We have often heard it said and also said it ourselves, ‘he has a big ego’.
Ego is basically a limitation. Ego limits our identity or ego projects our limitation. When we identify ourselves with our body, mind, emotions, beliefs, thinking, religion, group, nationality, gender and so on, we are limiting ourselves to that identity.
In that sense, the ego limits us. It stops is from seeing our bigger reality. In that sense, it puts us in a cage that stops us from experiencing and expressing ourselves fully.
Ego is holding on and trying to perpetuate our limited identity. It is the nature of the ego-mind to feel threatened, inadequate and at risk. Therefore, it tries to create support systems and groups to help safeguard and perpetuate its perceived reality.
Reality itself is a strange thing. More than just the physical presence of something, it’s about how one perceives that and in that perception differences crop up. This reality appears, despite a certain underlying physical presence, different to different viewers.
Since the ego feels threatened and at risk, it does all it can to protect itself, creating artificial boundaries, groups and clubs that exclude more than include.
The ego has no independent existence. It springs into existence like a shadow springs into existence when the sun rises. Similarly, when the sun of soul or atma rises in a human being, the ego comes into being.
The ego needs a plane or screen where it can be projected. In a human being, that screen is the mind.
Thus, when atma or soul expresses life, a thing called mind takes shape where a shadow called the ego is projected.
A human being, can project itself as a small shadow or a big shadow. However, whatever it projects is false because the existence of the ego is totally dependent on the source of life. It has no independent existence.
Now, the magic that happens is, when one allows himself a limited identity, a body and mind, for example, a mere limited being like any animal, for instance, his interest is largely in survival…to somehow survive. If that survival is threatened, he needs to do anything within his ability to help in his survival. The greater the sense of threat, inadequacy etc the bigger his projection of his ego…notice, for example, how many animals puff themselves up and try to appear bigger so that their attacker may somehow be warned or dissuaded from attacking.
Just as an animal puffs himself up and tries to appear bigger, the human, so used to sophisticated mind games, shows himself bigger by projecting himself as one more than he really is.
It’s, basically, merely a means to survive.
The same thing happens with all his identities because he is so heavily invested in them mentally and emotionally.
Each identity of his that feels threatened needs to be projected as being big on the screen of his mind.
The smaller a man feels, the bigger he projects his ego. The more one identifies himself with things like the body, mind, emotions, beliefs, thinking, group, religion, nationality, gender and so on the more he ties himself and limits himself, feels threatened or inadequate and thus becomes reactive, violent etc.
However, the more one breaks out of this limiting mindset and beliefs, the more his real self includes and therefore, expands in that sense. When his self is more inclusive, he feels relatively less threatened and therefore the need to project himself as bigger diminishes and disappears. Thus, his ego seems to reduce.
Thus, notice how the bigger one’s (real) self, the smaller is his ego…and vice-versa…the smaller one’s real self, the bigger his ego!
Notice how almost in all cultures they consider humility as an important characteristic. The reason is simple, one who is truly big inside comes across as humble because he sees reality more clearly, knows himself better and feels no need to project himself as bigger than he might appear. He is not threatened and he has no need to project himself as anything to help with his survival.
He is not threatened easily nor is he overly concerned about survival at any level. But one with a small reality (real self) needs to work harder to survive. Therefore, the paradox of the big ego and small self is born,
When we allow our limiting beliefs, thoughts and identities to dissolve, we suddenly have a bigger reality because we become more inclusive.
This whole ‘game’ is beautifully played out in the human being where, those stuck in lower chakras need and therefore, often project bigger egos and those moving towards higher chakras neither need not project too much.
They are usually as they are – authentic.
– rajyogi (rajesh kanoi)
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