THE EGO AND THE SPIRIT
The vast majority of people are not (we) interested in “what it is”, but rather “how they look” or what quality of image they project. They are interested in the image rather than objectivity. And so, the man of society launches himself to participate in that race of appearances, in the typical eagerness of 'who is cheating on whom', of how to achieve a better impression. The world is an immense stadium in which "the pride of life" plays a great match of labels, social forms and economic exhibitions to compete for social image, a combat in which human beings are not interested in being, but seem.
THE SPIRIT AND THE BEING
The Spirit has always been elusive. We have been elusive (as) to the Spirit: "that's crazy things", say the materialists. The Being - or Spirit - sustains us all, is our source of breath and life, and yet it is something about which our parents taught us very little. John tells us: “He was already in the world, this world that did not recognize him. He came to his own house and his own did not receive him.” An ancient writing from India tells us about the Spirit, the following: "A knife cannot cut it, water cannot wet it, the wind cannot drive it away, the sun cannot dry it". Each molecule of the universe is full of Being; every thought, every piece of information that comes to us through the five senses is nothing but Self. But we can ignore the Self because it maintains total silence, like a master choreographer who never participates in the dance. In truth, He always existed and will exist. We just need openness to be "in spirit" or, inspired.
THE EGO AND THE SELF
Just as there are two poles on a magnet, one positive and one negative; people also carry two characters in dispute; one of them is the one that strives for material success and the other that aspires to rise spiritually. The description provided by Sogyal Rinpoche in the work “The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying” explains this discovery wonderfully: “Two people have been living in you during your entire existence. One is the ego: talkative, demanding, hysterical, calculating; the other is the hidden spirit being, whose quiet, wise voice you have only rarely heard and heeded.”
THE EGO OR THE SOCIAL MASK
The little word “ego” has had several meanings. For the Freudian school it is “the conscious aspect of the psyche that decides between the basic instincts of the it and the morality of superego“: Very academic definition. The stereotype of this model is usually male. The person with "ego problem" is considered to be boastful, selfish, dismissive, vain and generally unpleasant, or also, the person dedicated to hatred, malice and destruction. The ego has also been considered as something that is inside us, controlling our daily lives, pressuring us to show a “good image”.
Attention: You can be altruistic and kind to show yourself to others... and that is also ego. For our purposes, we suggest another definition of “ego”: “Let us consider the ego as the idea that each one of us has of himself. That is to say, that the ego is nothing more than an idea, an illusion, but an illusion that exerts great influence”. No one has seen the ego. It is rather a ghost that we accept as controlling our lives. The problem is that maintaining this illusion can prevent you from knowing your true self, your spiritual essence. We believe that the ego is an erroneous thought disposition that tries to present you as you would like to be, instead of how you really are. In essence, the ego, the idea of oneself, the mask, the role that we are playing; it supposes a distorted way of affirming and living existence. This social mask (the ego) likes approval, wants to control situations and people, and relies on power because it lives in fear.
SUGGESTIONS TO OVERCOME THE EGO AND REACH HIGHER CONSCIOUSNESS
The following suggestions will help you get in touch with the ego and overcome it: * Get to know your ego and determine when your ego influences and dominates your life. Ask yourself: Am I listening to my false self or my spiritual self? As you become aware of your ego, you will be able to free yourself from self-centeredness and enter higher consciousness. * Start keeping track of how often you use the pronoun “I”. By not focusing on your own person, you will be overcoming the ego. * Begin to see your ego as an entity that is with you and has a purpose. It is invisible and is always by your side. It tries to convince you that you are separate from God, that you are superior to others, and that you are "special." He wants you to feel outraged when you are treated poorly, when you are insulted, when you are not petted; offended when he doesn't get your way, hurt when he loses in a competition. Meet this entity first. Then you realize that it is working on you. Lastly, get rid of her. * Listen to others and do not focus on yourself. During conversations, focus on what the other person is saying and what they are feeling. Then respond with a phrase beginning with "you, you." This is called active listening. It is a way of containing the ego and allowing the spiritual self to participate. * Resist the habit of allowing the ego to dominate your life. The more you resist allowing your ego to control your life, the sooner you will fill the space previously occupied by the demands of your false self. * Practice daily meditation or quieting your mind to undo the illusion that you are separate from the universe and that all souls are extensions of God's energy. You will begin to treat others as you would like to be treated yourself. You will feel connected to everything and everyone. * Try to erase the word "special" from your mind. Special means better than, or more important than. It denies that God dwells in each of us. We are all special in God's eyes: therefore, no one needs the label "special." There are no favourites. No one is relegated. We are all One. * Keep a journal. Try to describe how it benefits you to feel offended. What offends him is the work of his ego. Don't pretend that the world should be the way you are and not the way it really is. * Give more of yourself and ask for less in return. Leo Tolstoy went from being self-centered to being a servant of God, after learning many lessons and going through tribulations. And he wrote the following: "The only meaning of the way is to serve humanity." Be the one who caresses. Be the one who gives love. * Remind yourself every day that the highest worship that can be rendered to God is to serve humanity, and that through this act your spiritual self will feel fulfilled. * Put an end to the external search for freedom and know the taste of authentic freedom that is the communion with your spiritual self. Authentic freedom needs nothing to prove its existence. Only by being authentically free will you be able to love, because there is no love without freedom. False freedom demands that you have at hand something that attests to its existence