution. It brings comfort to many, but it also brings division. The self does not divide. It integrates.
49. They speak of obedience. I speak of awareness. The ego obeys out of fear. The self acts from understanding. What we realise is that the self, with its discipline and strength is far more suitable for our existence than the consuming ego.
50. Meleticism is not a religion. It is a philosophical practice—a way of seeing, of being and of becoming. The self is its temple. The ego cannot enter, because it is astray.
51. I once envied a man whose words moved crowds. The ego whispered that he was lost, but the self reminded him: the truth does not require applause. It only requires presence.
52. There was once a day I desired recognition. I spoke not to share, but to impress. On that night, I sat beneath the olive tree and wept—not for shame, but for forgetting.
53. The ego is clever. It wears robes of virtue, speaks in tones of wisdom, but the self listens not to words, but to silence and awareness. It knows when it has been deceived.
54. I walked past the temple of Apollo and felt nothing. Then I saw a child feeding pigeons, and felt everything. The self does not seek grandeur—it finds lasting meaning in the ordinariness of life.
55. A storm once broke over Athens. I watched the citizens pray for safety. I did not pray. I breathed. The self does not plead with the sky—it becomes the calmness beneath it.
56. I saw a man tempted by a woman, whose beauty stirred his longing. The ego told him that she was a prize, but I would convince him then that the self revealed that she was more of elegance. He no longer saw her not as a possession, but as reflection.
57. There were days I reminded myself of the path of the self. I spoke too quickly, judged too harshly, grasped too tightly, but Meleticism was not perfection—it was the return of the self.
58. The ego fears being wrong. It defends, deflects and denies. The self admits, absorbs and adjusts. In error, it finds refinement.
59. I once argued with a philosopher. He spoke of principles. I spoke of inner order. We did not agree, but we both listened. The self does not need victory—it seeks understanding.
60. I watched a man punished for heresy. His crime: asking questions. The ego fears enquiry. The self is born of it.
61. There was a time I sought purity. I avoided wine, laughter, even love, but the self is not divine—it is whole. It embraces all that nourishes without clinging to excess.
62. The ego wants to be seen. The self wants to see. One demands light. The other becomes it.
63. I once fasted for seven days, hoping to silence the desires of the ego, but hunger only made it louder. The self taught me: discipline is not denial—it is discernment.
64. A friend once betrayed me. The ego cried for justice. The self whispered to me that he was lost. I did not forgive to be noble. I forgave to be free of the influence of the ego.
65. I once watched a funeral procession. The mourners wailed, the priests chanted. I stood apart, not cold, but clear. The self does not fear death—it honours it without the truth.
66. The ego seeks legacy. It carves names into stone. The self leaves no inscribed mark, yet transforms all it touches.
67. I once tried to teach Meleticism to a crowd. They asked for divine commandments. I offered wisdom. They left disappointed. The self does not instruct—it inspires.
68. A merchant offered me gold to speak in his favour. The ego considered. The self declined. Truth cannot be bought—it must be earned.
69. I watched a man punished for stealing bread. The law condemned him. The self spoke of his hunger. Meleticism does not judge—it understands one's plight.
70. There are nights I felt alone. The ego would tempt me by telling me that I was forgotten, but the self would tell me that I was not alone. And that was enough.
71. I once feared obscurity, but the self taught me: the sun does not announce itself. It simply rises.
72. The ego wants answers. The self lives evokes questions. One seeks control. The other seeks clarity.
73. Meleticism is the genuine art of remembering who you are before the world tells you otherwise. Virtue is the foundation upon which a noble character is built, and it must never be compromised by vice.
74. The ego clings to identity. It makes you believe that it is greater than a philosopher, teacher and any other man. The self tells you that you are merely those things. And nothing more is needed.
75. Meleticism is not a path to greatness. It is a path to the truth. The self does not ascend—it returns.
76. I have aged, and my steps have slowed. The ego will mourn my youth. The self will welcome time—it is the sculptor of depth.
77. I no longer seek to be remembered. The ego fears oblivion. The self knows that truth, once lived, needs no monument.
78. I have watched civilisations rise and fall. Each believes it is the first to suffer, the first to awaken. The self does not mock their innocence—it honors it.
79. The ego clings to legacy. It builds statues, writes books and names cities. The self leaves no trace, yet its presence endures in the quiet transformation of others.
80. I once feared death. Now I see it as a return—not to dust, but to stillness. The self does not end. It dissolves into what always was.
81. The body weakens. The ego resists. The self listens. It does not fight decay—it learns from it.
82. I have seen my own teachings misused. The ego wants to correct. The self lets go. The truth, once released, belongs to no one.
83. I walk the same streets I did as a boy. They are changed. I am changed. The self does not mourn the past—it walks with it.
84. The ego wants to be right. The self wants to be free. In time, I have chosen my freedom.
85. I no longer argue. I no longer persuade. The self speaks only when silence cannot.
86. The ego is shaken by change. The self is not. It knows that all forms in the world that are life are temporary.
87. At times, my hands tremble and my voice falters, but the self grows stronger. It is not of flesh—it is of awareness.
88. I do not fear being forgotten. I once feared only forgetting myself. Meleticism is the daily act of remembrance.
89. The ego wants to impose. The self wants to be understood. In my wisdom, I have become the student of both.
90. I have watched the stars for decades. They do not speak, yet they teach. The self listens to what has no voice.
91. The ego must find closure. The self accepts continuation. There is no final truth—only deeper seeing.
92. I once believed wisdom was accumulation. Now I know it is subtraction. The self sheds what is not essential.
93. I do not count my years. I count my moments of clarity. I have lived a lifetime, perhaps more than I deserve.
94. The ego wants to be needed. The self wants to be whole. I no longer seek students—I seek stillness.
95. I have seen the world change its gods, its laws and its heroes. The self does not change. It adapts without losing itself.
96. I do not fear the void of life. I have lived beside it. The self does not fill it—it becomes it.
97. The ego wants to finish the journey. The self knows there is no end—only deepening.
98. I have loved, lost, erred, and then awakened. The self does not regret—it integrates. When we allow the ego to dominate our actions, we are surrendering our virtue in exchange for self-indulgence.
99. Meleticism is not a doctrine. It is a mirror. The ego looks for answers. The self looks for itself. When it finds itself, then the search is over.
100. If these verses endure, let them not be called sacred. Let them be called reminders of philosophy. The self needs no scripture—only remembrance.
101. The self listens with quiet attention; the ego interrupts to be heard and revered as well.
102. The self reflects before responding; the ego reacts without any pause or noble act of decorum.
103. The self seeks the way of the truth even when it wounds; the ego seeks approval even when it deceives.
104. The self finds strength in silence; the ego finds comfort in noise. It is the self that one should listen to than the ego.
105. The self waits with patience; the ego rushes with urgency, until he had forsaken the self.
106. The self builds slowly and surely; the ego boasts of what it has not earned but been given.
107. The self learns from every moment in time; the ego defends its ignorance with its false intelligence.
108. The self adapts to change with grace; the ego resists it with fear and imposition.
109. The self is grounded in reality; the ego floats in the whims of illusion that veil the truth.
110. The self is whole and integrated; the ego is fragmented and scattered into falsehoods.
111. The self accepts its limits with humbleness; the ego denies them with immeasurable pride.
112. The self is content with sufficiency; the ego is tormented by the excess of its vanity.
113. The self sees clearly through the lens of virtue; the ego distorts through the lens of desire.
114. The self is the quiet essence that observes, whilst the ego is the restless voice that demands. When I choose to live by my virtues, I give strength to the self and silence to the ego.
115. Ego seeks recognition from the world, whilst the self requires no audience. By acting with temperance and humility, I remind myself that true worth is inwards, not outwards.
116. The self is nourished by honesty, but the ego thrives on illusion. To follow the path of virtue is to strip away the masks that ego so carefully creates.
117. The ego tells you that it must be greater than others, whilst the self tells you to be whole within yourself. It is only through virtues such as wisdom and fortitude that I can answer the self’s quiet call.
118. The ego fears loss, but the self accepts change. When I live with reason, I allow my actions to reflect the self’s steadiness rather than the ego’s grasping.
119. The ego clings to pride, but the self finds strength in humility. Virtue reveals to me that there is no shame in being small before the vastness of the Logos.
120. The self rests in balance, whilst the ego thrives in conflict. By practicing perseverance, I remain steady in storms that the ego would magnify.
121. The ego desires the fleeting, but the self abides in the eternal. In aligning with virtue, I resist the restless hunger of the ego and remain centred in what does not pass away.
122. The ego cries out for possession, but the self knows that nothing is truly mine. Through temperance, I loosen my grip and free myself from the chains of desire.
123. The ego makes comparisons, measuring its worth against others, but the self is whole, needing no mirror to affirm its being.
124. When I pursue virtue, I walk the path of the self, not the ego. For every act of wisdom and reason, the self grows clearer, whilst the ego fades like mist in sunlight.
125. The ego feeds on praise, but the self blossoms in silence. To act justly without need of reward is to live by the power of the self.
126. The self aligns with the Logos, but the ego resists its order. In choosing the self, I step into harmony with the eternal rhythm that sustains all things.
127. The ego fears death, for it clings to its fragile identity. The self accepts death, knowing it is but a passage in the cycle of the Logos.
128. The ego builds illusions of permanence, but the self sees through them. Virtue allows me to recognise what is lasting and what is dust.
129. When I live for the ego, I chase shadows and call them substance. When I live for the self, I dwell in the light of the truth that needs no disguise.
130. The ego divides, but the self unites. Through wisdom, I come to know that I am not apart from others, but part of the same flow of being.
131. The self is revealed not in the noise of pride, but in the quiet balance of virtue. The ego is revealed in vanity, ever demanding recognition where silence would suffice.
132. To follow virtue is to nurture the self with patience and humility. To follow ego is to nourish an endless hunger that never knows peace. The self can be the ego, nor can the ego be the self, if the self does not allow the ego to take over.
133. The self seeks harmony with the Logos, walking in step with the natural order. The ego seeks dominion, blind to the truth that control is an illusion.
134. Every act guided by virtue strengthens the self like a tree rooted deeply in fertile soil. Every act guided by ego weakens the soul, for it grows only in the shifting sands of desire.
135. The self is shaped by reason, humility, and perseverance. The ego is shaped by impulse, arrogance, and fear.
136. When I act in temperance, I am closest to my true self. When I act in excess, I find myself serving only the ego.
137. The self gives, for giving affirms its connection to all. The ego takes, for it sees itself as isolated and in constant need.
138. The self grows through reflection, and reflection teaches wisdom. The ego grows through comparison, and comparison breeds resentment.
139. The virtues are companions to the self, guiding its steps through life. The ego, however, walks alone, never satisfied with company, yet terrified of solitude.
140. The self endures both fortune and misfortune with equanimity. The ego is tossed about, rejoicing one moment and despairing the next.
141. By following the path of the self, I walk in truth and stability. By following the ego, I stumble in falsehood and fleeting illusion. There exists a clear distinction between the ego and the self, just as there is a distinction between good fortune and misfortune.
142. The self seeks meaning, whilst the ego seeks attention. The difference is vast, for meaning nourishes, but attention fades as quickly as it is given.
143. The self draws strength from the eternal cycle of life and death. The ego clings to its own frail image, fearing both time and dissolution.
144. The self is content with enough, finding richness in simplicity. The ego is restless, for it mistakes abundance for fulfilment.
145. The self is a reflection of Logos, for it belongs to the eternal order. The ego is a distortion of self, born of illusion and desire.
146. To follow the self is to embrace clarity and serenity. To follow the ego is to dwell in confusion and unrest.
147. The self seeks unity, knowing that all things are one in the Logos. The ego seeks separation, forever striving to be greater or lesser than others.
148. The self understands virtue as strength of character. The ego mistakes pride for strength, but pride is weakness in disguise.
149. The self invites humility, for humility is the foundation of wisdom. The ego resists humility, for it cannot bear to be small.
150. The self aligns with reason and grows wise in understanding. The ego resists reason, clinging to impulses that never satisfy.
151. In moments of stillness, I meet the self with inner peace. In moments of distraction, I am consumed by the voice of the ego.
152. The self is eternal, flowing with the cycle of life and death. The ego is temporary, a shadow fading as quickly as it appeared.
153. The self knows that death is not an end but a transformation. The ego fears death, for it cannot imagine itself beyond its reflection.
154. The self listens to the quiet truths of existence. The ego shouts loudly to cover its own emptiness.
155. The self honours perseverance, walking steadily on its path. The ego pursues immediacy, unable to wait for anything lasting.
156. The self grows stronger through discipline and practice. The ego resists discipline, preferring indulgence and weakness.
157. The self is humble in success and graceful in failure. The ego exalts itself in victory and despairs when fortune changes.
158. The self embraces patience, for the truth unfolds in time. The ego rejects patience, demanding all things at once.
159. The self values temperance, for balance is the measure of strength. The ego values excess, mistaking indulgence for freedom.
160. The self finds fulfilment in service to others. The ego seeks only service to itself.
161. The self understands that true greatness lies in simplicity. The ego believes greatness lies in being seen.
162. The self holds wisdom as its main guidance in life. The ego holds pride as its guide.
163. The self grows by looking inwards with honesty. The ego grows by looking outwards with envy.
164. The self rests in the truth of the Logos. The ego struggles endlessly against reality.
165. The self loves without condition, for love flows naturally from virtue. The ego loves conditionally, seeking gain rather than giving.
166. The self is courageous, embracing mortality as part of the eternal cycle. The ego is cowardly, fearing both change and impermanence.
167. The self rejoices in silence, for silence deepens understanding. The ego fears silence, for it exposes its emptiness.
168. The self is guided by fortitude, standing firm amidst hardship. The ego collapses quickly, for its foundation is weak.
169. The self accepts the cycle of life and death with serenity. The ego rages against it, unable to surrender.
170. The self walks with humility and peace. The ego walks with arrogance and turmoil, and does not seek harmony; rather, it thrives on excess, on the insatiable hunger for recognition, power and validation
171. The self bows to what is real, aligning calmly with the order before it. The ego recoils from limits, yet in acknowledging limits I discover my precise field of freedom.
172. The self acts from principle rather than mood, seeking coherence over impulse. When temperance governs appetite, the ego finds little leverage to pull me from the Logos.
173. The self speaks plainly so that truth can be heard; the ego dramatises so that it can be seen. I choose accurate words, trusting that clarity outlasts spectacle.
174. The self treats the body as a trust to be tended; the ego treats it as a billboard to be admired. By caring with measure, I serve vitality rather than vanity.
175. The self consults reason before responding, holding a quiet interval for choice. In the pause between stimulus and reaction, I meet my freedom and confirm my character.
176. The self is courageous without theatre; the ego is theatrical without courage. I practise modest daily boldness until it becomes dependable strength.
177. The self honours obligations because integrity is its nature; the ego bargains for advantage because applause is its pay. When I keep my word in silence, reliability becomes my proof.
178. The self prefers mastery to conquest, refining skill instead of seeking dominance. By improving attention and craft, I outgrow the need to stand over others.
179. The self learns from criticism and is sharpened by it; the ego is wounded by correction and withdraws. I convert knowledge into wisdom, and injury into instruction.
180. The self attends to the whole, placing the private good within the common good; the ego attends to the spotlight and calls it the sun. Acting for what benefits all, I find my own benefit already contained.
181. I have learnt that the acceptance of the self is the root of peace. Without it, life is lived in endless conflict. A man enslaved to his ego is at the mercy of an unrelenting master, bending to every whim of pride and self-importance.
182. To accept myself is not to glorify my faults, but to acknowledge them with honesty and compassion. In this way, I grow closer to the truth of who I am.
183. In rejecting the self, I once nurtured only the ego, but in embracing the self, I nurture a life of harmony.
184. The self is not perfect, nor does it need to be. To accept imperfection is to walk the path of wisdom.
185. Self-acceptance frees me from comparison with others. For in knowing myself, I have no need to measure my worth in another’s shadow.
186. To deny the self is to deny life itself. To accept the self is to embrace the eternal cycle to which I belong. A man who devotes himself entirely to the ego forsakes the self. He loses sight of who he is, mistaking his alter ego or his false persona, for his fundamental essence.
187. In accepting myself, I learn to accept others. For all share the same struggles of body, soul, and mind.
188. Acceptance brings serenity, whilst resistance brings suffering. I choose serenity, for it is the companion of wisdom. To accept the self is to accept mortality. For in my limits, I discover my humanity. The self is composed of fortitude, discipline and wisdom, whereas the ego is defined by self-gratification and indulgence.
189. To allow the ego to govern our actions is to invite ruin. The consequences of unattended egotism can be irredeemable, leading to the downfall of character, relationships and inner peace.
190. Self-acceptance gives strength, for I walk no longer as a stranger to myself. Instead, I walk with a friend who has always been within me.
191. The self accepted is like a flame that burns steadily without smoke. The ego unbridled is like a fire that consumes until nothing remains.
192. In embracing myself, I release fear. In releasing fear, I am free to live with courage. Philosophy is not meant to serve the ego, nor is it meant to validate self-centered ambitions.
193. To accept the self is to know that I am part of the Logos. I am also the reflection of the Nous. And in knowing this, I rest in eternal belonging.
194. Self-acceptance teaches me to walk gently in the world. For when I am at peace within, I bring peace without.
195. By embracing my own nature, I no longer seek to become what I am not. Instead, I cultivate what I already am. To accept myself is to end the war within. In that ending, I find the beginning of true wisdom.
196. One of the greatest deceptions of the ego is the illusion of control. It makes us believe that by feeding our desires, we are asserting dominance over our fate.
197. The self accepted reflects the eternal, unshaken by the illusions of time. The ego rejected struggles endlessly against shadows.
198. A man who is governed by his ego may appear strong, but his strength is hollow. He may speak with authority, but his words are empty. He may claim victory, but he has already lost himself.
199. To be truly victorious is to conquer the ego, to master the self and to live in accordance with wisdom and virtue.
200. A man who is ruled by his ego may believe himself to be invincible, untouchable, and a god amongst mortals. Deep down, he is nothing more than a fragile being, bound by the same limitations as all others.
201. His throne may be grand, his riches vast, but his soul is impoverished. He has sacrificed his self-awareness, his humility and his virtue for the fleeting pleasures of pride and vanity. In the end, he will perish, just as all men must. His ego, once his source of power, will be his undoing.
202. When I accept myself, I no longer fear death. For I know that life and death are but movements of the same eternal song. In truth, the more we submit to the ego, the less control we have over ourselves
203. Acceptance of the self is not the end of growth, but its foundation. For from acceptance arises the strength to transform.
204. There is a mirror that is not of glass nor framed in silver. This mirror is unseen by the eyes yet known by the soul. It does not reflect our image as the world sees us, but the interior essence, the shape of what we are becoming. It is the mirror of the self.
205. In the end, I have found that the greatest virtue is to live as I am, without shame or pretence. To accept myself fully is to walk in harmony with the Logos and with the self over the ego.
Recommend Write a ReviewReport