Given that the self is unknown and indefinite, we will not get anywhere by asking. "What is the self?" We cannot reify and specify it. If we want to "purify" the self or "cultivate" the self, it will do us no good to begin by asking what a self is, because we will not find an answer. We can only deal with the issue head-on in personal terms. Instead of asking. "What is the self?", each of us has to ask "Who am I?"