The Ego Barrier
In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna says that one of the qualifications for a devotee to earn His love is “nirmamo nirahankaarah ” (XI I‑13), without mine-ness and without egoism, free from the feeling of “I” and “mine”. The scriptures of all religions consider egoism as the only major hurdle between man and God. “Man, minus ego is God,” so goes the saying. Swami in His discourses frequently denounces this ego and stresses that it is the only obstacle that stands between Him and ourselves.
What is this ego and how did it come about? Man exhibits two natural traits in all his activities, namely, protecting and expanding his individuality. This conceited individuality instills in him the idea of an autonomous entity, a subjectivity responsible for his actions and for the enjoyment of the fruits therefrom. How did man conceive of himself as an individual?
The Omnipresent Pure Awareness got reflected on matter to produce the individual consciousness. This consciousness is the basis of all cognition. Cognition is possible only when the cognizer and the cognized are separate entities. The perceiver and the perceived cannot be one. Thus, the cognizer consciousness assumes the role of the subject and objectifies everything else. In this continuous process of objectivization or conceptualization an individual pseudo entity has arisen, using the body‑mind complex as its abode. This assumed individuality that had come up soon after birth gets an identifying name and considers itself as separate from everything else. The functioning of this duality, the “me” and the “other”, is the original sin of man referred to in the Bible.
This whole process has thrown up a phenomenon called man, which has three aspects in itself: the first—the real “I” or the true self, the second—a reflection of the first giving rise to the consciousness “I am”, and the third—an individuality, “I am so‑and‑so”. Thus, each person, as Swami says, is really “three in one”, “the one you really are, the one you think you are, and the one others think you are.”
Ego and evolution
Why did this ego develop? If we analyze carefully it appears to be a necessary part of the evolution of life. How else could a conscious individual have cropped up? Having evolved, its dissolution is, interestingly, the only means to reach the Divine. To quote Sri Aurobindo, “as for the lower life, the development of ego; so far as the higher life this reverse movement of elimination of the ego is indispensable.” The ‘why’ of it all is beyond our comprehension and can only be termed as the play of the Divine.
However, this ego with its deluding power is the source of all man’s problems. The real illusion man suffers from is his mistaken identity with the body that is only a part of the phenomenon. Viveka Choodamani [text by Sri Shankaracharya] says, “The body is known to be the source of the delusion of “I” and “mine”…. It is strange that a person ignorantly remains contented that he is the body.”
The body and the soul
What is a body? The common definition will be that it is the physical frame of a man or an animal. But our scriptures provide an extended definition that considers the body as any substance that consciousness is capable of supporting and controlling for its own purpose and that is subordinate to consciousness. In other words, the soul possesses the body and not that the body has a soul.
What is the purpose of having a body? It is an instrument for righteous living. “Sariramaadyam khalu dharmasadhanam” (The body is the primary requisite for realizing righteousness). This task of the body has two components, to carry out physical actions that are external, and second, to achieve Realization that is inner action. But blinded by egoism the individual forgets that he is only an instrument Krishna says in the Gita (111‑27), “ahamkaara vimoodhaatma kartaaham iti manyate“–one who is deluded by egoism thinks “I am the doer.” Shankara says, “ahamkaarah sa vijneyah karthaa bhoktaa abhimanyayam“–it is the ego that identifies itself with the body and becomes the doer or experiencer and “sukham duhkham cha taddharma“–happiness and misery are its characteristics. (Viveka Choodamani)
Liberation from ego
Giving up this ego or annihilation of the pseudo‑entity is the greatest achievement expected of man. “Nirmamo nirahamkaarah sa saanthim adhigacchati” says Krishna (Gita II‑71)—devoid of possessiveness and egoism, that is giving up the feeling of “I” and “mine”, a man attains peace. Such a non‑egoistic person is called saatvika [pure]: “anaham‑vaadi saatvika uchyate [free from attachment & ego]” (Gita XVIII‑26). This mistaken identity with a particular transient phenomenon, the body, is the real bondage. As Viveka Choodamani (V. 299) declares, “So long as one has anything to do with this wretched ego, there can never be any talk about liberation,” because liberation is from the ego, from the dualistic concept of “me” and the “other”. Liberation is from the “person” and not for the person. Swami declares that purity leads to unity and unity leads to Divinity. Identification with the body is the basic impurity and all other impurities follow it. It is basically this impurity that an Avatar [incarnation] wants to remove from us. It is this “person” in us that He wants to destroy because it stands in the way of our becoming one with Him. Lord Krishna categorically states (Gita XVIII‑53) “ahamkaaram Balam darpam kaamam krodham parigraham, vimuchya nirmamah saanto Brahmabhooyaya kalpate“—”Giving up egoism, violence, arrogance, desire, anger, possessions, without the feeling of mine, and becoming peaceful, one is fit to become Brahman.”
A major step in abandoning the ego is to give up body consciousness and abide in the Self. This does not mean developing a contempt toward the body. This body is a part of the intended manifestation of the Divine. It is wrong to subject it to mortification and self-torture. Lord Krishna denounces this in Gita (XVII‑6). “Karshayantah sarirastham bhootagraamam achetasah maam cha eva antah“—”They are fools who torture their bodies and Me who dwells within the body.” The body itself is not an obstacle to spiritual progress. It is the identification with the body that is the stumbling block on the path.
Wiles of the ego
Complete annihilation of the ego is a slow process, and the most important step is surrender to the higher power within. For that faith is the prime requisite. But here one has to proceed with caution because the ego tends to take refuge behind this term “surrender” and consider itself as the greatest devotee of the Lord and does not hesitate to go about saying so! Even if one claims to be performing nishkama karma (action without desire for the fruits thereof), the ego far from being annihilated may continue to consider itself to be the doer of the work that is being dedicated to the Lord.
Thus, every attempt made to destroy the ego is accompanied by the ego putting up several disguises and finding for itself many hideouts. Two of its deceitful disguises are a vain show of regard for others and putting up a garb of indifference to worldly matters. The former presents the individual as a great sevak and philanthropist while the latter makes him put up a false appearance of a poor or simple man or even of a saintly person. The most important hideout for the ego is to take shelter behind the true self and behave as if it were the Self. Then a spiritual superiority is assumed by it and thereafter all that remains to be done is to guide others in the path!
Practically every sadhaka [devotee] faces these problems. As Sri Aurobindo says, “the form of ego has to be dissolved, it has not to be replaced by a bigger ego or another kind of ego.” The best example to illustrate this is Arjuna’s behavior on the battlefield. First, he came to fight with the egoism of strength as demanded of a Kshatriya. Soon the ego manifested as a selfish fear and inaction for selfish ends. Identifying himself with his body and bodily relationships with his cousins and Acharyas he was reluctant to fight. This was egoism of weakness. But the same was posing as a virtue. He said: (B.G. I‑31), “na kaanksha vijayam Krishna na cha raajyam sukhaani cha“, “O Krishna, I desire not victory, kingdom, and pleasures.” Even refusing to do one’s duty under the misconceived pretext of compassion and perverted argument about dharma, is egoism. Here Arjuna assumed doership in his duty of slaying the wicked.
Hence Krishna had to remind him (B.G. XVIII‑17), “yasya na ahamkrto bhaavo hatvaa apt sa imaan lokaan na hanti“—”He who has not got the notion of egoism, though he kills these people, he does not kill.” Again (B.G. XVIII‑59), “yad ahamkaaram aasritya na yotsya iti manyase, mithyaa esha vyavaasayah“—”If you take refuge in egoism and think that you will not fight, it is an empty resolve.” Moreover, “ri’te api tvaam na bhavishyanti sarve yevasthitah pratyaneekeshu yodhaah“— (B.G. XI‑32) —”Even without you these hostile warriors lined up here shall not live.” Because “mayaa eva ete nihataah poorvam“—”They have been already slain by Me”, and “ova nimitta maatram bhava” (B.G. XI‑33)—”You are merely an instrument.”
Thus, the greatest lesson that emerges out of this episode in the Mahabharata is elimination of the sense of doership and complete annihilation of the feeling of “I” and “mine”, which is based on the identification with the body. That is the only means to attain the state of satvic [pure], “anathematic [not egoistic],” “nirahamkarah [devoid of possessiveness and egoism]”, and to qualify for the status of the beloved devotee of the Lord. Then, as Swami says, you become like the hollow flute fit to be taken by the Lord to play upon and produce Divine music.
~Dr. M. Balasubrahmanyan
Source: Sanathana Sarathi, June 1988
