Thank you Fatima for the meditation (I haven’t listened yet).
“Truth is simple, the seeker is complex.”
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Really good point to get clear about ego;
I agree with Frida to not demonize ego…
but to be clear about what ego is?
Do we only trip over words?
Wars have been fought over beliefs, concepts, words…
I spent decades entertaining unhappiness simply because of some minor misunderstandings; seemingly unable to see how faulty thinking creates guilt, shame, pride, worry, anxiety and attachment.
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Allow me to share some word sausages.
Preferably practical and simple;
not to produce myself as someone who knows,
but the precious opportunity of practicing the use of words, to question my own thinking and feeling…
This here is just as a draft, your feedback is very much appreciated:
“Person” is the conditioned body-mind (a biological machine).
“Ego” is the sense of “me” being a personal doer, a seemingly autonomous entity.
Not to deny that doing happens, that decisions are being made, but to playfully inquire into the nature of reality, to politely remove misconceptions in myself…
“I am” – not a machine – but the presence of awareness.
I am aware of body-mind-world, but I myself am not limited to body-mind-world.
The sense of personal doership is a sense, a gift, to not feel like a robot.
Conditioning is important for areas like food, shelter, clothing, relationships… being able to use words, to share resources wisely, to be guided preferably by love, not fear.
Each interaction changes our conditioning ⛱
Tangent: the world seems to be in a mess due to a misguided sense of self.
Because we identify as “I am body-mind”, we have the tendency, the hunger to be aggrandized and the fear of being diminished.
We were conditioned into the sense of being personal doers and assumed that we need to strive for pleasure and defend against pain;
I naturally prefer pleasure over pain, it’s hardwired.
But once we see behind the curtain we stop defending illusions…
Spiritual awakening has nothing to do with super powers or never-ending orgasms; on the outside very little might change.
Awakening is not an achievement, not an accomplishment, but the end of suffering; the removal of misconceptions… a laying bare of our natural being.
Tangent: I find it very helpful to entangle mind into
– working-mind: being practical, knowing how to operate in life.
– thinking-mind: the suffering, believing the story of “me” as an independent entity.
Relaxing the deeply ingrained sense of “me” as a personal doer might stir up some fear, might make us bump into a thin layer of doubt or horror; paper tigers that most people hesitate to bravely examine.
Spirituality is not about improving our person, but to recognize awareness itself as our true nature and source; not through belief but inquiry and experiencing.
God is Love.
Not as a lullaby or pain-killer for the person, but as a pointer to reality, an invitation to relax our investment in a “me” that lives only in the bubble of thinking/feeling and muscle-memory.
Thank you thank you for reading so far.
I better stop to not sound too crazy… 😜
It is not about believing what is being shared, but to think for ourself, to be guided by stillness; embracing and practicing the gift of mind and speech – maybe our greatest gift.
Thank you for this opportunity; it’s all still a little messy… all words are concessions.
Please proof me wrong, raise your doubts; it is a win-win.
Peace,
Holger
