Ego
Our sense of self is enhanced by considering another as inferior. This is the work of the ego that helps us maintain a sense of self separate from the rest of the world. The idea that we are separate from others is an illusory one and is strengthened in the mind.
The mind considers the relative truth and not the absolute. The mind chatters on while we can notice this chatter and recognise that it is not us. It is something with a life of its own. We are awareness. We can then stop being controlled by the mind.
The ego dies when we disallow the old programming of the mind to create a distinction. Distinctions like good and bad. Like pleasurable and not pleasurable. Like inferior and superior.
The mind always convinces us that we already know all we need to know. That is the trick of the ego to survive. It needs an enhanced sense of self and needs others to be less knowledgeable and intelligent. We think that we're smart and right and this righteousness is the work of the ego.
Conflict is also a source of energy for the ego. Conflict produces the effect of two separate interests and two separate individuals, so the ego must create conflict in order to survive. Victim and oppressor, cheater and cheated, user and used, winner and loser, etc.
Note that the ego can go to any extent to protect its survival, it is very much alive and manipulative. We have to be alert to the ego's needs and stop providing them to slowly kill the ego and achieve love, compassion and serenity.
The mind considers the relative truth and not the absolute. The mind chatters on while we can notice this chatter and recognise that it is not us. It is something with a life of its own. We are awareness. We can then stop being controlled by the mind.
The ego dies when we disallow the old programming of the mind to create a distinction. Distinctions like good and bad. Like pleasurable and not pleasurable. Like inferior and superior.
The mind always convinces us that we already know all we need to know. That is the trick of the ego to survive. It needs an enhanced sense of self and needs others to be less knowledgeable and intelligent. We think that we're smart and right and this righteousness is the work of the ego.
Conflict is also a source of energy for the ego. Conflict produces the effect of two separate interests and two separate individuals, so the ego must create conflict in order to survive. Victim and oppressor, cheater and cheated, user and used, winner and loser, etc.
Note that the ego can go to any extent to protect its survival, it is very much alive and manipulative. We have to be alert to the ego's needs and stop providing them to slowly kill the ego and achieve love, compassion and serenity.
posted by Lotus at 5/22/2009 02:22:00 AM
4 Comments:
Hmm but where is that distinction between self respect and ego or is there nothing like self respect? e.g. If someone says to me i am an idiot. What should i do should i protest saying you don't know me or should i say leave it alone i know what i am he does not know me and its futile to argue."The mind always convinces us that we already know all we need to know." Isn't it that the idea of we don't know anything makes us more passive? Your thoughts?
Ego is defined as
1. A person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance
2. The part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity.
You took the former meaning. But I was implying the latter. To me, the ego is a function that operates between the conscious and unconscious and allows an awareness to believe that it has an identity.
The point about being passive and not being able to stand up for yourself is definitely related to a lack of self respect and self love.
Thank you for reply. This is interesting. Then comes the question what is self? it it the body,or mind or intellect? or is it the pure self(ATMA) or it is the combinations of all these? Does pure self the spirit soul hast self respect or the term self respect is material?
In illusion, the self is considered as the body, mind, or intellect.
In realization, the self is recognized as the atma.
Then, self respect would be material under illusion and spiritual under realization.
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