Rajyogi Brahmakumar Nikunj says that ego can become an obstacle in one’s personal development without even realising
Ego is the only requirement to destroy any relationship… so be the bigger person skip the ‘e’ and let it ‘go’ .
Most of us, in some way or the other are ego personified. Aren’t weIJ It’s quite strange that inspite of being under the influence of ego, majority refuse to accept it because most of us do not know the difference between our true self and our ego. In fact, we don’t even realise that there is a difference between the two. This is mainly because we identify ourselves as simply ‘me’, and it is this mistake of our’s that creates unnecessary suffering and emotional pain in our lives. Hence, its very critical to acknowledge that our true selves and our egos are separate.
Ego can become a great obstacle to our personal development without even being aware of it. This is because it is a little difficult for most people to identify ego as most of the literature on it identifies symptoms like arrogance, stubbornness, fear of judgement, fear of failure, amongst others, but it misses the key point. All of these elements have one core element in common— they only occur when you’re dependent on the external environment to feel the way you want to feel. When you rely on the other peoples perceptions to feel good, then you’re going to fear judgement, you’re going to fear failure, you’re going to fight to prove a point that you know is wrong, and you’re going to try and blame others for your situation in life. This is what’s at the core of the ego — being dependent on the external environment to feel the way you want to feel.
History has shown that how great civilisations, powerful dynasties and empires got completely disappeared when they fell in the hands of egocentric, conceited and arrogant rulers. It is because of such ego or arrogance of the past and even many modern rulers that the saying was coined that “Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely”.
The one who has ego, always struggles for survival. Such a person wants to think and make plans out of nothing, and makes an important ‘something’ with a disturbing meaning. As long as there is a desire within us to be something, we will be experiencing ego. This is because desire works in future tense and while pursuing them, we forget about the necessity of living in the present. We must not forget a fact that everything we do has a consequence, be it good or bad, and that consequence works based on what we are. Hence, doing it is merely a consequence of being. So, the moment we desire to do something in our life like to progress faster or to be more successful — from that very moment we stop enjoying and start struggling.
So how does one tide over this complex paradoxIJ Is it practically possibleIJ Yes, by simply remaining in consciousness of one’s role in the world drama as a detached observer, because the world drama is about natural consequences and not about individual desires. Hence, there is no need to make any effort as such, as every situation that occurs, has a completion by itself. But one must also understand a fact that achieving an ego-less stage is a journey in itself. Practically it takes just a second to realise it but there are many karmic accounts to burn, before we get there. Mahatma Gandhi, in his autobiography, said, “Act like a trustee who, though having control over great possessions, regards not an iota of them as his own”. This stage can be achieved with humility as it gives us great ability to act and accomplish missions as a trustee and not with the feeling of ownership. This quality is a natural expression of someone whose ambitions are selfless and completely devoid of anger, greed, ego, lust and attachment. Humility means an absence of anger, aggression, selfish motivation or a hidden agenda. It is in no way an act of subservience or weakness but the characteristic of strength and power. So, let’s try to be humble, sweet, polite with everyone and embark on a journey of being egoless by being aware about our true self.