Acharya Prashant explains that the human being is not a single entity but a complex of two parts: the true self, or Atman, which is perfect and blemishless, and the body-mind complex, or Prakriti, which we share with animals. While the Atman is our potentiality, our current reality is almost purely Prakriti. We are driven by an animalistic ego that is a product of the body and is inherently imperfect. However, the ego takes pride in calling itself perfect to avoid the hard work required to actually reach the state of the true self. This laziness, or Tamas, leads us to pretend we are already at the destination, creating a false sense of perfection that we then project onto others.
