your ego is you

[wolfgang]

That's right. Your ego is you. Nothing else is you.

Any identification of a self is the ego defining itself.

There is a you everywhere and you can make it your mental body or you persona or your community or the world or god (as blasphemy). But it's still an ego defining itself at some level.

To not operate from the ego, is to not have a self that needs defining. That's what is non-ego based being. Otherwise, it's just more ego somewhere setting itself up as a definition of you.

[drama07]

The ego is not you. But you cannot dissolve the ego. Its a rare to do so. So what can you do then? Align the ego to your true nature (awareness). That is all. Let it do whatever it has to. It aint you.

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by wolfgang

That's right. Your ego is you. Nothing else is you.

Any identification of a self is the ego defining itself.

There is a you everywhere and you can make it your mental body or you persona or your community or the world or god (as blasphemy). But it's still an ego defining itself at some level.

To not operate from the ego, is to not have a self that needs defining. That's what is non-ego based being. Otherwise, it's just more ego somewhere setting itself up as a definition of you.

Egos do not exist. There is no such thing as an ego. It is a concept. The truth is it is all you and no ego. It may be that we incorrectly define ourselves but aren't you defining self as ego here? Ego defining self as ego?

[TiffyLove]

I disagree with that statement.

The description of the ego is based on our personality and our mind. We are neither.

We are spiritual beings, energy.

However if we were capable of completely getting rid of or dissolving our ego's we would just become pure energy at its simplest form (part of everything else). IMO

[vMike]

define ego first..

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by vMike

define ego first..

It was in the O.P..............

Your ego is you.

[vMike]

Originally Posted by Maguru

It was in the O.P..............

that's not the definition, it's the post's idea, claim.. at least the way I understand it.

[Xanafax]

Originally Posted by TiffyLove

I disagree with that statement.

The description of the ego is based on our personality and our mind. We are neither.

We are spiritual beings, energy.

However if we were capable of completely getting rid of or dissolving our ego's we would just become pure energy at its simplest form (part of everything else). IMO

We are energy. But its not spiritual. It's Biochemical.

We ARE ego and I applaud the recent surge in acknowledgement of this fact on this board which had the disturbing signs of slipping into the typical self-righteous miasma of self-deluded fools.

The Ego is us, it is our personality, it is our thoughts, it's a wonderfully useful thing. To deny it is to say "I deny life", to accept there is no Ego, is to accept that you cannot interface with reality in anyway.

[magic1]

our ego is interesting to watch....especially when you feel yourself as so much more...for myself, its like two worlds....I operate from ego alot to actually engage in this life with others...if I came from anything else..Id have no mates!

[SimonaRich]

such threads always gain many replies but they never get anywhere so I will just keep an eye on it for fun

[Parthon]

Heh. Lots of interesting replies. Think about this: Your view on the ego is a great definer on how you interface with life. How you see the ego, or lack thereof, is a reflection on how you see life.

As for myself: I have an awareness that is not a part of my ego. It's outside of my thoughts, feelings and personality. I have a connection through this awareness to something else outside me, which I experience as an energetic whole. I also have that which is me, my body, feelings, thoughts, and memories. That's my ego. My ego is what makes me what I am as distinct from everyone else.

My awareness without my ego can do nothing. The ego is needed in order to impact the world. Ego without awareness is misguided and devolves into an animal that's just out for survival. It's also an animal with far too much control, far too little wisdom and constantly makes bad choices. My ego is my best friend, for without him I am useless. But it's a poor master and needs to be trained, and often.

wolfgang: you are right, people don't need defining, they just are.

Maguru: If there is no ego, then how are so many people experiencing and overcoming it?

Xanafax: true too. We are the ego, but that's not all we are, but it's what identifies us, creates us as an I instead of as a we and elevates us from awareness into action. We can't deny the ego, but we also can't deny there is more than just the ego.

[lasti]

Originally Posted by Xanafax

We are energy. But its not spiritual. It's Biochemical.

Why can't it be both?

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by Parthon

Heh. Lots of interesting replies. Think about this: Your view on the ego is a great definer on how you interface with life. How you see the ego, or lack thereof, is a reflection on how you see life.

Posssibly.

As for myself: I have an awareness that is not a part of my ego. It's outside of my thoughts, feelings and personality. I have a connection through this awareness to something else outside me, which I experience as an energetic whole. I also have that which is me, my body, feelings, thoughts, and memories. That's my ego. My ego is what makes me what I am as distinct from everyone else.

I understand in your case you are distinguishing yourself between an 'energetic whole' and a 'human being'. Why would you call it ego instead instead of just 'me'? The 'me' that is your body, feelings, thoughts and memories. What makes you an ego?

My awareness without my ego can do nothing. The ego is needed in order to impact the world. Ego without awareness is misguided and devolves into an animal that's just out for survival. It's also an animal with far too much control, far too little wisdom and constantly makes bad choices.

My ego is my best friend, for without him I am useless. But it's a poor master and needs to be trained, and often.

You have a poor opinion of yourself/best friend. Obviously, you are not integrated and the concept of 'ego' can work very well in accomplishing this.

wolfgang: you are right, people don't need defining, they just are.

Maguru: If there is no ego, then how are so many people experiencing and overcoming it?

It is just a 'label' for self. It is a concept constructed by the mind and basically, we are overcoming ourselves. The belief of 'ego' being separate actually blocks the integration of self. The inner conflict will continue until 'ego self' is fully accepted by 'aware self'.
Thankyou Parthon. I enjoy your self-expression and your questions allow others to express theirs. Regards

[spacedout]

Okay, here's my two cents worth.
The ego is merely a concept in the mind that makes you feel separate from others and makes you compare yourself to others. The ego is a product of the thinking mind. You cannot get rid of the ego but you can transcend it. People like to feel good about them selves, and that's where the ego comes in.
Who are you? The word you refers to a person with characteristics born from both genetics and environment (nature & nurture). It is who you think you are; the image in the mirror, your sex, your color, likes, dislikes, age, weight, etc. - all of those things that make you. . .you. When you think that your characteristcs are either better or worse than someone else's characteristics, then that's the ego expressing itself.
When you recognize the ego as simply an attachement to your values and feelings, you can then transcend it. To transcend the ego doesn't mean to get rid of it - it means to see it for what it is, an illusion, a manifestation of the mind. This is why knowing the self is so important. The knowledge of one's own identity releases the ego from the self. Your ability to recognize the ego for what is actually is depends on how far you are willing to go in developing awareness.

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by spacedout

Okay, here's my two cents worth.
The ego is merely a concept in the mind that makes you feel separate from others and makes you compare yourself to others. The ego is a product of the thinking mind.

The mind produced the concept but the ego itself does not exist.

You cannot get rid of the ego but you can transcend it. People like to feel good about them selves, and that's where the ego comes in.

It's all you. The ego doesn't want to feel good about itself, we all do. The concept is merely to bring awareness of you wanting to feel good about yourself.

Who are you? The word you refers to a person with characteristics born from both genetics and environment (nature & nurture). It is who you think you are; the image in the mirror, your sex, your color, likes, dislikes, age, weight, etc. - all of those things that make you. . .you. When you think that your characteristcs are either better or worse than someone else's characteristics, then that's the ego expressing itself.
When you recognize the ego as simply an attachement to your values and feelings, you can then transcend it.

As it's all a product of the mind, the mind can change it.

To transcend the ego doesn't mean to get rid of it - it means to see it for what it is, an illusion, a manifestation of the mind. This is why knowing the self is so important. The knowledge of one's own identity releases the ego from the self. Your ability to recognize the ego for what is actually is depends on how far you are willing to go in developing awareness.

Well worth the two cents. The concept is invaluable in developing self-awareness. Regards

[Parthon]

Originally Posted by Maguru

Posssibly.

I understand in your case you are distinguishing yourself between an 'energetic whole' and a 'human being'. Why would you call it ego instead instead of just 'me'? The 'me' that is your body, feelings, thoughts and memories. What makes you an ego?

You have a poor opinion of yourself/best friend. Obviously, you are not integrated and the concept of 'ego' can work very well in accomplishing this.

It is just a 'label' for self. It is a concept constructed by the mind and basically, we are overcoming ourselves. The belief of 'ego' being separate actually blocks the integration of self. The inner conflict will continue until 'ego self' is fully accepted by 'aware self'.

Thankyou Parthon. I enjoy your self-expression and your questions allow others to express theirs. Regards

Thanks to you too Maguru. Your insights help others, including me, see where their beliefs could be more integrated, more whole.

You are right, it's just a label. The reason why I label 'me' as 'ego' is because it gives me more power. I have a multitude of opinions, feelings and thoughts that often don't serve who I want to be. In recognising the duality of my nature, between my awareness and my self, I can overcome the negative thoughts and focus on rising above them. The me that is my body, thoughts, feelings and memory is really what seperates me from the billions of other souls on the planet, but my higher connection proves that we are all one as well.

There is sometimes conflict, but it's always resolved, and almost always in a very positive fashion. My ego is definately not seperate, but it's not all that I am. My ego is me, but it's not all that is me. For myself, it's not a case of overcoming my indivituality, but embracing it and making it work for me instead of against me.

About being integrated: Wow, I didn't see that before. I'm those two parts of me are really not integrated together. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing though.

In the end, simply, I call the human side of me the 'ego' so I can more easily ignore it's silly suggestions.

[Strem2]

Originally Posted by wolfgang

That's right. Your ego is you. Nothing else is you.

Any identification of a self is the ego defining itself.

There is a you everywhere and you can make it your mental body or you persona or your community or the world or god (as blasphemy). But it's still an ego defining itself at some level.

To not operate from the ego, is to not have a self that needs defining. That's what is non-ego based being. Otherwise, it's just more ego somewhere setting itself up as a definition of you.

If you separate a plant from its roots, and put it in water, it dies. It still has sunlight. It still has leaves, and the ability to process sunlight and CO2. Yet, it dies. What is that?

We are connected to Source energy as our roots.

You can say that we aren't, as the ego states so vehemently, but it doesn't make it so. We created the ego. Source created us. When we are in present time, quiet, by ourselves, it is possible to view our selves from our true self. As soon as your mind drifts into past thoughts, or future fears or hopes, that is ego.

It's hard to get around it, but possible. Keep working on it.

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by Parthon

Thanks to you too Maguru. Your insights help others, including me, see where their beliefs could be more integrated, more whole.

You are right, it's just a label. The reason why I label 'me' as 'ego' is because it gives me more power. I have a multitude of opinions, feelings and thoughts that often don't serve who I want to be. In recognising the duality of my nature, between my awareness and my self, I can overcome the negative thoughts and focus on rising above them. The me that is my body, thoughts, feelings and memory is really what seperates me from the billions of other souls on the planet, but my higher connection proves that we are all one as well.

There is sometimes conflict, but it's always resolved, and almost always in a very positive fashion. My ego is definately not seperate, but it's not all that I am. My ego is me, but it's not all that is me. For myself, it's not a case of overcoming my indivituality, but embracing it and making it work for me instead of against me.

About being integrated: Wow, I didn't see that before. I'm those two parts of me are really not integrated together. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing though.

In the end, simply, I call the human side of me the 'ego' so I can more easily ignore it's silly suggestions.

I think we are many more than two parts and awareness of those parts is the first step to integration i.e becoming whole. I know I have been in this process for quite some time. I saw myself as having a fragmented 'ego'. Breaking down all over the place but of course, it was all me. I couldn't say I am whole but a whole lot better than I was. The "I" in my case being my presence of mind, has been the only constant throughout. This "I" is coming through, as though I am becoming a grown-up me. It may be the 'whole' me. I have no idea and that's is how I like it.

Regards

[Angela]

Hey, Maguru, you might want to look into consulting with an NLP practitioner on this matter -- there's a technique called "parts integration" that is incredibly moving and beautiful, and can really help with feeling whole. You can see examples of it on youtube. Just an idea -- couldn't hurt! (p.s... you don't have to tell your practitioner your whole story, like you would in traditional therapy, and you don't have to revisit old pain.)

[Maguru]

Originally Posted by Angela

Hey, Maguru, you might want to look into consulting with an NLP practitioner on this matter -- there's a technique called "parts integration" that is incredibly moving and beautiful, and can really help with feeling whole. You can see examples of it on youtube. Just an idea -- couldn't hurt! (p.s... you don't have to tell your practitioner your whole story, like you would in traditional therapy, and you don't have to revisit old pain.)

Well thanks Angela. I'll have a look for sure.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by drama07

The ego is not you. But you cannot dissolve the ego. Its a rare to do so. So what can you do then? Align the ego to your true nature (awareness). That is all. Let it do whatever it has to. It aint you.

If the ego is not you, what is you? Now go about defining something that you are and you are making a self, which is ego or a sense of self.

There is no alignment needed. Whatever you do within some ego concept to be in alignment or not alignment is still thinking in duality terms. Again, duality is a ego function. Your ego can never be aligned to this awareness because that absolute awareness is not a personal "me" state. One can have peak experiences, or religious/big a-ha moments - which is the ego getting as close as possible to not being separate. But to have those experiences requires your point of view (ego self). There is no way to be aware and also have a sense of self, it is not a personal state of being.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by TiffyLove

I disagree with that statement.

The description of the ego is based on our personality and our mind. We are neither.

We are spiritual beings, energy.

These other levels of individuality are just more carrying on about holding onto a sense of a separate self. We aren't this you - but you are this other you??? that is just another version of a greater identity but not awareness/god really.

However if we were capable of completely getting rid of or dissolving our ego's we would just become pure energy at its simplest form (part of everything else). IMO

Then you see or feel something that I do. It's not something that gets to have an identity. perhaps.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by vMike

define ego first..

like the next post says - you are your ego. I also am addressing whatever separateness is or what a 'sense of a self' is.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by vMike

that's not the definition, it's the post's idea, claim.. at least the way I understand it.

I am not trying to define ego. I'm trying to address what our separate self is in relation to god or awareness. Anything that defines a "you" is going to include some sort of separateness that I say is a sense of self (which is ego, btw).

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Xanafax

We are energy. But its not spiritual. It's Biochemical.

We ARE ego and I applaud the recent surge in acknowledgement of this fact on this board which had the disturbing signs of slipping into the typical self-righteous miasma of self-deluded fools.

The Ego is us, it is our personality, it is our thoughts, it's a wonderfully useful thing. To deny it is to say "I deny life", to accept there is no Ego, is to accept that you cannot interface with reality in anyway.

Supposedly there is a true nature that doesn't have a self running around. We are all destined to realize there is not a separate self. Meanwhile we define a self as something that has a boundary that makes yourself identifiable. In the true nature of being there is not a self to make an identity - no ego is there. It (awareness) doesn't deny our egos, it wakes up and sees all as one - everyone at the the same instant awake as one unit in harmony - no matter what our sense of individual self thinks.

We can think ourselves into existing as spiritual being or energy beings - but that is just another version of making a self of some kind. In oneness or god there is not a personal individual that is making others separate (ego).

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by magic1

our ego is interesting to watch....especially when you feel yourself as so much more...for myself, its like two worlds....I operate from ego alot to actually engage in this life with others...if I came from anything else..Id have no mates!

the thing that watches is also making a separate thing, even more so. to pretend we are the watcher separate from the ego is another way of creating a boundary. To keep trying to make our identity somewhere (I am the watcher) is more ego defining of a self. It would seem all that comes together - the watcher needs that which is watched to even be able to watch - it is never separate, that is the illusion drilled into our heads. Maybe being the watcher helps us psychologically to not continue our drama ridden behaviors - but it doesn't bring us into true nature of being.

[drama07]

Originally Posted by wolfgang

If the ego is not you, what is you? Now go about defining something that you are and you are making a self, which is ego or a sense of self.

There is no alignment needed. Whatever you do within some ego concept to be in alignment or not alignment is still thinking in duality terms. Again, duality is a ego function. Your ego can never be aligned to this awareness because that absolute awareness is not a personal "me" state. One can have peak experiences, or religious/big a-ha moments - which is the ego getting as close as possible to not being separate. But to have those experiences requires your point of view (ego self). There is no way to be aware and also have a sense of self, it is not a personal state of being.

Disclaimer: All what I am about to say is from my own egoic understanding. I do not speak from truth because I havent realized the truth yet.

I am life itself. Below (or within) that is the awareness and body-mind and its world. The awareness and body-mind are both one within the life I am. Therefore I am everything, but I must first know I am nothing.

To realize my 'absolute' true nature, I must first realize that 'I am'. To realize 'I am' the ego(you) must have all attention on 'I am'. This is basically egoic awareness watching true awareness. The ego must align to 'I am' in order for you to realize you're not the ego, but the witness of it. Once you realize, whatever you say&do is ego, but you know you arent the ego. Self-realization through ego, however, is not the end.

This is obviously ego conceptations. But how else can it be explained? For explanation sake, we have to label a self. And that self is the absolute beyond being the awareness and body-mind, but first that self needs to be awareness in order to go beyond that.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Parthon

Heh. Lots of interesting replies. Think about this: Your view on the ego is a great definer on how you interface with life. How you see the ego, or lack thereof, is a reflection on how you see life.

The only way to see the ego is with more ego. Interfacing with life seems to require a "you" - but maybe not. We are just conditioned to think we need to believe we are separate - even at levels of having a soul that carrys on after we die!

As for myself: I have an awareness that is not a part of my ego. It's outside of my thoughts, feelings and personality. I have a connection through this awareness to something else outside me, which I experience as an energetic whole. I also have that which is me, my body, feelings, thoughts, and memories. That's my ego. My ego is what makes me what I am as distinct from everyone else.

If you have a statement like "I experience..." that is ego reflecting on thinking about a state of wholeness. To have to say "I am connected" also.

My awareness without my ego can do nothing. The ego is needed in order to impact the world. Ego without awareness is misguided and devolves into an animal that's just out for survival. It's also an animal with far too much control, far too little wisdom and constantly makes bad choices. My ego is my best friend, for without him I am useless. But it's a poor master and needs to be trained, and often.

I'm not sure if we need a sense of a separate self to carry on. It's a rare state to be in, no sense of self. To be content with thinking about having an ego and being connected with awareness doesn't seem to fit what I'm thinking. Being awake would have no sense of self, nothing to create boundaries. There would probably be some strange feeling if one stays in oneness yet notices all of duality playing out.

wolfgang: you are right, people don't need defining, they just are.

I'm not trying to be right but just being sounds right. We are so conditioned to define a self that spirit or god or oneness doesn't have room to wake up any more.

Maguru: If there is no ego, then how are so many people experiencing and overcoming it?

The ego, supposedly, is a fiction that awake people see as some sort of play running it's coarse. It's not that it is overcome. The ego continues to play out dramas along the way. Being enlightened doesn't guarantee perfect non-ego - it may actually make the ego act up until all reactions can be felt in the moment of being.

Xanafax: true too. We are the ego, but that's not all we are, but it's what identifies us, creates us as an I instead of as a we and elevates us from awareness into action. We can't deny the ego, but we also can't deny there is more than just the ego.

I instead of we - what is a we? Is that not another version of a defined self on a group level?

I'm not sure it's a "more than just the ego" thing. Because that has the feeling of just making a bigger version of a self. Like, I'm not this mental ego, but this other bigger thing that I'll say is "we" - still seems to carry a self identification and drags us back into defining "we" and something else. not very clear, sorry.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by lasti

Why can't it be both?

I don't know what Xanafax would say, but it is both but not awareness, since saying "we are... " is a definition of a self of some kind and as such not awareness or god or the tao or being or oneness, because it's not a personal thing - there's no self in oneness.

[wolfgang]

Originally Posted by Maguru

Posssibly.

I understand in your case you are distinguishing yourself between an 'energetic whole' and a 'human being'. Why would you call it ego instead instead of just 'me'? The 'me' that is your body, feelings, thoughts and memories. What makes you an ego?

ego, you, "me", body, feelings, thoughts, memories - any of that is a place that becomes an identity.

You have a poor opinion of yourself/best friend. Obviously, you are not integrated and the concept of 'ego' can work very well in accomplishing this.

It is just a 'label' for self. It is a concept constructed by the mind and basically, we are overcoming ourselves. The belief of 'ego' being separate actually blocks the integration of self. The inner conflict will continue until 'ego self' is fully accepted by 'aware self'.

I am trying to dispel the idea that there's an aware self - in terms of being or true awareness. "I" can't seem to be awareness other that with some sense of self. Then we read or I have some feelings or brief awakenings (all stated as reflection by my ego claiming to have had a oneness experience) but that's still not really a true spiritual awaking. Trying to become this aware self seems like another thing my ego trys to do.