Student: What is Intellect merging in ego?
Prabhuji: Ego is I am body feeling. This has two components I am + body. Body is the object, I am is subject. Ego is mixing up subject and object. I am comes from chidabhasa – reflected consciousness. Reflected consciousness is witness (Sakshi). Witness is Brahman.
Student: Kindly explain how the ego is identified with the witness. Is it not the other way round?
Prabhuji: Ego is the feeling of I am body. Here I am is manifest consciousness or chidabhasa or reflected consciousness. Ego thought identifies with Chidabhasa or manifest consciousness. Chidabhasa is nothing but Sakshi or witness. Thus ego identifies itself as Witness. However witness – Atma is ever pure and thoughtless (nirvikalpa) like space. Witness does not identify with anything. But chidabhasa – manifest consciousness or reflected consciousness identifies with ego. Reflection in water appears to be shaking due to waves. Similarly chidabhasa appears to be identified with ego. Realization involves recognition that I am chidabhasa and chidabhasa is witness. Due to chidabhasa and ego association, witness appears to be identified with body – in reality not so.