Worldy Ego - Ahamkar - Pujya Ramsukhdasji Maharaj.

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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.