Ego - An Enemy or a Gift?

Wednesday May 31, 2023

Hello dear reader,

I’m fascinated by the subject of ego, as my experience has shown me that by cultivating awareness of how my ego operates, I suffer less.

I suffer less by recognizing that I am not my thoughts, I am the observing awareness behind my thoughts.

My Inner Critic is an aspect of my ego, and in the first half of this human experience I’m having as a spiritual being — when I was identified with my Inner Critic— I was not even aware of how my Inner Critic would berate me and beat me up. I was just the effect of it.

Now, in the second half of this human experience at the age of 56, now that I have gained the awareness that I am not my thoughts, and I have cultivated the Knower of the Field, or my Inner Divinity to observe my Humanity, my inner experience has transformed. My inner life is now FAR LESS often a battle field or war zone.

Now I get to experience moments of ecstatic surrender to the Divine Beloved. Moments of blissful inner harmony. And this has come from gaining awareness of my ego, but not from demonizing it.

“I am weary of gurus who tell us the ego is bad and must be shamed. In my view, we need a strong and healthy ego to fuel our quest for meaning. 

—Rob Brezsny

This quote shines the light on how essential it is to simply become aware of what transpires in our inner realm.

Not to judge it as good or bad. Not to demonize any part of ourselves, but to simply be aware and understand all the different energies and archetypes within us.

For thousands of years we have been conditioned by the patriarchy to demonize what was not considered “good” through a “Christian” lens. But what if the reality is that this has simply caused internal suffering? (And paradoxically this also requires not demonizing the patriarchy!😉)

What if by gaining awareness of what transpires within — not demonizing any part of ourselves — we significantly lessen our suffering?

Perhaps we simply need to distinguish the healthy, confident ego from the arrogant, unhealthy ego, and the times when it turns into the Inner Critic and we become the effect of a vicious attack.

Perhaps what the world needs now more than ever before are tools to help human beings transform their inner lives and alleviate suffering within. And the truth of my own experience has been that these tools can be found in the perennial wisdom and spiritual principles available in ALL the worlds religions, if we’re mindful of not getting caught in dogma and “rules” and believing that this is the one right way, the only way.

"Ask yourself: Is there joy, ease and lightness in what I am doing?

If there isn't, then time is covering up the present moment,

and life is perceived as a burden or a struggle." 

—Eckhart Tolle

I also want to share one of my favorite prayers:

Please also note: to add to the reading and listening experience of The Rising of the Divine Feminine and the Buddhist Monks Across the Road: A Memoir, I have created audio recordings of the first chapters in Part One and Part Two.

To listen, you may click on each link below and scroll down to the beginning of the chapter.