From ego to humility: Discovering the self

Most of us identify ourselves with the body that we have acquired because we are unaware of the immortal entity called the ‘Soul’, which resides within us and functions through our body. As a result of this ignorance, one letter that dominates our lives is ‘I’. Even when we are thinking of something or someone, it is linked to ‘I’, i.e., to the needs, desires and feelings of the self in relation to objects and people. The ‘I’ manifests in different forms, literally and metaphorically. There is a capital or big ‘I’ and a small ‘i’.

The big ‘I’ has no dot above it, while the small ‘i’ has one. In that sense, the big ‘I’ represents ego, while the small ‘i’ represents its antidote, humility. When we are acting from ego, we think of ourselves as big and tend to dominate others, whereas in humility, we are aware of our true self and feel grateful to the Supreme for all the goodness that we see in ourselves and others.

Our ego stems from body consciousness, i.e., the false identification of the eternal spiritual self with the mortal physical body. A dead body becomes hard and loses its softness as soon as a soul leaves it. Likewise, the big ‘I’ has no soul, and a proud person is rigid in their opinions, beliefs and attitudes. Whereas the small ‘i’ has a dot above it. The dot symbolises the soul, and its lower part may be seen as representing the body. The soul is a sentient point of light, while the body has a vertical shape.

So, in that sense, the small ‘i’ connotes a complete human being, i.e., the soul and the body. Hence, it represents the ongoing activities conveyed by the suffix ‘-ing’, as in speaking, looking, walking, eating, etc. In the true sense, we only live when we are aware of the self as a soul; however, when we live and act out of ego or big ‘I’ consciousness, we are as good as dead.

A subtle reflection would show that when we pronounce the small ‘i’, it conveys a sense of humility, gentleness and flexibility, whereas the big ‘I’ is pronounced in an emphatic and loud way. A lighted candle is similar to the small ‘i’, and its flame represents light, the light of an enlightened person who is always aware of the self as a point of light.

That is why we see that during the Diwali festival, people light up rows of lamps, lights and candles, spreading so much light and joy. It represents the Golden Age, the soul-conscious community and era in which all humans are naturally aware of themselves as souls and live in peace and joy.

Remember! The more we return to our original state of being, which is that of a pure, loving and peaceful soul, the easier it will be for us to connect to the Supreme Source and draw His powers of peace, love and truth to share with others around us, thereby bringing peace within ourselves and the world.

So, let’s embark on this wonderful journey of discovering the new self, feeling very light and banishing all mental agony.

The writer is a spiritual teacher and popular columnist; Views presented are personal.