When ego is in operation everything we say/think/do is coloured by that ego. The antidote is to develop the positive side of our being – the real me.
Loss-Gain. Defeat-Victory. This is life. We all experience both of these. What counts is not the failure/success, but how we manage the failure/success. Feelings of failure; lowness; unhappiness and of success can all be ‘ego’.
I am a failure, successful, good, bad, brilliant, stupid, the best, worthless, female, male… all are the faces of ego. All are a self-imposed identity. I am so and so. I do so and so. I/me/mine- all these words mean ‘ego’ is operating. This ego then becomes the consciousness out of which we live. As the labels of I am so and so increase, the consciousness – out of which we operate – shrinks, it becomes more and more coloured by ego. We become hemmed in by the ever increasing limitations, fears and doubts imposed on us by that ego and by the need to please others.
To recognize if you are being coloured by ego ask yourself: How do I feel? Have I lost my equanimity? Was I able to say/think/do what was needed?
We tend to have a blind spot for our own ego. We need to become the ‘detached observer’ of ourselves to be able to see ego.
The easiest method to become free of ego is to… emerge your own self-sovereignty. The ‘seat’ is there but it is empty; a throne with no king (the real you) sitting on it. What happens to a kingdom when the throne is left empty? Upheaval, chaos, confusion, a mess… Bringing sorrow, suffering, fear, deception… We become lost deep in the jungle of thoughts of fear, sorrow, deception, confusion… The effort we need to make is to restore the king (the real you) back to the throne, then ego will just fall away effortlessly.
Restoring the Real You (the King).
Develop your positive side. Kindness, mercy and love are at the core of every human heart. When ego is in operation we look for name/fame/glory and unwittingly abandon our throne, and in doing so, we lose the peace, love, wisdom, strength and happiness of our self-sovereignty. Practice: ‘I am a soul. I, the soul, am eternal. My qualities are peace, love and happiness.’ Delve deep within and let these qualities surface.
Develop true (pure) pride. The core of our being is the soul- the thinking and reasoning being with its own personality. No two people can be the same- each of us is an individual and precious being.
Build self-respect based on self-awareness of your innate qualities of peace, love, happiness and goodness, then there will be natural and equal respect for others- their feelings, opinions etc. Respectful, we go beyond prejudices and interact with others with understanding.
Create a good pattern of karma (action). Keep a check on your thoughts, words, actions and interactions and co-operate with others’ desire to move forward in their life too.
How can I maintain this?
Often we want to do something but… The missing factor is the power to do… Just begin- any experience of the positive gain begins to build our inner strength. Good feelings leave ego with no margin to enter.
Just keep…
- reminding yourself who you are (a soul) and allow your pure consciousness to emerge. Keep going beyond the layers right to the core, all those labels will just get left behind.
- creating pure and positive thoughts. ‘I am a peaceful, loving and happy being’- thoughts such as these leave ego far behind.
- training the mind to maintain a positive consciousness. We all get tested and sometimes we pass/sometimes we fail. When there is ‘discipline’ we are able to pick ourselves up and carry on when things don’t go as we hoped, otherwise we can spiral into the depths of depression- the other side of ego.
- studying and spending time in the company of those also interested in these things.
What are the benefits?
- Contentment- automatically all those bubbles of ego get left behind.
- Fear dissolves- fear reduces and dissipates as my consciousness and my intentions become clear and pure. I understand that ‘my world’ is the consequence of my actions.
- The right things come in front of me at the right time.
- Trust and confidence in oneself and others. I am able to see the good in myself and in others and encourage it.
- There is no giving or taking of sorrow, even if someone insults me I am able to learn from such experiences and maintain feelings of mercy and love for that person.
- I have good wishes and pure feelings for others, so the time I spend with others is always quality time.
- Wherever I am, I am able to put my time and energy to use in such a worthwhile way that everything falls into place
Be gentle. Beat ego by concentrating on developing the positive -your self-sovereignty- rather than by fighting it- and see ego just fall away.
I, the soul, the point of light, residing in the centre of my forehead… I bring my focus here… to this seat where the soul resides… this pin point of light… This energy radiates through this physical body… You will radiate happiness… and see your world change…
