The Brighter Side of Ego

The term ‘ego’ has been decried for ages specifically in the realms of spiritual practices. It is really one of the most baffling things for the beginners (and also there are stories about how even the seasoned practicers fall prey to it’s nuances). As a matter of fact it is too strong and subtle to avoid and reach a state of ‘no ego’. So one may have a question, “why is it there at all?” Does it serve any purpose or is it there simply to not to let one discover the reality or the truth? 
Of course, it is a whorehouse of illegitimate illusions so strong to make one believe them as reality ( if I ask you who begot you. You simply come up with the names of your parents and not the ‘Mother Nature’ itself). So why is it there? Does it enable one or pose some disability? Why does it stand against the universe or totality of the existence? 
One of the nice analogies one can give here is of a fish which is thrown out of water. A fish can’t understand what water is until and unless it is thrown out of the same for a while. So one’s mind is actually a site or an opportunity to make a sense of the totality and appreciate it. It dislocates one from the universe for a while and provides one the opportunity to see it from a distance. So one’s mind is the very tool which leads one to the deepest realms of spiritual inquiry and ultimately the ‘Truth’.