And what’s appearing in my experience
That’s a typical self-inquiry question
BTW the illusion is that of a separate independent self (ego), I don’t me it’s not real… it appears->it’s real (like everything else)
I wonder, is it like you playing a 3rd person shooter game, the person controlling the character using the keyboard and mouse is the Ego, seeing that it’s separate from the actual character in the game?
Thank you for this post Malkuth, can’t tell you how much of a pet peeve it is to see the way the term ego is thrown around. I’ve kinda made my peace with it, but the liberal arts graduate buried inside my brain still gets annoyed to this day.
People try to define ego for themselves as if it’s some subjective, esoteric concept, or primarily refer to the ego as something related to one’s perceived self-importance.
Now we can elaborate for days regarding the role of the ego in our lives, or the meaning of the ego’s existence but if you’re just trying to explore the term itself, I’d suggest opening up a f**king dictionary.
Neverthenless from the OP title I belive this is exactly what he was asking, personal point of view
Take it with a grain of salt but there’s not a controlling one, but we’re probably digressing here.
I’m cool with the other way of talking about it. That’s what poetry is about. What words mean to me and how they feel to me.
I just wanted to rep for the other side of things too.
So it doesn’t get forgotten.
I agree. If we look at the opening post, it closes with:
And it’s the 2nd question in that line that is really what’s at the heart of the matter.
Agree to disagree, I think absolute relativism/subjectivity with language can lead to a very dark and dangerous path.
Poetry (and art in general) should test those constraints and push them to their absolute limits, but to recklessly abandon those limits replaces what was originally there with something wildly different, yet retaining the same label; it’s bastardizing in the name of lazy creativity.
With that said, none of what I just said applies to what is being discussed here. Just having some fun.
Personally I don’t believe in ego. Ego implies separation inside the mind. There’s a reason for every behavior or decision or perspective we have, to lump it all under ego seems like throwing out a lot of understanding when it comes to our internal world. It also unintentionally creates a battle against a part of yourself. It doesn’t make much sense to start off on the wrong foot like that.
My perspective at least. What most people call ego are undesirable parts. But those parts have a story or reason. A bit like shadow work I approach them with curiosity rather than conquest or an overcoming attitude.
And that’s interdependent origination
Something you can only truly know if you know thyself
So….
The questions here would be:
- Who, in the statement above, doesn’t believe in the ego?
and
- If there’s no ego, then how can you “personally” disbelieve in it?
Don’t mind me.
(Or, do mind me, as you exit the train’s closing doors.)
Seriously though,
The ego is neither positive nor negative. It is simply the capacity to experience a seemingly independent subject-position.
Buddhists don’t work to transcend the ego because the ego is bad. They work to transcend it because having only the ego is bad. In the same way that having only Vitamin C is bad. To be healthy you need additional nutrients in your diet.
However,
The Ego is an essential part of this balanced breakfast.
For me, my current approach to ego is that within my sense of being (identity), my way of thinking (mental) and the way that I feel about myself and the world around me (emotional) that both allows me to interact with the world around me without losing my mind and, at the same time, limits me.
In my understanding, ego is that which gives us a sense of ME.
Me in comparison to my parents, my friends, my society, my culture, my state, my country.
Ego is both a driver and a limiter, depending on the person.
Ultimately, ego is the denial of the oneness of all life.
Ahhh, so getting rid of ones ego is like having a hole in your space suit with no rocket fuel left and lost all GPS signal in space?
Disclaimer: My current belief system.
You don’t ever get rid of the ego. Any belief system in this world that claims that it will help you to ‘kill the ego’ is false at best.
The ego is sort of a part of the total vehicle that allows us to operate in this world. If you don’t have an ego (which is, as has been noted in this thread, very poorly and loosely defined and related to, similar to the concept of the ‘soul’), you’re not on planet earth.
You can, however, transcend elements of the ego through various, progressive modalities. I use several and, as you are one of the ones that read my journal, you can see what that looks like from my piece by piece, subjective experience. I certainly don’t share everything - actually, the further I go along on my journey, the less I even want to talk about it.
The ego is a complex subject as it has more to it then what’s commonly attributed to it; false pride, anger, blah dee blah dee blah.
As I mentioned before, the ego is not simply physical; there’s literally levels to it. @Houdini is one person on here that I’ve seen on the forum mention the higher levels of reality. Ego is there, too.
Every true spiritual teacher throughout the ages - Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, etc - has spoken of the ego. But not of them actually (as far as I’m aware) have ever actually said to KILL the thing.
Again, as long as you’re embodied on a planet, living a material life, the ego will be there. To what extent, however…
Is entirely up to you.
Ascension is a title on the sales page. As I’m sure you’re aware, one cannot ascend while retaining the ego. That’s about all I can really say.
Yes.
People that try to take heaven by force using drugs, even psychedelics, to force an awakening or to kill the ego tend to end up exactly how you described.
And please. No one @ me about your psychedelic experience. I’ve read plenty.
@Sage_Ninjistic beautiful write up thank you and also to all the other 2nd opinions and alternative views about the Ego, I personally still have so much to discover. Shout out to @Solomon for the question
Never under estimate the power of the ego. Its what drives us its what made men like Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos successfull.
Again, the illusion is that it is a separate, independent entity… not that thoughts, emotions, sensations don’t exist or are useless (for example communincation would be very difficult).
Even If I’m not in complete agreement with it’s content Hawkins’s Power vs Force is an interesting read