What is this Ego?
Ego or Egoism or Egotism or Ahamkara in Sanskrit is the self-asserting principle or Tattva born of ignorance or Prakriti. Abhimana is egoism. Garva is egoism.
The seed of this ego is the
differentiating intellect or Bheda Buddhi. It is the ego which has created the
idea of separateness from God or the Atman. It is the ego which is the root
cause for all human sufferings and births and deaths.
This ego identifies itself
with the body, mind, Prana, the senses. Wherever there is ego, there are
mineness, selfishness, likes and dislikes, lust, anger, greed, hypocrisy,
pride, jealousy, delusion, arrogance, conceit, impertinence, Vasanas, Trishna
or cravings and Vrittis or Sankalpa, clinging to this earth-life (Abhinivesha),
agency, doer (Kartha) and enjoyer (Bhokta).
You must have very clear
understanding of the nature of this ego, if you want to annihilate egoism.
Killing of egoism is killing of mind only. Destruction of thought, desires,
cravings, mineness, selfishness, jealousy, pride, lust is really destruction of
mind or egoism. Control of senses also is annihilation of the mind or egoism.
This egoism assumes a subtle
form. The gross egoism is not so dangerous as the subtle egoism. Institutional
egoism is a subtle form of egoism. The man identifies himself with the
institution and gets attached to the institution or cult. He has no
broad-mindedness or catholicity.
The working of egoism is very
mysterious. It is very difficult to detect its various ways of working. It
needs a subtle and sharp intellect to find out its operation. If you practise
introspection daily in silence you will be able to find out its mysterious ways
of working.
This ego likes his own birth
place and district, people of his district, own mother tongue, his own
relations and friends, his own ways of eating, mode of dressing. He has his own
predilections and preferences. He dislikes others' ways of eating, dressing
etc.
This ego wants to exercise
power and influence over others. He wants titles, prestige, status, respect,
prosperity, house, wife, children. He wants self-aggrandisement. He wishes to
domineer and rule over others. If anybody points out his defects, his vanity
feels offended. If anyone praises him he is elated. This ego says, I know
everything. He does not know anything. What I say is quite correct. What he
says is quite incorrect. He is inferior to me. I am superior to him. He forces
others to follow his ways and views.
This ego will lurk like a
thief when you start introspection and self-analysis. It will elude your grasp
and understanding. You must be ever alert and vigilant. If you obtain the grace
of the Lord through Japa, Kirtan, prayer and devotion you can easily kill this
ego. Through Lord's grace only your self-surrender will become Perfect.
When this ego melts in the
cosmic ego you will attain communion with the Lord or Self-realisation.
May you realise the goal of
life and attain everlasting Bliss through annihilation of this little ego!
Divine Life Society Publication:
The Ego by Swami
Sivananda
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