Chapter 6

The self is that individual whom you call yourself. In general, it is who you think you are. In other words, it is all of those values and feelings that you have accumulated over the years of living on this planet plus all of your genetic characteristics that you have inherited from a long list of people - your ancestors. It should be pointed out here, that the self (small "s") is what is defined above. On the other hand, the Self (big "S") usually refers to that which is always present, formless, pure, and unchanging. The big Self is also known as the witness. The Father of yoga, Patanjali, probably said it best, some 5,000 years ago: "Thoughts are always changing but may be witnessed by the True Self which is never changing.

In the last two chapters you picked out three value cards and three feeling cards that basically depict how you view yourself. These six cards make up your self (small "s"), the person who you consider who you are. If you picked those cards with true conviction and honesty they should reflect how you react to everyday situations. In essence they are why you do what you do. The exercises below will help you summarize those six cards into your own personal mandala.