Then there are those who espouse destruction of the ego as a means
of, or enroute to, enlightenment. The view here is that the ego
is somehow evil, or seperate from the total being. While one could
hardly question the desirability of achieving a higher state of
awareness, one definetely should question the wisdom of ego
annihlation as a means to that end.
I see the ego as one aspect of the total self. The ego is that
aspect of ourselves that our higher selves or(here, dear reader,
you may insert whatever name you give the divine creator),
created to interact with all other aspects of the physical
universe. Its task is to survive these interactions and thrive.
The ego takes its task seriously. It looks after its various
individual selves and thrives, and forgets. In forgetting, the
ego may become so centered on its purely physical self that it
acts in ways detrimental to other individual egos and its
environment, and it is out of balance with the universe and its
purpose.
Eventually though, the questions always return; the who, why,or
what am I? And, what is it that asks the question? What is it
that struggles to find the answer; that builds temples to its
answers? What is it that contemplates the possibility of eternity
and a universe of unlimited possibilities? It is not the higher
self, or the god within, because it knows! It is the ego that
struggles to awareness. It is the ego that becomes enlightened.
It is the ego that continues to interact on the physical plane
even as the answers become clear. But, once enlightened, aware of
who and what it is, it acts and reacts in a totally new way. It
knows that its individual well being is connected at the very
deepest and highest level with its environment and all other
entities in this creation.
The goal then, should not be to destroy the ego(unless you're
planning on disappearing in some spectacular pyrotechnic display
upon achieving satori) but to bring it into balance with the rest
of your individual aspects and the aspects of all the other
entities manifest in this timespace construct. I propose that our
purpose in being here is not, as the Buddha said,"to suffer", or
as others say, to learn; considering the all knowing nature of the
one mind, it would be a dismally short play and boring to boot...
"let me tell you about suffering".
Rather I believe we are here
to experience this creation, both its joys and its sorrows. The
ego in balance can appreciate the joy and the sorrow without
becoming attached to them because it knows these things only have
meaning in the duality of the physical universe. The ego in
balance, the aware ego, that aspect of the all that makes you
you, will willingly give up its attachment to this world when it
is time. There is nothing you have to do to the ego but remember
who and what you are. I honor the light within you.
I believe the much maligned ego is getting a bum rap. The ego has
been the target of the best and worst intentioned of individuals and
groups. On one hand we have governments and organizations that
insist on ego annihlation and subjugation of individual will for
the "good of the state" or some other group. Because the ego
questions,because the ego insists on its individual freedom, does
not willingly submit to the unreasonable, destructive demands of
a totalitarian government or organization such as the military, or
some religious groups, those organizations set out to destroy any
semblance of individual will.
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