Is ego good or bad? Some think it is good and some think that it is bad. I say increase the ego to infinity or decrease it to zero”
A teacher gave two students different assignments. Giving them each one-month’s time, he told one student to go into the world and try to find the best possible person. To the other student he said, “Go and find the worst possible person.” After one month they came back without bringing anybody with them. He asked the first student what happened and he replied, “I tried to find the best person but compared to anyone I was better, so I thought I was the best person.” Then the guru looked at the other disciple and asked, “ Where is the worst person?” With tears in his eyes the student answered, “ I went and looked everywhere. All the people I saw had so many good qualities that I felt I was the worst person.” Both the students saw the same people, people like us. One saw the good in everyone and the other saw the bad in everyone. Who is correct?
We judge people based on how we look at others. The first student, who thought he was the best, is a symbol of ego, and the second student, who thought he was the worst, is a symbol of humility. What type of outlook and understanding do we have? Where there is ego, there is anger, jealousy and hypocrisy. Where there is humility there is love, compassion, tolerance and purity. In the beginning ego appears to be beautiful. Why do people become egoistic?
If you read the 16th chapter of the Bhagavad Gíta, there is a description of people with ego.
ahamkaram balam darpam kamam krodham ca samsrita
mamatma paradeheshu pradvishantobhyasuyakah
Gíta(16-18)
Egotistical people, prone to have pride, desire and rage, despise Me who am the indweller in them and others.
If you look at a garden, there are many types of flowers. There are small, tiny flowers like ‘forget me not’, there is rose and there is lotus. Flowers are of different colors, smell, and sizes, and grow in different seasons. Flowers don’t have ego. Look at the animals. Cows are of different colors and different sizes, each having different kinds of horns or even no horns. Yet cows possess no ego.
We have an ego because of our complexity. Through complexity ego comes, and through simplicity ego disappears. There are five causes of ego:
- ego of wealth
- ego of gender
- ego of health
- ego of status and position
- ego of intelligence
- ego of religion
Each cause is associated with the five centers from muladhara to vishuddha. Look at your life. Analyze yourself. Find your ego and try to erase it. We know the five causes of ego. These five centers should be controlled. If the breath stops, where is your ego of wealth, status or religion? The breath may stop at any time.
nishvase nahi vishwasah katha ruddhabhavishayati
There is no guarantee of which one will be your last breath.
Yoganandaji left his body while delivering a talk, singing a song in praise of the motherland. He could not complete the last line. There is no guarantee of how long the breath will last. I have seen a very rich man who became extremely poor in his own lifetime and he did not have even food to eat. Wealth, beauty, status and intelligence are not permanent. Love God. Love your breath. The easy way to overcome the ego is to bow. Bow to your parents. If they are not here, bow at least to their picture. Bow down in front of the deities. It is a simple yogic technique to be free from ego. The play of ego that manifests in the five centers really comes from the head.
namaste phalino vriksha namaste gunino janah
sushka kashtamcha murkhamcha bhanjate nacha namrate
Just as the tree-laden fruit bends with its weight, people with knowledge are humble. The dry stick and the egoistic person may break but will not bend. If you want to overcome ego, bend your head in front of God, parents and teachers. Morning and evening, think of them and bow down. At the same time understand the truth of life. The words of an egotist hurt others. A revolver kills with one shot, but the words of an egotistical person pierce the heart and give pain for a long time. Let us practice more love and more humility. With ego people invite downfall into their lives. If you want to enter into an ocean to swim, you need to bend your head and allow the waves to pass.
Jagarane bhayam nasti Be alert. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberation. If you are alert you will be free from trouble. Let us change our life. Sit together, meditate and forget personal differences. We are all children of God. Erase the ego. Follow the words of scripture and teacher.