What is Ego (ahamkAra)?

[Guest guest]

What is Ego (ahamkAra)? Ego is the identification of oneself with the

external body, external action, external pleasure and pain. The only

identification that is enjoined is with the Inner Self, the Atman. All other

identifications are certain to lead us to confusion and miseries.

Intellectual enquiry starts with the question - "Who am I?" The answer to

this question comes from detachments from everything that is not "I." The

attachments to the external body, external action and external perception are

transient. According to Gita, detachment can be achieved if we live our life

with the Yagna spirit - "Life is a bridge, enjoy while crossing, don't build a

castle." When we attain this mental attitude in dealing with our life, we

become the witness of our own life. Then we will be performing Yagnas rather

than actions.

 

Bhagavad Gita suggests that we undertake Sadhanas to change our mental

attitude. According to Karma Yoga, we perform our actions without focusing

our attention on the fruits. This statement requires additional

clarifications: First, action and result are inseparable. Ego emerges when we

attempt to separate the action and result and try to establish relationship

between them. Ego introduces the time-dimension and creates the notions of

past, present and future.

 

One of the effective ways to detach the AhamkAra attitude is through dAsya

Bhakti which dwells on the magnificence of the Ishwara and which expresses

itself through humility and service of others as the children of God. Mother

Teresa demonstrated that Ego can be destroyed through service to the Lord by

conducting service to the children of the Lord. The Bhakti Yoga in Bhagavad

Gita describes the virtues of performing actions with this Yagna spirit.

 

In Sivananda Lahari , a poem of 100 verses written by Sankara, he says in

verse five:

" Day in and day out I roam about in vain in search of wealth and food for

this little belly of mine. O, Lord, I know not how to serve you. But

fortunately, by iota of merit in my past births, You are still in my heart as

in everyone's and therefore, O Lord of Beings, You should protect me."

 

In all slackest and in the entire Hindu literature of prayer, the appeal is

for the descent of the grace of God. It is the grace of God that can help us

transcend the cosmic inexplicability of the visible universe as the

manifestation of the Unseen Absolute. This attitude of the Bhakta can help

his/her AhamkAra to disappear with the Grace of God. When the Bhakta gets

rid of the AhamkAra, he or she declares: "I am the One who never changes, I

am the One without form, I am the One who permeates everywhere, I am the One

whom no attachment binds, I am not in the bondage and therefore I have no need

for liberation, I am always free, I am Consciousness, I am Bliss, I am Siva."

(Sankara's NirvAna Shatkam. )

 

Swami Vivekananda has given a beautiful explanation to "Ego" using a powerful

story. Once, a soccer ball approached the Swamiji and complained: "Everyone

is kicking me around, I don't like it and I want to be free." Swamij told the

ball: " The AIR is the problem and when the AIR is released, you will become

free!" Soccer ball without the air can't be kicked! The Air was the bondage

to the ball and EGO is our bondage and when we release the bondage, we can be

free!

 

Ram Chandran

[Guest guest]

There is a funny story of a monkey cage. Many of you may already know it.

However I feel like telling it. It seems that in some of the jungles of Asia,

the forest tribes use a peculiar method to catch a monkey. They use a closed

bird cage and not a big cage to hold a monkey. They put some peanuts in the bird

cage, lock the cage and put it in the forest. When there is no one around, the

monkey comes to the cage and puts its hands through the bars of the cage and

tries to get the peanuts. However the moment it clasps the peanuts in its palms

, it has clenched its fists and therefore cant pull its hand out of the cage.

The only way it can free itself is to leave the peanuts in the cage and get its

hands out. However being a monkey, its wants both the peanuts and freedom and so

it sits there trying to yank its hands out and becomes an easy prey to its

captors.

 

We also do the same thing. We want our desires and at the same time want

liberation and hence are caught in the world when there is no reason to be so.

 

 

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