It seems likely that the ego and mind are separate experiences. Yet the ego must deny the power of the mind in order to preserve and perpetuate itself. Because if “you” knew how powerful your mind was, you most likely would do away with the ego entirely.
The ego cannot allow this to even be considered, therefore, it attempts to belittle your mind and depreciate its power. It does this through minimizing your self-esteem, which results in self-depreciation and feelings of unworthiness.
Is it any wonder we so desperately seek out others to save us from ourselves, when we see our selves as utterly weak and powerless. It's always somebody else who must save us from ourselves.
This puts an ironic twist on the situation because, without the mind the ego could not exist. But, if the mind knew what it was ultimately capable of, it would annihilate the ego in the blink of an eye.
The ego does not know this as fact, so self-absorbed as it is, but it does sense that something bigger and more powerful than itself stands between it and its desire for complete domination and control of “you” (some refer to this sensing as “God”). Therefore, it’s forced to attack the very source that allows it to exist. Your mind.
And that’s why you are always your own worst enemy. Hahaa!
However, the real insanity of all this is that you believe that if you enlist and cooperate in the ego’s cause of strengthening itself and making itself more powerful, it will allow “you” to finally be happy. Unfortunately, a vicious circle is formed in which, by strengthening the ego to insure “you” are happy, you become increasingly more miserable due to the ego’s increased control.
So now you get the bright idea that the less ego the better. Yet the ego is a cunning bastard (for how else could it fraudulently represent itself as “you”) and twists the game of “transcending” itself to become a game to make it stronger and this is the irony of all spiritual paths that seek to transcend the ego. The more you do to minimize the ego, the more the ego grows, simply because it has you convinced that IT is you and everything you do to leave it behind keeps it firmly in place.
But I'm Just saying…
It's interesting--I just wrote about this. "However, the real insanity of all this is that you believe that if you enlist and cooperate in the ego’s cause..." The ego fully cooperates in process, and it quickly hijacks the intention, and probably this is why so many of us chase spirituality and traditions and teachers--just more madness.
ReplyDeleteKaushik,
ReplyDeleteSo true. And what we chase is already known, since if we did not 'contain' the information already, why would we resonate with what the teachers teaches, thereby, asserting his/her right to teach?
Thanks,
mikeS
Quite right, Mike. Ego is a tricky bugger. I can recall once when I realized ego was masquerading as Self. A shapeshifting trickster that uses the power of mind to create any reality. It may even convince us to destroy the body for it's own longevity.
ReplyDeleteThat points to the challenge of loosing it. It's been with us a long time. But as we grow our connection to source, it gradually overshadows the mind until one day, the illusion bubble "pops".
Hey Davidya,
ReplyDeleteSorry i'm a little slow on the uptake here. To many things goin on.
Masquerading as self? but you are a self, And not. And it is illusion. And not.
Isn't that the paradox?
Thanks for commenting!
mikeS