Why do we fail to see Divinity within ourselves and in others?

So long as you have a trace of ego in you, you cannot see the Lord clearly. That is the curtain which Saint Tyagaraja prayed to Lord Venkateshwara to remove from his mind. Egoism will be destroyed if you constantly tell yourself, ‘It is He, not I’, ‘He is the force; I am but the instrument’. Keep His Name always on the tongue; contemplate His glory whenever you see or hear anything beautiful or grand; see in everyone the Lord Himself moving in that form. Do not talk evil of others, see only good in them. Welcome every chance to help others, to console others, and to encourage others along the spiritual path. Be humble, do not become proud of your wealth, status, authority, learning or caste. Dedicate all your physical possessions and mental skills and intellectual attainments to the service of the Lord and to the Lord’s manifold manifestations.

– Divine Discourse, Aug 13, 1964