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by
Mateo Sol
December
26, 2020
from
LonerWolf Website
If you've ever explored the transcendental field of spirituality,
you would have discovered that
the ego is often spoken about with
contempt.
Many people carry the belief that the ego needs to be destroyed,
muzzled or even killed.
But do we need to
destroy the ego?
What is the ego,
really?
And furthermore, what
can you learn about your own ego?
What is the Ego?
The ego is basically your identity, or who you think you are.
Your ego is usually constructed of,
a name, a
personality, and a story...
Within this personal
story is a collection of memories, beliefs, impressions and
sensations about,
...and on, and on, and
on, ad infinitum.
The Ego
and Duality
The ego is a veil
between what you think you are and what you actually are.
You live under the
illusion of the mind, totally unaware that you are directed by a
great big load of stories!
Isira Sananda
Your ego was created, and
is currently maintained, by the belief that you are "separate" from
others and life itself.
In other words,
your ego believes
that you are firmly HERE, and other people are firmly THERE.
You have a body,
life, and personality that is distinctly different from others.
Therefore, according
to the ego, you are not like other people.
You are different.
Or that's what your
thoughts tell you anyway...
As a result of being
taught (or conditioned) to believe that you are a separate
individual, you experience fear and suffering.
Instead of simply
experiencing life in its purity and wholeness, you filter life
through your mind. You are taught to live life in duality.
Duality is essentially
the state of separation:
It is the opposite of
'reality'...
It is the product of
the mind.
In duality, we
essentially "split" or divide life.
Examples of duality include,
filtering life
through the lenses of "right/wrong," "good/bad," "pretty/ugly,"
"holy/sinful," "love/hate" etc.
As a product of living in
duality, we create untold amounts of suffering for ourselves because
we are no longer open to life.
Instead, our lives
become centered around judgment,
condemnation, and fear...
As a result, we alienate
and destroy others who we perceive of as being "bad," "wrong," and
"sinful" to protect our ideas of what is "right" and "holy."
The more deeply we are entrenched in duality, the more we experience
problems such as hatred, anger, depression, paranoia, anxiety, and
perversion. Not only do we sever ourselves from others, but we are
cut off from ourselves as well.
Anything within us that
we perceive as being "evil/bad/wrong/sinful" we suppress, repress
and deny the existence of. As a result of this repressed energy, our
Shadow Selves grow more and
more twisted, destructive and depraved.
Unless cleansed through
shadow work, this intense suffering is ultimately expressed in our
relationships and the world at large.
Our physical world is
an expression of our collective internal torment.
Our lives are an
expression of our inner emptiness.
Simply looking at the
violence, murder, poverty, greed, bigotry, mental illness and
environmental degradation shows us how profoundly lost
we are as a race..
We are lost because we
have lost touch with the truth of who we are.
The Folly of
Demonizing the Ego
In light of this discovery, it is very easy to start believing that
the ego is 'bad'...
In fact, some
spiritual teachers teach that the ego needs to be "destroyed."
But here's the thing:
this is just another
trick of the mind!
I've heard so many people
in the spiritual community condemn the ego and speak of it with such
great resentment.
However, the belief that
our egos are "evil" or need to be "killed/destroyed" is just a
reflection of the mind stuck in duality!
The ego isn't "good"
or "bad," it simply IS...
We need to realize that
the ego is simply a tool.
The ego exists as a
biological survival mechanism.
The ego also exists
as a vehicle for our spiritual growth; for us to become
conscious of our own strength, love, and oneness.
The ego is a doorway
through which we can return to our True Nature.
Why the Ego
Isn't You
You may have heard before the expression:
"the ego is an
illusion."
What does this mean?
The ego is an
illusion, and therefore isn't really "you," because it is always
changing...
In other words,
how can anything
within you that is subject to birth, change, and decay really be
you?
Let's try an experiment.
Write down on a
notepad or word document who "you" think you are.
You can always stop
reading and return back to reading this article after you've
finished.
Take a break. Really. Do the experiment now...
Now that you've done the
experiment, read over your words.
Likely, you would have
written something along the lines of,
"I am Jane Doe. I'm a
wife, mother, and friend. I'm a fighter, a dreamer, and a
spiritual seeker. I am 38 years old, have three children and am
a skilled artist."
See this description of
you?
This is your main
personal story; the backdrop of your life, of what you think you
are.
The ego is an illusion because it is simply that:
a story - a story
created in the mind...
Let's use some
self-inquiry and apply these questions to your statement:
-
How can you be a
name if it can easily be changed? You could have very well
been born into a different family that named you something
else.
-
How can you be a
body if it is constantly aging, changing, disintegrating and
can be replaced with other parts? Your red blood cells live
for four months, your white blood cells live for more than a
year, your skin cells live for 2-3 weeks... all cells within
you are constantly dying and being renewed. How can you
really be your body or looks?
-
How can you be a
personality when it is constantly fluctuating and
transforming? Think back to your personality 5 years ago,
then 15 years ago. Did you have the exact same personality
that you do now?
-
How can you be
your emotions when they are constantly coming and going,
ebbing and flowing? Not only that but do you really control
your emotions? Where do they come from? Do you really
control them?
-
How can you be
your thoughts when they always changing? Not only that but
do you really control your thoughts? Where do they come
from? Do you really control them?
-
How can you be
your beliefs when what you believed 10-30 years ago isn't
what you believe today? Your beliefs are influenced by your
conditioning, upbringing, and society... how can they be
"you" or "yours"?
-
How can you be
your memories when they come, go and even alter? Did you
know that there is such a thing as "false memory"? When
remembering the past, the mind has a tenuous and colored
perception that is subject to change and alteration. How can
your memory be you?
As we can see, everything
that we unquestionably believe we are isn't really us.
So what really is us?
What has been there all along?
What is That
Presence?
What has been there
to witness everything that has happened in your life?
What never changes?
What is the most
fundamental core of who we are?
Explore this question for
a few moments and you'll realize that it's:
Consciousness...
Consciousness is the
fabric of all things.
In fact, even science has
shown that everything at its core is energy vibrating at different
levels. In our human experience, Presence, Consciousness or Spirit
manifests itself as the energy that composes every form.
It is hard to really put a word to this experience, as language is
so limited.
The easiest way to
experience this Presence that is you, and always has been you, is
through meditation. Meditation, or quieting the mind, helps you to
become simply aware of your thoughts, and the space
beneath those thoughts.
That space is You...
Another common way
humankind since the dawn of time has used to experience this Truth
of Being, this ego death, is through
psychedelic shamanic plants and brews,
such as Ayahuasca, Psilocybin Mushrooms, and Peyote.
Although it is helpful to
take such herbs, it isn't compulsory.
These plants are simply
doorways into the Universal Experience or Spirit that
we are.
How to
Untangle Yourself from the Web of Illusion
It can take a while to truly realize that you are not the Ego, and
sometimes much more to integrate this discovery on a deep level.
Discovering that
everything you believed you were is false can be hard to accept. In
fact, don't be surprised if you experience a lot of resistance to
this article.
It's normal...
The ego's job is to protect itself and the belief that you are
separate from other people and life itself.
Experiencing the state of
no-ego, or no-self, that is "enlightenment" can appear to be
extremely depressing or disturbing at first.
How can having no
"me" or "you" really be something desirable?
This is a common
question...
The answer is that in order to understand, you must experience
Consciousness itself. Without experiencing the Truth that you are,
the spiritual search becomes purely intellectual and prone to
sabotaging fears.
However, once you do
experience even a single moment of Consciousness, you will discover
for yourself that it is the most liberating, pure, peaceful,
compassionate, expansive and loving state possible.
In fact,
Consciousness itself
is the very embodiment of love, peace, and freedom.
You are this
embodiment.
You are the Truth
that you have been seeking for.
Untangling yourself from the web of illusion is a process that
requires patience, self-discipline, and dedication.
This process isn't for
trendy "spirit junkies," it is for sincere spiritual seekers...
Here are some helpful spiritual practices that will help you
reconnect with the truth of who you are:
-
Read through the
self-inquiry questions above regularly. Ask yourself, "Is
this (that I think is me) really me?" Although emotions,
thoughts, personality, and body are experienced by you, they
are not truly you because they are subject to birth, death,
and change.
-
Practice dynamic
meditation to release any repressed energy within you. Do
this before traditional meditation to make it easier.
-
Meditate each
day. Try 15 minutes first, then move on to 30+ minutes.
Remember: the purpose of meditation isn't to "get" anywhere
or "achieve" anything. It is simply the practice of sitting
with whatever arises in you.
-
Regularly affirm
to yourself, "I am Consciousness" throughout the day. Feel
that truth seep into your bones and very core with each
breath.
-
Explore the way
your ego influences your life with compassion. You can do
that by reading our articles and taking our free tests. I
know you'll find something that resonates!
-
Read into the
experience of The Spiritual Awakening Process to get further
guidance. We created this book to help support you on the
spiritual path.
-
Practice
mindfulness on a daily basis. Mindfulness is a vital
practice that will help to ground you in the present moment.
The
spiritual awakening journey is one
that requires courage, radical honesty and the willingness to let go
of all that you are not.
What is the ego? The
ego is a teacher, one that you carry with you each day...
When seen in this light,
the ego is the most powerful and persistent teacher we
have to wake us up to the Truth that has always been here, and will
always be here...
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