Alternatives to Ego Management - Page 2

verklingen · 09-24-2007, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Albert Einstein

"A human being is a part of the whole, called by us 'Universe,' a part
limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts, and
feelings as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion
of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting
us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to
us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our
circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of
nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the
striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a
foundation for inner security."

Word, Albert.

Paranoid Android · 09-24-2007, 12:24 PM

Good thread.

Eckhart Tolle is an excellent author, I've read both the Power of Now and A New Earth. IMO A New Earth is best, but they are both very well written and can be understood easily, (for me at least.)

The best way to try and separate from the Ego is to first realize it's there. Taking slow, deep breaths is a very good start. When you breath shallow you tend to jump to conclusions faster and just not think things out as well as if you were breathing, slow and deep. Oxygen should be regarded as a drug, it is a drug, without it you die. Oxygen is more important than food and water, it is very important. Whenever you "feel" or "see" thoughts come into your field of now, don't grab a hold of them and cling to them. Simply let them arise, and be, but do not put energy into manifesting them further. As soon as you acknowledge these thoughts are even there, that is the next step into enlightenment. Also, don't think of enlightenment as a state you have to be in. That is the ego talking. The ego is very clever, but it cannot stand the light of Being. It cannot stand a host being conscious. The ego will always try and come back, sometimes when you are least expecting it, and that is when you need to bring even more awareness into your life. Awareness + breathing right are in my opinion, the easiest way to try and shed ego away.

Ego is the collective "baggage" that everyone carries with them. You have to realize that everyone is conditioned from the moment they are born to the very moment you are reading this. You are in fact being conditioned right now by your surroundings and even by reading these words. Ego is a defense mechanism I believe. I also believe that we are supposed to have egos, but why? To get rid of them. To realize our true nature, which is that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. Bill Hicks said this in one of his acts. RIP BH.

The universe, "god", the great energy of being, etc, whatever you want to call it is playing a game with itself. It forgets itself and then through ego-dissolvement - it starts to realize it's true nature, that is to say that we are not separate from each other at all. We are all one.

Ego is like a sickness of the mind. If people didn't have such big ego's the world would be a much better place, that's for sure. The day when the majority of people on earth realize this, it will be a global enlightenment that will shape the world into a much better place. That is if we even make it that far, but I have confidence that we will.

DeafTones · 09-24-2007, 12:26 PM

LOL ^ /grins & shakes head. Word Albert

What a unique mind and thought patterns that man possessed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by verklingen

You don't let go of the self image, you let go of your attachment to the self image in favor of an attachment to your surroundings by taking your appropriate place within it. It's integration. It's trust. It's the ultimate therapeutic tool.

I believe we all have experienced this in our childhood, that time of being. Just floatin' 'round in the Kindergarten classroom with all the other kids hangin' out during those first couple weeks of school.

verklingen · 09-24-2007, 12:47 PM

What's key is realizing the ego without letting the ego realize you.

What are you? Who are you? You go about your life directing yourself to act in this way at this place and for these people, and that way at that place and with those people. You judge for yourself what is appropriate for this or that situation and act it out; without even recognizing what you're doing and how you limit yourself and those around you by it; by trying to define appropriateness instead of claiming it.

You do this to make yourself seem better suited for the circumstance, but in the process you deny the fact that you are perfectly suited for specific circumstances: ones you chose! The culprit is the ego, but you supply the energy behind it. Your reality is yours to create, but keep in mind you created your self as part of that reality. . . and that you are co-creating with other selves as part of a collective reality like actors co-creating a play.

"Letting the ego realize you" is powering the ego with a sense of self-determination which blinds yourself to the fact that you do not co-create in a vacuum. An actor can decide to change his part in the middle of a play, but he will throw the entire act into disharmony! Even further still, he cannot force the other actors to change their part. The ego will try to realize a new role if you let it, so first realize the ego -- what it is and how to tame it -- and move on from there. It's hard enough remembering the lines, isn't it?

The Rev · 09-24-2007, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JcP

Amazon.com: A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose: Books: Eckhart Tolle

it's not as woo-woo as I guess his first book was (which I will pick up because I really like how he thinks). It's almost entirely about the ego. It really makes sense to me. If you still have a bad taste in your mouth from the first book of his you read (if I remember correctly), I really do suggest giving this one a second chance.

Yeah, I'm not the huge Tolle fan, but I'll check it out.

Thanks, JcP

The Rev

kamikazi89 · 09-24-2007, 08:57 PM

i try to hang out with friends/ people i admire, when my ego is sky high..grounds me(of course many "exceptional" people produce fantasticly being isolated, for me it's really just a matter of avoiding reality for no real purpose(my 11 yo daughter snaps me out pf it daIly.but it's more fun and challenging with friends due to our common experiences& histories(we all know weed is notorious for this) thats why we are supposed to share

SweetSativa · 09-25-2007, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Rev

It occured to me the other night, as I revelled in the pathetic beauty of a so almost perfect stone, that our lives are almost exclusively devoted to ego management.

Now, what I mean by this is, we have this picture in our mind that we identify with. We say, "that is me" when we look at it. Describe yourself, and you will describe this picture; because, the fact is, any element of this picture can be taken away, and you would still be. And what we do with this picture is confuse it with Truth, and therefore defend it at all costs. "Who are you calling a liar, fucker!?" etc.

I could, of course, go into how stupid it is, but this is not my true point. The thing I'm getting at here is, what alternatives do you have to living to defend the self-IMAGE? For most of us, happiness is about finding a place where that image is totally secure: to be at peace with one's self, for example. What about abandoning the picture? What then?

I've been playing with this thought all day, and I it's some of the most refreshing mental activity I've experienced in awhile. Little things, like treating life like a video game, and approaching it with a "look for the fun" attitude, have been on my mind alot.

Thoughts?

The Rev

I haven't read any other answers/ posts yet. For some reason, stones are often my muse (don't ask... I've no idea). This stone is green and has some creases in each end. It is defined as such. If it did not have the creases/ wrinkles, it would still have the same 'DNA'

but the appearance would be different. It would not be the exact same rock. If we broke one end off, it would then be a piece of the original stone... maybe it would even have a type of 'memory' of the whole... and even before this, when it was part of a larger stone or of the process that created the larger stone. Perhaps a type of 'non-cognitive' on a different level 'affective' type of memory of heat and of changing chemical composition... a 'history'.... maybe even a similar type of 'memory' in regard to each of the elements that created it... and their history... their force and essence. But NOW... it's just a broken stone... and doesn't 'wish' for anything... is just a stone... just IS. And maybe some human child will pick it up and will be completely delighted because the broken edge fits perfectly in his sand sculpture. And the DNA of this child is such in which this child has an aptitude for architecture and this characteristic just IS, within the DNA of what makes this child himself.... it is part of his EGO... and it is a part of his genetic make-up as well. He places the stone within his sculpture while within his mind is a building that he has always known... and that has always fascinated and delighted him. A building that his eyes have 'never?' seen.

Rocks are cool

kamikazi89 · 10-05-2007, 10:40 AM

man i am so far in it's stuck on over drive*aww..whistle in the background:=)

i'll work it out somehow...

everthyings going to be ok(roundtripper

**SageTree** · 05-31-2009, 06:43 AM

bumps a goodie

09-24-2007, 12:24 PM	#22 (permalink)
Paranoid Android Down is the new up. Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: BC, Canada Posts: 2,991 Thanks: 29 Thanked 36 Times in 31 Posts	Good thread. Eckhart Tolle is an excellent author, I've read both the Power of Now and A New Earth. IMO A New Earth is best, but they are both very well written and can be understood easily, (for me at least.) The best way to try and separate from the Ego is to first realize it's there. Taking slow, deep breaths is a very good start. When you breath shallow you tend to jump to conclusions faster and just not think things out as well as if you were breathing, slow and deep. Oxygen should be regarded as a drug, it is a drug, without it you die. Oxygen is more important than food and water, it is very important. Whenever you "feel" or "see" thoughts come into your field of now, don't grab a hold of them and cling to them. Simply let them arise, and be, but do not put energy into manifesting them further. As soon as you acknowledge these thoughts are even there, that is the next step into enlightenment. Also, don't think of enlightenment as a state you have to be in. That is the ego talking. The ego is very clever, but it cannot stand the light of Being. It cannot stand a host being conscious. The ego will always try and come back, sometimes when you are least expecting it, and that is when you need to bring even more awareness into your life. Awareness + breathing right are in my opinion, the easiest way to try and shed ego away. Ego is the collective "baggage" that everyone carries with them. You have to realize that everyone is conditioned from the moment they are born to the very moment you are reading this. You are in fact being conditioned right now by your surroundings and even by reading these words. Ego is a defense mechanism I believe. I also believe that we are supposed to have egos, but why? To get rid of them. To realize our true nature, which is that we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively. Bill Hicks said this in one of his acts. RIP BH. The universe, "god", the great energy of being, etc, whatever you want to call it is playing a game with itself. It forgets itself and then through ego-dissolvement - it starts to realize it's true nature, that is to say that we are not separate from each other at all. We are all one. Ego is like a sickness of the mind. If people didn't have such big ego's the world would be a much better place, that's for sure. The day when the majority of people on earth realize this, it will be a global enlightenment that will shape the world into a much better place. That is if we even make it that far, but I have confidence that we will. __________________ "We're not scaremongering, this is really happening." Last edited by Paranoid Android; 09-24-2007 at 12:28 PM.

09-24-2007, 12:47 PM	#24 (permalink)
verklingen Radical Dreamer Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: texas Posts: 8,005 Thanks: 811 Thanked 1,491 Times in 946 Posts	What's key is realizing the ego without letting the ego realize you. What are you? Who are you? You go about your life directing yourself to act in this way at this place and for these people, and that way at that place and with those people. You judge for yourself what is appropriate for this or that situation and act it out; without even recognizing what you're doing and how you limit yourself and those around you by it; by trying to define appropriateness instead of claiming it. You do this to make yourself seem better suited for the circumstance, but in the process you deny the fact that you are perfectly suited for specific circumstances: ones you chose! The culprit is the ego, but you supply the energy behind it. Your reality is yours to create, but keep in mind you created your self as part of that reality. . . and that you are co-creating with other selves as part of a collective reality like actors co-creating a play. "Letting the ego realize you" is powering the ego with a sense of self-determination which blinds yourself to the fact that you do not co-create in a vacuum. An actor can decide to change his part in the middle of a play, but he will throw the entire act into disharmony! Even further still, he cannot force the other actors to change their part. The ego will try to realize a new role if you let it, so first realize the ego -- what it is and how to tame it -- and move on from there. It's hard enough remembering the lines, isn't it? __________________ “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” rip matt

09-24-2007, 08:57 PM	#26 (permalink)
kamikazi89 devils advocate Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 3,627 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,453 Thanked 862 Times in 647 Posts	i try to hang out with friends/ people i admire, when my ego is sky high..grounds me(of course many "exceptional" people produce fantasticly being isolated, for me it's really just a matter of avoiding reality for no real purpose(my 11 yo daughter snaps me out pf it daIly.but it's more fun and challenging with friends due to our common experiences& histories(we all know weed is notorious for this) thats why we are supposed to share Last edited by kamikazi89; 09-24-2007 at 08:59 PM.

05-31-2009, 06:43 AM	#29 (permalink)
SageTree ~Kalyāṇa-mitrā~ Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: In Love Posts: 23,414 Blog Entries: 26 Thanks: 13,070 Thanked 6,767 Times in 4,664 Posts	bumps a goodie __________________ "What's oppressive is letting your life be confined by old definitions of what everything is." -Zen Meister my_scatterheart YaHooka is.... Cannabis lovers from around the world pulling up a comfy chair, picking up a vaporizer, a bong, a brownie, a pipe, or a joint, getting high, stoned, buzzed or healthy. Uniting our minds in conversation...While Portraying a Positive Image of marijuana and marijuana users to the world. Treat your fellow YaHookans with kindness,respect and tolerance.

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10-05-2007, 10:40 AM	#28 (permalink)
kamikazi89 devils advocate Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 3,627 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 1,453 Thanked 862 Times in 647 Posts	man i am so far in it's stuck on over drive*aww..whistle in the background:=) i'll work it out somehow... everthyings going to be ok(roundtripper

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