It’s crucial to understand that individuality and the ego are not synonymous. The soul, or Jivatman, is also individualized, but the ego, or Ahamkara, is a specific individuality that prioritizes itself above others.
The ego perceives itself as the only conscious entity, with everyone else merely playing roles in its narrative. For the ego, other people are just characters in a movie, just there to make your life more difficult or more enjoyable.
What’s Wrong With the Ego?
The ego’s suggestions often lead you astray. For instance, “helper syndrome” and the egoic construct around it is primarily concerned with self-affirmation and self-profit, despite the apparent altruism. These people help not because it’s needed, but because it reinforces their self-image.
It’s like the story of a young man who insists on helping an old lady cross the street. The old lady is resisting, while the young man is nearly carrying her to get her over the street. Once they are on the other side, she hits him with a stick and goes back to the other side because she was actually waiting for the bus. The ego doesn’t care if you want to cross the street, it is going to help you anyway.
How to Use the Ego in Supporting Purpose
The key to liberation from the ego’s imprisonment is simple: do the opposite of what it suggests. If the ego prompts laziness, be active. If it encourages arrogance, be humble. Be open if the ego wants you to be closed. This counteraction allows you to identify more with the purer individuality of the soul.
The soul’s individuality isn’t problematic; it doesn’t suffer from being individualized. Like a cell in the body, it experiences itself as a part of the whole and performs its function without question. A liver cell doesn’t yearn to be a heart cell; it simply does its job. This type of individuality helps you to find your unique role within the universe, expressing your unique purpose.
However, to do so, you must first eliminate the ego’s absurd suggestions, which seek to give you an advantage over others. This is similar to a cancerous cell in the body that lives at the expense of the host. In opposition to this, you can start to have an embracing attitude about being a liver cell and fully devote yourself to it.
Is it a Real Purpose or an Expression of Ego
The ego is doomed to confer negative consequences. Effort needs to be made to overcome this. It is very important and helpful to find a spiritual school, teacher, or spiritual friend. Spiritual guidance helps you to have an impulse that allows you to be in contact with the soul.
A soulful driving force in your life will lead to a heart that is bursting with love and the desire to live your purpose. You will feel aspiration. Your heart will be free and alive. Then the ego and the mind can take their rightful part in executing things and arranging information.
The Ego as a Tool
In conclusion, the ego can be a useful tool if understood and managed correctly. By opening the heart and doing the opposite of what the ego suggests, you can free yourself from the ego’s constraints and embrace the purer individuality of the soul.
This shift allows you to form a beautiful polarity between the part and the whole, leading to a deeper understanding of your unique role in the universe, moving and acting from inspiration towards an extremely vivid and fulfilling life.
This article was transcribed and edited by Tony from the following video: