The Ego by Andrew Cohen with comment

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The Ego An Anti-Evolutionary Force

There is a profound contrast between the enlightened perspective, which

is the absolute, universal, and impersonal view of the Authentic Self,

and the unenlightened perspective, which is the relative, separate, and

personal view of the narcissistic ego. It is literally the difference

between heaven and hell.

 

When I speak about ego, I am not using the term in the psychological

sense, which usually refers to what we could call a self-organizing

function in the psyche. In an enlightenment context, the word ego refers

to something else altogether. Ego is the deeply ingrained, compulsive

need to remain separate and superior at all times, in all places, under

all circumstances. In contrast to the inherent freedom of the Self

Absolute and the fearless passion of the Authentic Self, ego is

experienced as an emotional quagmire of fear and attachment. It is the

part of you that has no interest whatsoever in freedom, feels victimized

by life, avoids anything that contradicts its self-image, is thoroughly

invested in its personal fears and desires, and lives only for itself.

Ego is an anti-evolutionary force of powerful inertia in human

nature—attached to the past, terrified of change, and seeking only

to preserve the status quo.

 

Ego is the one and only one obstacle to enlightenment. If we want to be

free, if we want to be enlightened, we have to pay the price. The great

wisdom traditions have always told us that the price is ego death, and

in evolutionary enlightenment it is no different: if the Authentic Self

is going to act through us as the uninhibited expression of evolution in

action, then our attachment to ego must be transcended.

 

 

- Andrew Cohen

http://www.andrewcohen.org/teachings/ego.asp

<http://www.andrewcohen.org/teachings/ego.asp>

 

Regardless of the man, -Andrew Cohen- what has been said " hits the nail

on the head " . The core of the ego is Uniqueness. Man need not to do

anything to become enlightened except to abandon comparisons -with

others or with his changing conditions. If this happens, the way is wide

open to enlightenment and everything follows automatically. The article

discussed two aspects; the first is SEPARATE the second is SUPERIOR. Why

these two aspects? Separate, means that man is alone, he has to depend

on himself to survive, earn a living and function, so he depends on his

qualities i.e. his intelligence, resourcefulness, health, money, power,

relations and so forth; forgetting totally that Man is connected and is

being cared for. The second aspect is Superior, which means that man has

to be better that others in order to survive, from which springs

ambition - even to continue living is considered an ambition- and

competitiveness - even for a drop of water to drink- with its struggle.

 

Why I said this article " hits the nail on the head " ? I said this

because, to become enlightened or ego less or no-mind or surrendered

does not mean that you will live stagnantly, like a moron or a zombie or

headless. This is the major objections by all seekers for truth when

they say " How can I live and continue to function without my ego? "

 

The main defect in the article is he never mentions " HOW " , show a way

out, a path a road; or it might not be a defect, because every man has

his own way to follow, according to his own make up. All paths concern

" HOW " , if one does not accept the basic premise - the ego has to go, and

the ego rests on Superiority and Separateness- and recognizes it as

absolutely true fact, then all man's endeavors are futile and useless.

 

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