Ego is often referred to as “the false self” and when I speak of ego, I’m not just talking about pride or expressions of inflated self-esteem. I’m speaking of all the ways of being that we get drawn into when we express ourselves as anything other than our true loving light.
Since ego is the false self, what other than illusion does it have to offer? I have often said that ego LOVES to be entertained – even if it’s entertained by being bored. Boredom too is ego. Ego uses entertainment to keep us diverted from our paths of spiritual growth. In this case, “entertainment” isn’t merely going to movies or playing games. Entertainment for the ego is the drama of any emotion: anger, jealousy, rage, betrayal, pride, competition, self-righteousness, sarcasm, depression, despair, confusion, and most of all, fear.
Diversion, magic, or illusion are ego’s greatest pleasures for these things keep it entertained as well as keep us focused away from our spiritual growth. Growth means “death” or an end to the ego. And, since justifying its existence is ego’s sole reason for existence, it will use any and every method of diversion to keep us feeding it as well as feeding off of it. It’s a two-way street. We supply it with the energy that it uses to keep us entertained. It is our entertainment which supplies ego with its energy.
Nonetheless, I went for some entertainment recently and watched the movie, “The Incredible Hulk” (the re-make starring Edward Norton). Ever since the movie was released (some time last summer), I have steadfastly refused to watch it, believing that it was nothing more inspiring than the original television series starring Bill Bixby (as “Bruce”) and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. Basically, every time Bruce got angry, he turned into a raging monster and destroyed things.
A number of friends assured me that in the re-made movie, this wasn’t the case. Mild-mannered Bruce practices Zen meditation to help him control his anger. I was all for this approach, as I often recommend meditation on the inner self and contemplating infinity and the wisdom of the All found in the eternity of “nothing.” It’s called “Dharma” by some, yin/yang by others, Zen, Tao, the “Ohmm” of mantra…you name it.
True, Bruce in the movie did practice Zen. His Zen master (teacher) made the comment that controlling one’s body was the key to controlling one’s anger. He even did some impressive displays for the camera to show how well he could control his body, breathing, and diaphragm. However, I have to ask, is inner peace all about how well you can control your anger or fear?
No. It is not.
Inner peace is all about not having anger or fear to control in the first place. But, ego LOVES to be entertained. Anger and fear are its greatest sources of entertainment. As long as you believe that peace is about control, ego will keep providing you fear and anger to control. You’ll eventually become a master of control but never a master of peace. When you’re focused through ego, you can only see a false reality.
How many problems are you currently facing in your life, or how many people do you see who face challenge after challenge, overcoming one only to face another? Existence from problem to problem is a mark of addiction to drama. It is ego’s entertainment. All things exist as energies, and at their core, all energies are the same. It is only our perceptions of them that make them appear as they are to us. When you encounter a challenge, whatever you perceive it to be, it is nothing more than your non-acceptance of what that energy is at its core.
By “acceptance,” I don’t mean taking what’s handed to you or settling for only what you can obtain. That’s acquiescence, and acquiescence is never acceptance. It’s victim hood. As long as you perceive any energy (feeling or emotion) as originating from outside of yourself, you’re not recognizing your power as the Creator of it, and being responsible for it. It is ego, however, that wants you to view it as externally generated, for as long as you view yourself as striving for something, you won’t view yourself as already having or being. This includes things like inner peace, harmony, balance, enlightenment, and love.
You’ve been shown this principle in action many times throughout your lives. How often have you looked back on an event that transpired, that you once viewed as a problem, only to realize that if it hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t be in the “better” place where you are today? You came to see that your challenge was merely an opportunity; an opportunity for change or resolution or advancement. You then had a sudden clarity of vision and acceptance for the event and its energies. With this clarity and acceptance, you discovered peace.
Peace is in the acceptance of all energies and their possibilities, not about controlling them. It’s only when we try to control things that the appearance of another energy seems like an intrusion or problem. Contrary to what ego wants you to perceive, control isn’t about power. It’s about non-acceptance. Non-acceptance creates blockage to spiritual growth. Blockage empowers ego. Ego creates illusion for its own advancement. The more it advances or grows, the more adept it becomes at creating illusion.
Strive for clarity of vision. With clarity come changes in perspective and perception. These changes allow greater acceptance. Acceptance is peace. Ego and its illusions fade.
Since ego is the false self, what other than illusion does it have to offer? I have often said that ego LOVES to be entertained – even if it’s entertained by being bored. Boredom too is ego. Ego uses entertainment to keep us diverted from our paths of spiritual growth. In this case, “entertainment” isn’t merely going to movies or playing games. Entertainment for the ego is the drama of any emotion: anger, jealousy, rage, betrayal, pride, competition, self-righteousness, sarcasm, depression, despair, confusion, and most of all, fear.
Diversion, magic, or illusion are ego’s greatest pleasures for these things keep it entertained as well as keep us focused away from our spiritual growth. Growth means “death” or an end to the ego. And, since justifying its existence is ego’s sole reason for existence, it will use any and every method of diversion to keep us feeding it as well as feeding off of it. It’s a two-way street. We supply it with the energy that it uses to keep us entertained. It is our entertainment which supplies ego with its energy.
Nonetheless, I went for some entertainment recently and watched the movie, “The Incredible Hulk” (the re-make starring Edward Norton). Ever since the movie was released (some time last summer), I have steadfastly refused to watch it, believing that it was nothing more inspiring than the original television series starring Bill Bixby (as “Bruce”) and Lou Ferrigno as the Hulk. Basically, every time Bruce got angry, he turned into a raging monster and destroyed things.
A number of friends assured me that in the re-made movie, this wasn’t the case. Mild-mannered Bruce practices Zen meditation to help him control his anger. I was all for this approach, as I often recommend meditation on the inner self and contemplating infinity and the wisdom of the All found in the eternity of “nothing.” It’s called “Dharma” by some, yin/yang by others, Zen, Tao, the “Ohmm” of mantra…you name it.
True, Bruce in the movie did practice Zen. His Zen master (teacher) made the comment that controlling one’s body was the key to controlling one’s anger. He even did some impressive displays for the camera to show how well he could control his body, breathing, and diaphragm. However, I have to ask, is inner peace all about how well you can control your anger or fear?
No. It is not.
Inner peace is all about not having anger or fear to control in the first place. But, ego LOVES to be entertained. Anger and fear are its greatest sources of entertainment. As long as you believe that peace is about control, ego will keep providing you fear and anger to control. You’ll eventually become a master of control but never a master of peace. When you’re focused through ego, you can only see a false reality.
How many problems are you currently facing in your life, or how many people do you see who face challenge after challenge, overcoming one only to face another? Existence from problem to problem is a mark of addiction to drama. It is ego’s entertainment. All things exist as energies, and at their core, all energies are the same. It is only our perceptions of them that make them appear as they are to us. When you encounter a challenge, whatever you perceive it to be, it is nothing more than your non-acceptance of what that energy is at its core.
By “acceptance,” I don’t mean taking what’s handed to you or settling for only what you can obtain. That’s acquiescence, and acquiescence is never acceptance. It’s victim hood. As long as you perceive any energy (feeling or emotion) as originating from outside of yourself, you’re not recognizing your power as the Creator of it, and being responsible for it. It is ego, however, that wants you to view it as externally generated, for as long as you view yourself as striving for something, you won’t view yourself as already having or being. This includes things like inner peace, harmony, balance, enlightenment, and love.
You’ve been shown this principle in action many times throughout your lives. How often have you looked back on an event that transpired, that you once viewed as a problem, only to realize that if it hadn’t happened, you wouldn’t be in the “better” place where you are today? You came to see that your challenge was merely an opportunity; an opportunity for change or resolution or advancement. You then had a sudden clarity of vision and acceptance for the event and its energies. With this clarity and acceptance, you discovered peace.
Peace is in the acceptance of all energies and their possibilities, not about controlling them. It’s only when we try to control things that the appearance of another energy seems like an intrusion or problem. Contrary to what ego wants you to perceive, control isn’t about power. It’s about non-acceptance. Non-acceptance creates blockage to spiritual growth. Blockage empowers ego. Ego creates illusion for its own advancement. The more it advances or grows, the more adept it becomes at creating illusion.
Strive for clarity of vision. With clarity come changes in perspective and perception. These changes allow greater acceptance. Acceptance is peace. Ego and its illusions fade.
