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yajvan
25 March 2008, 05:40 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~


Namaste,


I was just entertaining this notion and thought to ask others for their opinion. Ego or ahaṁkāra (some write ahaṅkāra) is ahaṁ or 'I' + kāra or 'action' from its root kṛ.

So this ahaṁkāra is the notion then of its association of I with action i.e. the world our actions and events.


This pure I, ahaṁ, is by nature unbounded, full in its SELF. But by ignorance (avidyā-doṣa) it is ( presumed to be) brought into action as the doer, the actor ( I am going to the store, I am buying a car, I am hot ,cold, old, happy , sad, etc.) then it gets co-mingled with the world of size, shape, limitations, birth-and-death.


We often hear of the ego, its management, control, challanges when one talks of yoga and other spiritual pursuits. What is it ( in your opinion) that makes this ego such a burden on the sadhu, or yogi; the ones seeking more prakāśa (light) in their lives?


Do you have any thoughts or pondered this matter?




pranams

satay
25 March 2008, 05:54 PM
namaskar,


We often hear of the ego, its management, control, challanges when one talks of yoga and other spiritual pursuits. What is it ( in your opinion) that makes this ego such a burden on the sadhu, or yogi; the ones seeking more prakāśa (light) in their lives?


Do you have any thoughts or pondered this matter?




pranams

Who decides that ego is actually a 'burden'? Is it a burden? if it is is it only in the realm of spirituality?

I ask because many times I have read in business environment from many successful businessmen that ego is good. So to me it seems that for practical success in life ego is good but for any type of success in spiritual world ego is burden?

Anyway, I don't want to take the thread on a tangent...

yajvan
25 March 2008, 07:06 PM
Hari Om
~~~~~

namaskar,

Who decides that ego is actually a 'burden'? Is it a burden? if it is is it only in the realm of spirituality?

I ask because many times I have read in business environment from many successful businessmen that ego is good. So to me it seems that for practical success in life ego is good but for any type of success in spiritual world ego is burden?

Anyway, I don't want to take the thread on a tangent...

Namaste satay,

you mention

Who decides that ego is actually a 'burden'?
A reasonable question... I am not the final authority on this, but from a spiritual orientation, allow me to offer my POV.


The notion of ego is that of 'me-ness' , limitation. It participates and extends the notion that The Infinite SELF is confined to time, space and cause. For Moksha to occur, (hence this is therefore from the spiritual perspective) it's the ahhh ha! ( a realization) that there is no boundaries - that I am an extension of, part and parcel of this Universal SELF ( some like to call it Puruśa).

While I may see diversity, I now experience its underlying Unity - and this is Consciousness that permeates this entire creation. Yet with ego in charge and the reference point, I cannot experience consciousness past my nose :) !

This 'me-ness' is the notion that I have confined this Infinite Being into a boundary of say 2 meters by 3 meters high ( the size of our bodies), and with this constraint comes others of time, attachment, limitation of knowledge and action.

Some call this the 6 kañcutas, others call this the 5 kosha's or coverings of the SELF. It is the illusion ( not the best word, so let me use another I am more comfortable with) , it is the mala or blemish of individuality. That we are not connected to the environment, others, space, to HIM ( or siva, visnu, ganesha, sri devi, Sri Ram, Krsna, etc).

Now that said, I can see the notion of
from many successful businessmen that ego is good This make sense as in today's world it is the advancement of the individual, with a strong ego leads to the acquisition of things and the preponderance to acquire. Is this a bad thing? Who does not want affluence? But is this the ultimate good?

Yet when its all said and done and one is at the end of this birth , what has been accomplished? It is God's grace, kṛpā , that He lets you come back again to try once more to see of one can discern the truth that my SELF is infinite, my ego is transitory.

My ego has a place and a useful tool to perhaps get me to the requirements of spiritual develeopment, yet wihout overwhelming that simple experience of SELF.

That is one perspective... I am sure others have POV's worthy of discussion. You have brought a valuable question to the post, as you, me, and others are in the possession of this ego - hence we can voice POV's from our own personal experiences.


pranams