Acharya Prashant explains that the ego is an embodiment of selfishness, seeking love only where it perceives profit. He critiques the tendency of seekers to measure spiritual progress through personal gains like clarity or reduced fear, noting that such gratitude is often an advertisement of ignorance. True liberation is not about receiving comforts within the prison of the ego but being released from the prison itself. He emphasizes that when one truly attains knowledge, the 'I' that could claim the benefit disappears, much like a bird escaping a cage. If a seeker can still list their benefits, they are likely still trapped within their own mental boundaries, perhaps in a more comfortable 'VIP cell', but still not free.
