How Is The Ego Serving Us?
- IAM.Yoga
- Mar 22, 2018
- 4 min read
This title might be a bit contradictory to what we are usually taught in the spiritual path, but here it is. I think that there is a great struggle found in trying to change the ego or living to get rid of it. The struggle comes in the resistance to it. And how would you rid yourself of the ego with the mind . . .(ah hem, the ego)? The ego getting rid of itself? Not likely. When we resist anything in this life it seems to just come right back with immeasurable force. I.e., what we resist persists. We all may have heard this at some point but, find it hard to apply when there is a behavior, relationship or habit that we would really, really, REALLY like to get rid of, or RESIST! The ego is part of the destruction inside us, and the perpetual fixer about us. It begins with conditioning and then by first telling us there is something to fix about that conditioning. We start to believe the ego, which then gets reinforced by societal views, which were the ironically the start to the ego and its "self-ness". Now with all that laid out, here we are, left within the ego loop that drives us mad.
Let's detour a little and say something about that pure raw consciousness that is considered the, I AM. the ultimate connection to source, or the part of us that is the ray of light that emanates from source itself. This is that seeming contrast to the ego that is the basis to a spiritual path, and the reason we may be seeking the end to the ego in the first place. This part of us watches, it observes, it doesn't judge. It, in stark contrast to the ego, doesn't search for the wrong, or the "fix". If our goal is to have more of this, to be more of this, and dissolve our human stories, then it seems that it's the ego and all it's stories that are in the way. Right?
I've got another thought. By no means is this original either, but, here's the deal; We are here to experience, and the ego (mind) takes that to the 'nth degree by holding on, retelling and fixing. The light within us is observing the behavior of the "bad" ego and the ego that is the "fixer". If we can step out of the loop through flashes of consciousness and awakening, then we begin to see where the experiment of life is taking place and how it shows up in our lives specifically. This is the awareness that comes from the experiences and the ego! Granted, we are just coming back to "us" in this scenario of awakening, but that's the point, and the sometimes maddening part of life. We may ask, why did the ego form in the first place?! Wouldn't we all be better off, wouldn't everyone just be more kind, happy, and in tune with one another if we remained "conscious" from birth?
Fortunately or un-, the "system" is designed for this to happen, for us to split from our souls, and that source light, and create this ego through experience. Ego is the great teacher because it shows us through trial and much error, how to get back to the light by giving rise to the desires and the dislikes that will be our guidance system through emotion. It creates the contrast that gives us a multifaceted view of a situation. Sometimes we need those experiences many times to actually see it in a multifaceted way. . . you all know what I mean. The repetitious BS that wont quit. yeah, that. But, how can we navigate the world of free will, screw everything up, and then still take those experiences back to the land of the light and find the change we seek for the good with the damn ego in the way? Release resistance. Simply put, much harder applied. But, I guess that the point. There is a level of strife that is needed to see the good, as we understand, to know love we must know hate and so on. . .So, here it is, instead of resisting what we think is bad and going on quests for self realization by damning the experiences our ego says is bad, maybe, we begin by giving ourselves a break.
Really, that's your only option, to start with. Otherwise we are resisting and guess what, yep, you know it. What we resist persists. The focus must then be, not about what you dislike, or what your ego and society tells you must change, the focus needs to be on the new desires that have arisen from the muddiness of the experience that the ego has given rise to. In the focusing of what we want instead of what we are telling ourselves that we are, -in a negative way, we can begin to shape something new by leaning in to what we want, not pulling away from what we don't.
The ego is the great instigator that enlightens consciousness, and helps it grow. As rough as that may seem for our everyday earthly existence, it is the gift,(though it doesn't always feel that way from the ego perspective) that we are given. The only choice is to navigate, listen to our bodies, and the subtle language of the emotions within and around us to hear the guidance of our desires. Follow what makes you happy, your ego has already made it pretty clear what doesn't make you happy.
