Distinguishing atma-svarupa from ego

In a Zoom meeting on 16th September 2021 Michael answers several questions asked by Indira about Bhagavan’s teachings, such as whether the seer is ego or our real nature (ātma-svarūpa), the role of ego in our spiritual journey towards self-knowledge, the practice of surrender to the will of God or guru, the value of a human birth, the benefit of self-investigation while we are still practising, doership and niṣkāmya karma, and God as both īśvara and the transcendent reality.

During this discussion Michael refers to and/or discusses the following passages from Bhagavan’s writings:

Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu verse 4, 25, 26 and 38

Nāṉ Ār? (Q&A versions) Q&A 4

Nāṉ Ār? (essay version) paragraph 3, 4, 5, 7 and 15

Upadēśa Undiyār verse 8, 18, 22 and 26

The note he wrote for his mother in December 1898

Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 8:

ஊர்சுற் றுளம்விடா துனைக்கண் டடங்கிட
     வுன்னழ கைக்காட் டருணாசலா

ūrsuṯ ṟuḷamviḍā duṉaikkaṇ ḍaḍaṅgiḍa
     vuṉṉaṙa haikkāṭ ṭaruṇācalā

பதச்சேதம்: ஊர் சுற்று உளம் விடாது உனை கண்டு அடங்கிட, உன் அழகை காட்டு அருணாசலா.

Padacchēdam (word-separation): ūr suṯṟu uḷam viḍādu uṉai kaṇḍu aḍaṅgiḍa, uṉ aṙahai kāṭṭu aruṇācalā.

English translation: Arunachala, so that seeing you uninterruptedly the mind, which roams the world, will subside completely, show your beauty.

Explanatory paraphrase: Arunachala, so that seeing you uninterruptedly [my] mind, which roams the world, will subside [or cease] completely, show [me] your beauty [the infinite beauty of your real nature].

Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 44

This episode can also be watched as a video: 2021-09-16 Indira and Michael discuss distinguishing ātma-svarūpa from ego.