Exercise to leave behind the ego–

Part one

Letting go of the ego is a dramatic departure that may help alleviate misfortune, illness, and easing pain, but that’s not our goal. In the midst of it all lies hope, transformation, and even transcendence. Especially Transcendence!

We are frightened of Self-Realisation, or more accurately the ego is afraid of dying, and hence we believe ego loss equates to death. It’s the ego thoughts thinking this. The mind has a mind of its own. Hence the negative thoughts that we believe, which we addressed earlier

Exercise 1:

On a sheet of paper write down:

Why I need to keep my ego.

What I am afraid of if I lose my ego.

What stops me doing this?

Any other preventing forces/issues.

Go through this list every day until you can cross them all off. That’s it!

Check the information on ego issues below to help this process.

When you have mostly decided that you can let go of ego-based identity you are ready for the next step on this Journey.

Ego Issues

Now we have a situation regarding Life and the Universe, where nearly all humans are entrenched in their identity with race, culture, religion etc. Nothing to comment much on here, except that so far history has been about wars and destruction a lot of the time. So much for culture and religions! Never mind, it is a learning environment that we suffer in. Until, when, we start to move up the levels. Move into spiritual practice as well as advanced human practice. Then we think about living life for our Self-Realisation Journey. Then, maybe, we advance enough to make service to others our priority. We are then beyond all levels, as this is where we see and feel and realise our essential nature in relation to our Inner-deity, or Ω, or the Cosmos and all its life.

First thing first though, and that is about how to move past this human ego-based life of selfishness, and how to have some sense of spiritual sanity? We already know that we are responsible for our actions – no gods to the rescue! This is then our moment to moment business, otherwise we stay where we are.

The mind doesn’t want to be trained or curtailed, so it doesn’t seem doable, unless you can sit in a cave with no distractions for months on end. Then the mind can settle down like sediment falling to the bottom of a still lake. In this busy world – forget about it! So, this yoga needs to be more structural, with practices that allow one to separate out from the mind and the world, whilst in the midst of it.

Your exercise and your go-to method can, or will be, different! (In my previous books I extol the use of mantras for instance).

You may need to connect with your Inner Truth, even though it is just there. You have to sit on your mountain, (of solid practice), and meditate, (or maybe chant), through the time of the dark clouds and the storms.

We separate ourselves from Light, we live in darkness. Change perspective and focus towards the Light.

Seek Ω, or Divine Grace, or the Inner Guru.. The Light will shine through, and with it the sound associated with the Transcendental will manifest.

Our consciousness identifies with matter as ego, and the illusion that is Maya, gets created, but also can be destroyed eventually. Nothing really disappears, because nothing really appears – illusory stuff all of it. It’s just mind perspectives still, and not so relevant in the state of Enlightenment. Confused views of science are not the position of the Transcendental One.

However, we are in fear, and rush around, because we cannot find ourselves experiencing being the Transcendent One, or truly see the non-reality of the Maya created forms in life. We do not connect with the underlying cosmic sound. A mantra, as one option for instance, may help make this connection. (Somewhat artificially it is true). Then Maya is seen as just Cosmic Energy going about her/his/its business!

As with the Strengths perspective, we are looking what can be achieved: not what is not possible. A focus then on capacities and possibilities, and a shift away from seeing the problems. Yes you still may accept what the Buddha said: “All life is suffering”.  Or see your own situation as irredeemable in some aspects that just cannot be changed.

The shift here is toward a deep respect for the inherent possibilities and potentials of human beings, as Self-Realisation is our birth right, or our human journey outcome – eventually. This is based on the words of sages, seers and Enlightened Beings,who declare a human capacity, and possibility – no matter how hopeless or unrealistic possibilities look in appearance. This approach is very different from rational perspectives, as it has an unlimited potential, and holds to a belief that change can and will occur – no matter the “diagnosis”.

Spirituality may be considered essential to an understanding of this whole life business, but here we want to call this essential component our own inner being and its power. It’s not a spirituality that is, out there. We don’t have to follow what has been prescribed for us in this respect. Yes, we will need to go beyond self–development and become non-ego focused. The ego shackles us, and does this also regarding what we believe is good. (Societal development, such as career, family, worldly hopes/aspirations/desires).

So ego fixation can become more pronounced the more worldly successful we are! Then access to higher levels of consciousness is essentially denied. We need to finally get past wars fear of death/life.

Hence here we have an exercise, not so much to “banish” the ego, but rather to place it “somewhere”, where the ego has been “left behind”.