Ego

Ego – The Devil.

Human mind is a device that serves the purpose of ensuring the survival of self or a thing that one identifies with oneself. Survival includes physical survival as well as survival of one’s ideas, opinions, self-conceptions, which result inbeing right and making others wrong. Dominating and not tolerating domination, justifying oneself and invalidating others.

People tend to succumb to their minds. They simply become their MINDS, in the sense that they identify themselves with the cybernetic machinery. From this misapprehension EGO arises and the SELF disappears, ushering in conditions and disorders that impoverish even a successful life. Ego is the functioning of one’s point of view to survive, it means to perpetuate one’s own point of view. An egoistic person will not live to know, but will know to live. Untransformed life that is life in the MIND STATE works to perpetuate problems rather than to solve them, because the person sees only according to his own point of view. Personal point of view is the point from which you view, which you therefore do not see. Your point of view is positional and to get off it, to leave it behind is always uncomfortable and disturbing. An individual can transform only when he learns to see things in different contexts, from other’s point of view.

A simple question arises in one’s mind. From where does EGO emerge?

It emerges from the MINDSET itself. Since childhood, an individual is taught or they learn by observation, situations where they never learn to make compromises and adjustments. They thrust their ideas and opinions on others without being concerned of its effects and outcomes. May it be right or wrong. This obstinate behaviour gradually grows into stubbornness. The stubborn individual justifies his view in any and every situation. It is a personal challenge for him to make others agree with him at any cost. It satisfies his EGO.

How does the EGO breakdown?

It is a good quality to have self sense. Knowing the self is good only if it is free from ego. When a person learns to realize the importance of life, of his need for existence, his duties and responsibilities towards his near and dear ones, the creative impulse emerges. One begins to express something that is more meaningful. When a normal conscious human being surpasses the fears and desires of the separate ego to a certain degree he begins to care for others and tries to do something that has no personal gains.

When the person becomes selfless, all the fear, pain, frustration and anxiety are shredded away. It gives rise to a new awakened, enlightened state of mind. It releases energy that encourages a progressive approach towards life. It gives strength to face life courageously.

“Strength of mind rests in sobriety, for this keeps your reason unclouded for passion.”

                                                                                            _--------------Pythagoras.

Ego gives a stamped identity to a person. From ego stems pride and vanity. Ego is one of the most subtle feelings, on can ever experience. All other vices need something or someone to react or interact, but ego needs nothing but the self.

Humbleness is the treatment for ego. Humility does not come easily. While it is possible to control our cravings and desires, it is extremely difficult to subdue our ego. Cultivating humility is to see and treat everyone equally. To err is human, but it requires humility to admit one’s mistakes and still more humility to accept that the other person is right and therefore better than you, no matter who he is. It is said that, “Enlightenment is your Ego’s biggest disappointment.”

Due to ego, one gets easily caught with the self and forgets the surrounding. He becomes pompous, with artificial behaviour. The expression, ‘swollen with pride’, is a very accurate description of someone under the influence of ego. He becomes distorted and has vision only for the self. In other words a self-centered person. He can never give regards to anyone else or have respect for other people’s ideas and opinions. It creates friction and non cooperation from others. It ruins relationships and social status. It harms only the self, because others try to keep away from such self-centered person. He is left out alone in this overcrowded world. Due to the misidentification of the self with the body, mind and false ego, one always feels incomplete and insecure; this makes the individual strive for more worldly possessions and pleasures. In reality gaining nothing.

 When as individuals, we develop elevated consciousness, the ego vanishes, and the mind acquires receptivity to new ideas, that is when the closed minds become open minds, and that is when a person begins to live life in reality.

As Herman Melville says, “We cannot live only for ourselves; A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.”