Ahamkara
Ahaṁkāra (), 'I-making', is a Sanskrit term in Saṃkhyā philosophy that refers to the identification of Self or Being with 'nature' or any impermanent 'thing'. Ahaṁkāra is one of the four parts of the antahkarana (inner organ) described in Vedanta, while the other three parts are Buddhi, Citta and Manas. In the Uttara Mimamsa or vedanta branch of Hindu philosophy, even though it is not discussed in great detail in the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna says to Arjuna that Ahaṁkāra must be removed - in other words, it should be subordinated to the lord. The reason for this is that the  Self is not (cannot be) perceived when one is in a state of Ahaṁkāra. In Bhagavad Gita Krishna says "Air, water, earth, fire, sky, mind, intelligence and ahankaar (ego) together constitute the nature created by me." Philosophical implications. Vedic philosophy teaches that when one's mind is in a state of Ahaṁkāra, one is in a state of subjective illusion, where the mind has bound the concept of one's self with an external thing. That thing can be a tangible, material object, or it can be a concept (such as the concept of the fight for peace). The  ego is involved in constructing the illusion. Examples of ahaṃkāra in action: In both cases, the mind has created a state of illusion, but it seems very real to the person in that state, and subjectivity and reality are obscured. This deeply illusory state is what can often cause people to do the strangest, oddest things, sometimes evil, and often quite out of character. All humans can - and usually do at some time in their lives - suffer from this. Ahaṁkāra and spiritual development. Though Ahaṁkāra is generally a state of illusion, once in that state, "Vak tattva" (one of the  36 tattvas) can appear. When it does, then, for the first time the individual’s will, determination, a sense of morality and ethics come into play - which is the first step on the path to spiritual development or even enlightenment. Without one is sufficiently harmonious and has a powerful Ahaṁkāra (personality), it is thought to be impossible to exert the level of effort necessary to accede to a higher spiritual level. The position of Ahaṁkāra and buddhi are sometimes presented in a reversed order because, as the principle of "I-ness", the Ahaṁkāra is allowed control over the manas (sensorial  mind) and buddhi (superior intellect, intuition). Yet, buddhi is a superior tattva, and Ahaṁkāra is thus only able to be in a superior position to buddhi from a functional point of view. From an absolute point of view, Ahaṁkāra is created by buddhi and thus subordinate to it. See also. "Jainism"