Is Ego such a bad thing in a Sudent's life ?

[Guest guest]

Sri Ramji's post made me think long and hard. Is 'ego' such a bad

thing after all specially in a Student's life?

 

Today's Student is not a sisya in Gurukula studying upanishads and

vedas - Today's student is operating in a very competitive

envirionment where he is trying hard to learn not only the three

basic Rs , reading , (w)riting and a(rithmetic) but to acquire a

degree in Engineering , Sciences , Medicine , Arts , humanities

etc ... The role of education is to make a student not only a well

rounded individual but also to enable him/her to function

effectively in a (cruelly) competitive world and to make a decent

living.

 

When i was growing up, my dad always used to tell me and my

siblings 'Children ! Your job is to only to study and excel in

school and our job as parents is to provide you all with the right

environment.' I remember how i always strived hard to score the

highest marks in each and every subject so i steal the 'honors' -

Yes! The ego 'to stand out from the crowd' was the motivating

FACTOR , THE ego for earning 'reconition' and to earn name and fame

was very strong the whole time i was a student. I would take part in

all the extra curricular activities like Dramatics, dance

competitions, sports ( though i was never good at it) etc etc ....

Yes, i was greedy - my appetitite grew by what it fed on - i wanted

to be the best in everything - Magna cum laude ! Yes , always

craving for 'attention ' , hankering for 'recognition' and always

acting in self -interest !

 

Professorji will agree with me when i say that 'ego' is a good thing

while pursueing studies ... because the very name Vidyarthi means

one who wants to acuire knowledge ! i AM SURE PROFESSORJI WILL NOT

BE HAPPY IF HIS STUDENT ONLY SCORES 80% IN MATHEMATICS - RATHER HE

WOULD LIKE HIM TO SCORE 100% AND ALSO ATTEMPT THE BONUS QUESTION AND

SCORE ANOTHER 20% AND SCORE A GRAND TOTAL OF 120% ! SMILE!

 

so , we do not want our student population to all become vedantis

and say ' nothing is in my hands ; it is all my karma' - rather ,

the student should always strive hard , work hard , be dedicated ,

be disciplined and committed to goals and then say ' i have done my

best now! let nature take its course.' A student should be attached

to the 'results' unlike a vedanti ! smile !

 

May i share with you the follwing words ?

 

" This is the theory that egoism is morally acceptable or right if it

leads to morally acceptable ends. For example, self-interested

behavior can be accepted and applauded if it leads to the betterment

of society as a whole; the ultimate test rests not on acting self-

interestedly but on whether society is improved as a result. A

famous example of this kind of thinking is from Adam Smith's The

Wealth of Nations, in which Smith outlines the public benefits

resulting from self-interested behavior (borrowing a theory from the

earlier writer Bernard Mandeville and his Fable of the Bees). Smith

writes: " It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer,

or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to

their own interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but

to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities

but of their advantages. "

 

http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/e/egoism.htm

 

The only thing i will advise Students or anybody else for that

matter is to cultivate the qualities of 'vinaya ' ( humility not

false humility)and avoid 'ahamkaram' ( false ego) !

 

love and blessings

 

" The punters know that the horse named Morality rarely gets past the

post, whereas the nag named Self-interest always runs a good race. "

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " dhyanasaraswati "

<dhyanasaraswati wrote:

 

>

> so , we do not want our student population to all become vedantis

> and say ' nothing is in my hands ; it is all my karma' - rather ,

> the student should always strive hard , work hard , be dedicated ,

> be disciplined and committed to goals and then say ' i have done my

> best now! let nature take its course.' A student should be attached

> to the 'results' unlike a vedanti ! smile !

>

>

 

Namaste, Dhyanasaraswati-ji

 

This particular question regarding what a student's attitude should

be has been discussed by me under the topic of " Dedication " (Yajna

method of detachment) in my website. Please have a look at

 

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/gohitvip/24page5.html

 

and go forward for the next five pages.

And let me have your comments!

 

PraNAms to all 'students' of advaita

profvk

[Guest guest]

Pranams

Thank you bringing up a very valid point.

 

There is a subtle but crucial difference between self-esteem and

pride, between self-worth and vanity.

 

Pride, vanity, arrogance are all related to external features- either

real as in the case of pride or imagined – as in the case of vanity.

So pride has for its basis a very extra zeros in your bank account, a

few extra letters in your title, position, power, etc. It is fickle –

meet with someone with an extra zero or an extra title and it is

pricked, quickly metamorphosing into its other side – envy and jealously.

 

Self-esteem and self-worth are attributes that have for their basis my

own view of myself.

I find myself acceptable. I find myself worthy – not by yardsticks

that others may draw – but in my own eyes. My self-esteem is

intrinsic, and never related to anything I possess materially. Hence

money, power, possessions may come and go but if my self-image is

strong then these do not significantly dent it.

Self-image is enhanced by a life lived with values. I may be poor but

if I have lived a life with a commitment to values and principles I

hold dear or regard highly, then my self-image is decidedly positive.

 

An ideal student of vedanta is cheerful with a healthy dose of

self-esteem, with a positive self-image, who does not look down upon

himself, or consider himself inferior. So while we expectedly condemn

" ego " as a manifestation of abhimana or pride let us not forget that

selfrespect or swabhimana is also a manifestation of the very-same ego.

 

A student who was a failure as a student, could never work hard, has

been a chronic underachiever, has been perennially unsatisfied, and

lacks the guts and gumption to affect positive changes in his life,

and develops a disillusionment to the world, and condemns himself – he

certainly does not have much of an " ego " - but this is not someone who

is anywhere close to being fit for Vedanta. His disillusionment is not

the vairagya that stems from a mature outlook to life, that stems from

viveka.

In fact there is a danger of vedantic teachings of jagat is mithya etc

being misinterpreted by such a tamasic individual.

 

 

So encouraging the growth of a healthy ego or a healthy sense of

self-esteem right from childhood is a very positive thing. An

everything that builds this self-worth – that helps enhance a person's

self-image – has a role – values play a role, scholastic endavors play

a role, music and dance play a role, - nothing is unimportant if the

attitude is right.

 

Take Arjuna's case – he was an archer par excellence and of course

took great pride in that knowledge – he was known to conquer sleep –

as he would keep practicing all-night long – all this had its

importance in building his sense of esteem – had he been a failure of

an archer – his chosen calling - he would have never achieved success

either in a materialistic realm nor in the spiritual.

 

Vedanta as a teaching has ever been a " Royal secret " . This is because

it really is not for everyone. A certain evolution in thought and a

maturity in outlook is necessary – paramount is the birth of a seeker

who is able to recognize he is searching. Only then can an enquiry

begin. And then alone can Vedanta help. Again, take Arjuna's case –

Krishna had been his friend for so many years and yet never chose to

clue him into the deeper meaning of life, even in the least bit. Not

until Arjuna came to him in a spirit of surrender and asking for help

was this teaching unfolded. The point is - efforts at spreading the

message of vedanta to youth in a general way or a mass-marketing if

you will may not necessarily be either appropriate or useful.

 

Having said that the Gita does teach us how to live intelligently.

It teaches the student to be objective in life, and this helps him or

her to deal with the numerous situations- positive and negative - that

he or she faces throughout the struggle and journey we call life.

Fame/name are achieved not by seeking them for their sake but by

dedicated and diligent hard work done efficiently and intelligently.

This is exactly what the Gita's teachings help with.

 

The best advice we can give students is to work hard, avoid

complacency and laziness, value discipline, set lofty goals, dream

big, and uphold ethics and values more than anything else.

Life itself will lead them towards vedanta, if they remain true to

their ideals.

 

Hari OM

Shyam

 

advaitin , " dhyanasaraswati "

<dhyanasaraswati wrote:

>

> Sri Ramji's post made me think long and hard. Is 'ego' such a bad

> thing after all specially in a Student's life?

>

> Today's student is operating in a very competitive

> envirionment

[Guest guest]

Dear Shyam-ji:

 

Wonderful and insightful article. It should be required reading for all

students!

 

Namaste and love to all

Harsha

 

shyam_md wrote:

> Pranams

> Thank you bringing up a very valid point.

>

> There is a subtle but crucial difference between self-esteem and

> pride, between self-worth and vanity.

>

>

[Guest guest]

advaitin , Harsha wrote:

>

> Dear Shyam-ji:

>

> Wonderful and insightful article. It should be required reading for

all

> students!

>

> Namaste and love to all

> Harsha

>

> shyam_md wrote:

> > Pranams

> > Thank you bringing up a very valid point.

> >

> > There is a subtle but crucial difference between self-esteem and

> > pride, between self-worth and vanity.

 

Namaste All, 'Which self has the esteem'?

 

Yes but is is all ego, just variations on a theme, a difference in

degree of intensity that's all. It is just that a student doesn't

have a developed state of awareness,vijnanamayakosa, and uses just

the mind's intelligence. It still has the student thinking they are

the 'doer' and something is happening.

It is like the question of vegetarianism; It is in the same category.

An ant eater doesn't think about the ants, what they are, or even if

they are alive it just eats them. People eat meat in the same way, a

lower level of awareness allows them to indulge in the habit.

An ant-eater or an animal may make a great pet, and be intelligent

and emotionally interact but this is still the condition of

sentiment, emotion and the lower minds.IMHO...Tony.

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " Tony OClery " <aoclery wrote:

 

advaitin , Harsha <harsha@> wrote:

>

> Dear Shyam-ji:

>

> Wonderful and insightful article. It should be required reading for

all

> students!

>

> Namaste and love to all

> Harsha

>

> shyam_md wrote:

> > Pranams

> > Thank you bringing up a very valid point.

> >

> > There is a subtle but crucial difference between self-esteem and

> > pride, between self-worth and vanity.

 

Namaste All, 'Which self has the esteem'?

 

Yes but is is all ego, just variations on a theme, a difference in

degree of intensity that's all. It is just that a student doesn't

have a developed state of awareness,vijnanamayakosa, and uses just

the mind's intelligence. It still has the student thinking they are

the 'doer' and something is happening.

It is like the question of vegetarianism; It is in the same category.

An ant eater doesn't think about the ants, what they are, or even if

they are alive it just eats them. People eat meat in the same way, a

lower level of awareness allows them to indulge in the habit.

An ant-eater or an animal may make a great pet, and be intelligent

and emotionally interact but this is still the condition of

sentiment, emotion and the lower minds.IMHO...Tony.

 

--- End forwarded message ---

[Guest guest]

Hello Tony,

If one sees all meat/vegetables/fruit/grain as the same material as

that from which the BMI is composed, does it matter whether one eats

meat as opposed to other types of food? If all phenomena is just

movement in the one, what difference does it make?

 

I don't eat meat but frequently I question whether this is necessary.

If anything, particularly in the west, it seems to make one stand out

as different, friends and relatives go to special trouble to meet your

dietary preferences when eating at their homes, it can lead to a

feeling of being more special, better than, and if anything can

strengthen the idea of being separate.

 

regards,

Dot.

 

> It is like the question of vegetarianism; It is in the same category.

> An ant eater doesn't think about the ants, what they are, or even if

> they are alive it just eats them. People eat meat in the same way, a

> lower level of awareness allows them to indulge in the habit.

> An ant-eater or an animal may make a great pet, and be intelligent

> and emotionally interact but this is still the condition of

> sentiment, emotion and the lower minds.IMHO...Tony.

>

[Guest guest]

advaitin , " advaitarules " <advaitarules

wrote:

>

> Hello Tony,

> If one sees all meat/vegetables/fruit/grain as the same material as

> that from which the BMI is composed, does it matter whether one

eats

> meat as opposed to other types of food? If all phenomena is just

> movement in the one, what difference does it make?

>

> I don't eat meat but frequently I question whether this is

necessary.

> If anything, particularly in the west, it seems to make one stand

out

> as different, friends and relatives go to special trouble to meet

your

> dietary preferences when eating at their homes, it can lead to a

> feeling of being more special, better than, and if anything can

> strengthen the idea of being separate.

>

> regards,

> Dot.

 

Namaste,Dot,

 

Yes a point, but what about the inconvenient torture and pain the

animal goes through? What about the bad vibrations one takes in?

Vegetable matter can react to stimulus but doesn't have the complex

nervours system that produces the same pain and agony of an animal,

for a plant lives is sushupti........I always warn people of my

vegetarianism if I am invited to a meat eating home, and I suggest

some simple vege alternatives...Tony.