For a human being to transcend and be able to experience unity, the obstacle of ego needs to be overcome.
During human evolution, the ability to think gave humans an advantage over other species living on this planet. This intellectual ability enabled us to perceive the world around us differently from other species and that allowed us to engineer our environment and control it to our will. I am not going to get into the argument about whether such an evolution was a blessing or a curse for our co-inhabitants and will leave you to be the judge of it. Nevertheless, we have to accept this ability and the ego self as a part of human evolution. Try to understand it to the best of our abilities, so that we can live in a harmonious environment.
Mind is a product of our brain; it is the ability to think. The human brain has many functions, beyond the capacity to regulate our body. It creates a space for intellectual power.
Intellect is a double-edged sword. Although it can be extremely useful when dealing with the survival aspects of our lives, if left unchecked, it can fragment reality and cause pain and suffering. Like any useful tool, one has to understand when to put it aside and stop using it. Imagine if your hand was out of your control, acting as a separate entity, doing whatever it wants to do. Although it is necessary for your survival, it could make your life hell if there was no control over it. The same prescription applies to one’s mind.
Unfortunately, modern social structure and the current educational system advocates the exact opposite—the more you use your mind the better it is, which makes no sense.
You need to have control over your mind…
One of the most important techniques, essential to human life, is (or should have been, to be exact), the ability and the knowledge to control our minds which can be achieved through meditation. Instead, most people don’t even recognise that such a thing is even possible.
I can’t express enough the importance of this. As a human needs to eat for the body to function, so is having control of the mind, the on/off function, if you will.
Our education system has got nothing to offer in relation to this. I can’t even begin to describe the despicable actions of our leaders who constantly push the masses to a divisive point of view in the name of money and power.
Therefore, in order to live a fulfilled life, one has to learn how to use the tools available first. This will be discussed in detail in another chapter to provide you with all the required knowledge.
Ego is a defence mechanism…
Let us look at the ego. The ego is a defence mechanism produced by one’s mind which can put on different acts using the intellectual powers of the brain. It always steals the limelight and blocks one from seeing reality.
For the true reality to shine through, the ego obstacle has to be overcome and put aside once and for all since it has long served its purpose. Maybe it was necessary centuries ago but take my word for it, it is no more the case.
The ego sees the individual as a separate entity, it is greedy and is never satisfied. It defines the human in a put-down way, it sees the self as the poor little me. Ego keeps on saying to you, that the whole cosmos is against you. It doesn’t recognise unconditional love and the unity between the individual and universe. You might have understood what I am talking about by now. Yes, that little voice inside your head, which talks non-stop on occasions, if not constantly. The voice that tells you you are not worthy, you can’t do it, it’s not possible. That is your ego, it needs to be recognised and silenced.
