Why so Much Ego? What's there to be so proud about?

The following quote inspired me to write this:
Adi Granth: "God is like sugar dropped in the sand, difficult for an elephant to pick up. Kabir says, 'The Guru enabled me to understand this great mystery: Only an ant can eat it.'"

Ask the Ego, What have you got that you are so proud about?
I see it all the time, a "sense of air about oneself". What is it that makes you so proud:
- Is it the million dollars in your bank account?
- Is it that high flying management job of yours, or that PHD?
- Is it the loud prayers that you perform in front of everyone in church?
- Is it that great social circle that you have?

Well, the truth is that this does not make you a better person than anyone else. At the end of the day you have to go the same way as everyone else, with absolutely nothing!

What separates people is only their mental conditioning, that is carried from life to life, and also determines the form of next life. Nature is just, it gives the form that is according to the desires of the person.

Back to the question what are you so proud about?
Anything that is given, can also be taken away. The good health that you have today is no promise of good health in 10 years time. Death does not wait for anyone's invitation, it can happen to anyone, anytime!

The "I" has it place, it is a survival instinct, but not will not give you any permanent gratification or self realization. It is a tool to keep you safe, away from harm, and is about protecting your basic survival needs (food, shelter etc), and thats about it. It is also an automatic formation of the lack of spiritual connection to the larger truth.

Where there is me, there can be no us. Where I am the center of the universe, only I can be superior no-one else. Only when there is no I, can I be open to something greater.

Suffering serves to make us humble, so does seva, both teach us humility. For only in humility can we empty our cup to be receptive of grace.

Thus humility is precious, boasting about oneself, even spiritual experiences is self-defeating, self-deceiving and is also a total waste of time and precious energy. So the next time you want to blow your own trumpet think: Do I really have something to be proud about?

Peace, Love & Happiness,

Kirpal

This work by Kirpal Chauhan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.