Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register
Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

Understanding the ego

clearviewclearview
edited March 2011 in Buddhism Basics
The superior ego and inferior ego both stem from the same tree. They are two different branches, on opposite sides. But their roots are the same. If you want to destroy a tree, you don’t pull off its leaves, or cut a branch off. You remove its origin of being – its source for life itself. In this case we must attack the roots. We have to dig deep, we must go beyond the obvious, beyond what’s in clear sight. It’s not easy, and they arise from the same place. In order to transcend the ego, one must not only focus on understanding negative thoughts, but also positive, equally delusional thoughts - thoughts which occur at the subconscious level and are ingrained in our consciousness and mental thought patterns.

Comments

  • CloudCloud Veteran
    edited March 2011
    Buddhism speaks of "self" and "not-self" rather than ego.

    "Not-self" is nothing more than thoughts the mind clings to.

    These thoughts change as we follow the path and find nothing substantial, nothing permanent, nothing unchanging that can be considered "me", other than to use such words in a conventional way to communicate with other minds.
  • finding0finding0 Veteran
    The ego can not destroy the ego. It can only build its walls again and again. If one wishes to destroy ego then that is only the ego empowering the ego. Giving it the idea "this is not good enough, I could be better" The only way is to fully surrender into this moment.Let this eternal moment be and simply observe. Remain in silence. Surrender the battle with your demons and simply accept both sides. Stay here and it will shake the foundation of ego. Tearing down the walls allowing one to see truth.
  • RogerRoger
    edited March 2011
    On a different level: Thinking

    The ego is a joke. It thinks it's soooooooo important. It's not. That's where humility comes in. Imagine you having to listen to you! Do that for a whole day. See yourself in the mirror. Become extremely self-conscious for a few months. The result? You'll talk muuuuuch less and _____listen_____ a lot more. That ego thing: suuuuuch a PITA if left to it's own devices.

    Once you figure this out: have a nice little calm relaxed Buddha smile on your face all the time: that way we can recognize each other.

    High Five

  • ravkesravkes Veteran
    edited March 2011
    The ego is really just unnecessary drama, simply thoughts that fight against a reality that shines through regardless of whatever you think it is. Focus on the mind as just a tool; intelligence used to guide this body through what's actually happening at all times. All other thoughts are rubbish.
  • pegembarapegembara Veteran
    Ego needs stories. "I am smart/stupid, man/woman, born in ..., my childhood, I hate/love this or that, I see/hear/smell/taste/feel, I did this or that etc."
    Without a story, how can the ego exist?
Sign In or Register to comment.