This is a very interesting concept Steve. I think you've just hit on one of the differences between Judaism and Christianity.
(This is all from my understand, I haven't had years of study of both religions)
Both religions believe that God put a mask between himself and us. God did this because if we saw him, there would not be any free will. If we saw God we would be so drawn to his power, we would just go straight into it. With the mask, we have the choice. Maybe God is there, maybe not. It's for us to discover and believe on our own.
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The Christian way is to abstain from sex, live in a monastery, give up all material belongings, eat simple meals, and detach from the ego by minimizing the mask that God put between himself and us.
This approach will work to some degree. That mask will get smaller as we remove the level of materialism.
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The Jewish view says that God created this mask. God created this world for us to enjoy, filled with identities and egos and material pleasures. We should USE what God has given us. Hook on to it, and let it take us to oneness with God.
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But hey, that's whatever you believe.
This is why I wouldn't compare the words 'War on Ego' 'War on Drugs' and 'War on Terror' together. Drugs and Terror are absolutely no good. No good comes from them. Ego on the other hand has helped us to build bigger buildings, discover new medicines, and bring up society from living like cavemen. Ego is what drives self-improvement in many ways.
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I love the idea of steering your ego in a good direction. That's the way to go.
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In my mind there is contradiction in what you are saying. You say that acting for the good of absolutely everyone is better than acting for the good of the people directly next to you.
I view this differently. I think if we concentrate on the greater good of the people next to us. Much like a cell concentrating it's resources on uplifting the cells directly adjacent to it, rather than spreading it's resources thin (trying to reach the neck from the knee) than we can reach that tipping point faster.
There is always an adjacent cell. All cells have a unique batch of adjacent cells like no other. If we consciously use our energy to reach only those cells that are adjacent and making a REAL breakthrough with them and in return they do the same, and the ones they touch do the same, etc, etc, etc. We will reach the entire world.
To me this seems like a more practical approach. Some people can do more and they should. If you are a hormone secreting cell (or a billionaire) than you have the power to secrete hormones (give out massive economic resources) and affect cells far away (help people all over the world).
Even with this analogy, the hormone secreting cell must concentrate on the cells around him first, because if those cells go bad, the hormone secreting cell alone will die. To say that if the billionaire does not concentrate on the wellness of his dear family first, than the people that give him joy and life energy will not be there to support him. |