Day 59 of 365: Analogy and Evidence

Thrangu Rinpoche gives a superb example of one way we convince ourselves that the self is real (singular, lasting, independent) in his book "The Open Door to Emptiness".  We draws the analogy of walking into a potter's shop when the potter is not there.  When we look around, we see all the evidence of a potter: the wheel, the clay, the pots, and the kiln.  Thus, we think to ourselves that there must be a potter.  In the same way, we see all the evidence of a self (form, feeling, perception, decisions, etc) yet somehow we can never quite nail down who or what the self actually is.  Questions to ask ourselves: What do we take as evidence of a self?  If we had to go to court to prove the existence of a self, what would be exhibit A?  What does this evidence really prove?  If we think we have identified a self, what is the nature of the self?