Guest guest Posted June 18, 2007 Report Share Posted June 18, 2007 Hare Krsna. When a man's primary aim is directed towards unreality (asat), bodily pleasures, accumulation of wealth and material goods, then there remains within worldy impressions - "I am of this world ". This is a worldy ego (laukik ahankara). When such a feeling gets deeply etched, embedded and solidified within, then the person remains ever worldly. While pursuing worldly actions, he certainly remains worldly, but when performing spiritual practices too, he remains worldly. Therefore whatever spiritual practices, devotional efforts he undertakes, he does them with the intention of fulfilling his desires and these actions result in increased vanity in his undertaking of spiritual practices. Vanity is a gross form of worldly ego. When a person's tendency increases towards worldly pleasures and accumulation of material goods, then he become selfishness and vane, which is asurik sampati (demonic tendencies). Gita says - "Ahankaarambalam darpan kaam krodh che sanshritaah. " (Gita 16:18); "Those that are bloated by egoism, power, pride, desire and anger, do not like God. Gita also says - "Dambhaahankaar sanyuktaah." (Gita 17:5), "Those imbued with hypocracy and egoism may perform intense austerities, even against the scriptures (shastras), influenced by desire and attachment, such persons possess demonaical temperament. " Further according to Gita - "patanti narakeshuchau. " (Gita 16:16); "Misled by wrong ideas and mental confusion and steeped in sense objects, such persons sink into hell." It is misleading to understand that with the attainment of knowledge (salvation), only the worldly ego is destroyed and the suble ego within is not destroyed. It is only on wiping out that subtle ego, one can attain salvation. This demoniacal ego, material influenced ego, is the subtle ego itself, manifesting in a gross form. It is with the aim of treating this subtle ego, that Lord Krishna says - "Atha chetvamahankaaran shroshyasi vinashyasi" (Gita 18:58); "By fixing your mind on Me, you will by My favor, conquer all difficulties, but if your ego does not let you listen to Me, then you will be lost." Again it is said - "yadahankaaramaashr itya ne yotsya iti manyase." (Gita 18:59); "If your ego forces you to say that - I will not fight, it will be futile, for nature will compel you ." Ego is the result of ignorance, and on attaining knowledge, ignorance is wiped out. When no ignorance remains, then the ego resulting from lack of knowledge (ignorance), how can it remain ? That knowledge by which ignorance is not wiped out, how good is that knowledge? It is only learned knowledge, not knowledge that is realized. If this subtle ego is not wiped out, then just like a seed grows into a tree, similarly on association with worldly objects, individuals, actions, situations etc., that ego too will become of a worldly (demoniac) nature. Sick sense of humor? Visit TV's Comedy with an Edge to see what's on, when. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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