Our EGO is our friend : Part 1

In our spiritual journey, our ego can be our best friend, just like the pet you hold on the leash. Usually ego is treated as an enemy, and requires a fight to gain control over it. But it should be easy to befriend it and control with love, like befriending a person or an animal. I think many will agree that it is easy to befriend a dog than to fight or run away from it. Consider the ego the same way. Taming the ego is not an overnight task. It requires the most important virtue, ‘PATIENCE’ from our end. The success also depends on the ferociousness of the dog( sorry, ego). The more controlling the ego is more the patience required.

Our egos are not just controlling over us, but also very elusive. Imagine the picture of a dog trying to catch its own tail. That is the elusiveness of the ego. Sometimes it disguises itself so well that you wouldn’t even realize that it is ego taking control and that you are in an illusion of control.

The reason for the elusiveness of the ego is distortion of LOVE. The natural state of us humans are Love and Bliss. Thus we always have a drive for these two, which also leads to the distortion of love towards fellow beings.

No copyright infringement intended for this cartoon image.

Some of the disguises of ego [or distortion of unconditional love according to me]:

• Every time we do something to please someone and stop doing the actual action, it is our ego.
• Every time we do or say something to hurt someone, it is to satisfy the ego within us.
• Every time we praise someone or ridicule someone it is still our ego.
• When we do something to make our spouse/friend happy it is our positive ego.
• When we do something to hurt our spouse/friend it is our negative ego.

All of us have positive and negative egos. Just like both the angel and devil exist within the same person. It is the balancing rule of the universe. Every person , action, material etc has pros and cons. The reason that the ego behaves like this is because it is threatened by a lot of things.

“A monster had arrived in the village

The major ingredient of any recipe for fear is the unknown

And this person or thing is soon to be met

He knows every thought, he can feel every emotion

Oh yes, I did forget something didn't I?

I forgot to introduce you to the monster. ”

- Threatened, Michael Jackson (Album : Invincible)

The reason the ego is so threatened is highlighted in pink above. Every time I listen to this song, I feel that the monster is my ego which I am yet to tame.

So is there a way for us not to be threatened by anything. YES THERE IS. That will be my next post.