|
By Jayaram V
The ego is the feeling of separateness, the sense of
duality, or the idea of being distinct and
different from others. It is the false perception of the self
that exists in all of us as individual consciousness. In the
Bhagavadgita, Arjuna stands symbolically for the ego
consciousness, while Lord Krishna represents the divine
consciousness or soul consciousness. Arjuna's suffering is
because of his limited knowledge, his sense of separateness,
his identification of himself with his body, his belief that he
is the doer of his actions and his anxiety about the results of
his actions. Because of its limited knowledge, the ego is
usually ignorant and confused. These qualities are reflected in
Arjuna's suffering and his doubts and anxieties about fighting
with his opponents.
The ego is an aspect of the eight fold division of lower
Divine nature, which is made up of the five elements, the ego,
the mind and reason (7.4&5). The ego is a part of the body
consciousness, the kshetra or field (13.5), while egolessness
is part of the knower of the field or the pure consciousness)
(13.8&9).
The ego makes us to believe that we are the doers of our
actions and are also responsible for our actions. It makes us
perform our actions out of desire for the fruit of our actions.
In the process it binds us to the mortal life. All actions are
performed by the properties of nature (inherent in man), but
the egoistic ignorant self believes that he is the doer (3.27).
Escape from this mortal existence is possible only when the
yogi overcomes his egoistic thinking and develops a divine
centered life. The qualified karma yogi, who is pure in his
heart, who has controlled his mind and his senses overcomes his
egoistic thinking and limited vision. He sees his self in all
living beings and remains free even though engaged in action.
(5.7)
Depending upon how we approach about it, the ego or the lower
self , can be either a help or an impediment to us in our
spiritual endeavor. The self alone is the friend of the self
and the self alone is the enemy of the self (6.5). The self is
a friend of him who has conquered it and an enemy who has not
(6.6).
Conquest of the self is therefore very important for peace
of mind and union with God. He who conquers his self is in the
company of the Supreme. He remains stable and serene in cold or
heat, sorrow or happiness, respect or disrespect (6.7). Giving
up all desires, without the awareness of any need, sense of
ownership and egoism, he attains peace (2.71)
And when he reaches this state he develops proper
understanding and attains a state of egolessness. He is freed
from all desires and attachment. He engages himself in
desireless actions without struggling and striving. He believes
that he does nothing while seeing, hearing, touching, smelling,
tasting, walking, sleeping and breathing. (5.8).
He becomes completely absorbed in God, having surrendered to
Him unconditionally, offering to Him his Self, his life and
actions, and merging his individual identity fully in Him. With
his ego thus gone, he becomes united with the Universal
Consciousness and develops the unified vision through which he
sees the Self in all and all in the Self (6.29). He finds God
everywhere and worships Him as the Inhabitant of all beings
(6.31).
Suggested Further Reading
|
