ON EGO OR AHANKARA

The Vedas, Upanishads and philosophy proclaim that the Brahman is real and the world or universe is unreal! “ Brahma satyam Jagan mithya”. What is this ‘mithya?’ It is otherwise called as Maya or illusion that represents the real as unreal and the unreal as the real. This Maya or illusion is in the form of ‘ahamkara‘ or egotism in every Individual in the universe. It is like a cloud that hides God

from our sight. The Sun is totally cut off when he is covered up by thick dense clouds! In the picture, Sri Rama is in the front and Lakshmana is behind. In between Sri Rama and Lakshmana is Sita representing Maya! Lakshmana represents Jiva, the Individual soul and Sri Rama is Paramatma! Sita or Maya coming in between prevents the Jiva from having a view of Paramatma! Sri Ramakrihna says that man’s ego itself is Maya. It is like a cloth held before a person that shuts him out of view though he is very near you! “The body is the earthen vessel; wealth and learning, caste and lineage, power and position are like rice, pulses and potatoes. Egoism is the heat. The Jiva is made hot (haughty) by egotism.”

Man becomes free when that “ I “ disappears from the Individual. “ I” and “ mine” constitute ignorance! “ Thou” and “ Thine” is true knowledge. Man has to understand that he is after all an instrument in the hands of God! He should think that all this is His glory! “This home and this family are thine, not mine; I have only the right to serve as thou ordainest.” Generally this feeling of “ I” does not go. It returns again and again despite conscious effort! There may be very few who can get rid of this ahankara through samadhi. When the tree is cut, it sprouts again after a  few days! Sri Ramakrishna describes two types of ego -- ripe and unripe. When you feel that  nothing is yours and everything you do, think, and experience is God’s, it is ripe ego! In unripe ego you say “This is my house, this is my child, this is my wife, this is my body”!

How to control and conquer ego? Consider yourself as the servant of God. Then there is not much to fear from this ego. The ego that you are a servant of God or a good devotee of God or the “ I” of the child does not last long! It is similar to a line drawn with a stick on the surface of water! A true devotee is like a child. Its individuality and separateness is a mere appearance, not a reality!The self of the child is entirely different from the self of man! The ego, destroyed by the fire of Supreme knowledge cannot bind like a burnt rope that retains its form! Though Hanuman was blessed with the vision of God, he retained the ego of a servant of God! The great sages Narada, Sanaka, Sanandana, and Sanatkumara were of the same type!The Upanishad says that one who says he knows, knows not! One who says he knows not, Knows! It is only after a bitter struggle with one’s lower nature and practice of spiritual discipline the state of Samadhi can be attained! It is then that the ego with all its train disappears! Reaching  the state of Samadhi is a real herculean task! Because of the persistent ego we are born again and again in the world!

Man should get rid of the feeling that he is the doer. It is an illusion! You feel that you have done this good work or that bad work. This sense of distinction is called Maya! The whole world revolves around this distinction. The aspirant should take recourse to  ripe ego and Vidya Maya full of Satwa guna! It leads him to the right path! When is man free? “ A man is truly free, even here in this embodied state, if he knows that God is the true agent and he by himself is powerless to do anything! It is easily said than done! Man’s attachment to his family, wife and children is so great that he doesn't think about his long range salvation or mukti. Wealth and money is another illusion that draws him away from detachment That is how “ punarapi jananam punarapi maranam” takes place! Ego is inextricably interfused into his nature to force him to innumerable births and death!  It is given to very rare individuals to realize this plan of nature and fight against the ego embedded in  them!

Hence let us not be egoistic, proud, arrogant and thoughtless to think that we have won or achieved something good or great! It is all a coincidence of your action and the will of God! Not a blade of grass moves without His will! It is through the dazzling radiance of the Supreme being that the Sun, the Moon and stars lightning and Fire shine and carry out their activities! Man proposes but God disposes! In Spite of our best efforts,  we fail many a time! Without any effort, we succeed by God’s grace! “ Viddhi vyadyabhimana grastham lokam soka hatancha samastam” says Adi Sankara referring to the part played by ego in human life!  Ego is the root cause of sorrow in the world!