Hiya!
I have been pondering the wording of this theory and it unsettles me...
People talk of Ego so harshly. I understand that you mean we just teach the Ego-Self some manners (props to FeatherWinger for that). What confuses me, is the application of this theory into everyday, practical life? I'm sure if I searched deep enough I'd find the answers and that is my goal for the week :)
I'm interested to hear your thoughts though?
Indulge me?
Kindness
Emmy
Replies
I took my ego to the laundry, but then when i went back to pick it up, i found I had lost the ticket and they wouldn't give it back. So, I had to send my Id into my subconscious to retrieve my ego. After many strange and weird adventures I managed to rescue my ego and return to "normal" reality. And, you know, ego wasn't even clean! It still had stains and flaws and seemed stuck in "duality". But, in retrospect, it was a lot of fun.
In Taoist Metaphysics, the focus is on seeing that 'Duality' -THIS versus THAT- is a creation of the mind.
This and that is the natural polarization throughout the universe that creates movement and change.
the Old Master said,
Throughout the world, Beauty can be seen as 'beauty,' only if there is 'ugliness'
You can only know good is cool because there is bad and its uncool!
So, Having and Not Having arise simultaneously
Difficult and Easy are complimentary
Long and Short are contrasting
High and Low are stacked on one another
Voice and Hearing are harmoniuos
Front and back tango together! : >
and so, the sage goes about his business; Nothin' doin'
teaching others:
"don't be such a drama queen!
The Ten Thousand Things come and go all day long, endlessly
Creating, but claiming no ownership
Working without taking credit
Things are done, and then forgotten
Therefore, the Way it Is lasts forever
( ( ( Temet Nosce 247 ) ) )
“I find that the sensation of myself as an ego inside a bag of skin is really a hallucination.” ~Alan Watts
-headnod- lol <3<3<3
I've tried being completely egoless...I did stillness meditations, cleared my mind of all thoughts, and just went into a state of pure awareness....and it doesn't work. You can't live life that way. Without an ego, you have no desire to do anything at all. You just want to be, and let things be exactly as they are. You have to go into some level of ego, even to get out of bed, or type on a computer. It doesn't work, the ego exists for a reason.
And from what I understand...and from what I read....we're not supposed to totally get rid of the ego. We're supposed to balance the ego-self, with the soul-self. The egoic mind is a servant, the soul-heart...the master. The egoic mind works with this universe of separation and duality, the heart works with the inner being and soul....and that's the real reality, the outside universe is an illusion. We still need to operate in it though. We still need logic, and the ability to break things apart and analyze them. Or to structure things. We still need an intellect, we still need a mind that works to separate and divide things, and analyze them. As long as you're not stuck in the mind and intellect, and live from your heart and inner being, which works with unity and love, feeling and being.
That's the problem, the mind has become the master, and the heart disconnected. People live in their intellect...and in logic...and facts and figures and structure....it's been like that throughout history. We even invented something called "legal language" which is just complete mind. It complicates things unnecessarily. In the heart, everything is simple. The mind likes to divide things so much that it makes everything so complicated. We need to get out of the mind, and start getting into ourselves, our heart and soul, our inner being....and using the mind as the tool, the servant, that it's meant to be.
Returning to the one......from seeing yourself as seperate compartmentalizing, judging....from everything to seeing and feeling and knowing that you are one, united with everything. I was meditating last wed nite and it was the best mediation I have yet to experience. I was comfortable, my foot did not fall asleep, my butt did not hurt...hahahs It felt for a moment that the clouds had parted, and my ego gave way.(or something) Also my ego parted in the sense that I was aware that it is not about me, but us all, and angels and miracles move through other peoples lives as well. yes the ego does get a bad wrap, but it is apart of us and beautiful!!!!
Too many people bash the Ego. Your Ego is what makes you....you. It is your individuality. Source gave us this so that we would not all be the same. It is a part of your personality. There is nothing at all wrong with having an Ego...nothing. Now if you have an over inflated Ego, that is another story. You have to learn to control yourself, to include your Ego. Be virtuous and humble. Treat others as you would like to be treated, and see God in All things. To not have an ego would be liken to someone that is brain dead. You get out of bed, take a shower and brush your teeth. This stems from your ego (when you are old enough to take care of yourself), since you don't want others thinking that you are not hygienic. You do lots of small things that are not bad, but are driven to do so by your ego.
I think that the Ego has become the "Fall Guy/Scapegoat" in the spiritual quest. It is blamed for all kinds of things. I for one am glad that I have an Ego of sorts, as I don't like the idea of being a robot. The idea is to be in balance, to be at one with yourself and all of creation, to appreciate everything and everyone for who or what they are. Be at peace with who and what you are. You can keep your ego in check, as well as your wants, lusts, ambitions and a slew of other things.
We are all capable of good as well as evil, as they are in everyone of us. To deny anyone of these is to deny who and what you are. We are all walking talking dualities in our make up. We are the embodiment of the yin and the yang. Everyone has evil thoughts at one time or another. To deny them their time will only create havoc somewhere down the road. You give these thoughts their space and pat it on the head and send them on their way, but never deny them. You are the one that chooses which route that you want to take, which road you will travel. Be it service to others or service to self.
Bottom line is not to deny your ego. Keep it in balance along with every other thing that makes you....you. Be at one with yourself and all things. Those that travel the inner road will find that all things will eventually fall into place. This is the road less traveled, yet has, by far the best view. You will also find your guides, along the balance that you seek. To deny any part of yourself is to deny who and what you are....a part of God.
overcoming duality means overcoming seeing opposite things as separate, mainly good and evil. they're not separate things, they're actually 2 sides of the same thing. :P
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