The spirit, the true eternal identity of all of us, in its infancy, our present level, has the ego estranged from the soul as if we were split in two. On the one hand, the ego is bent on material conquests and sensory pleasures, applause and social glitter. On the other hand, the soul rejoices in the victories of feelings over instincts, in the overcoming of difficulties, in the transmutation of one's own shadows in light. The ego wants recognition from the world; the soul wants the best of itself to emerge for the world. The ego is linked to the passions; the soul to love.
The ego is in the realm of the self; the soul thinks of us. On the path of self-improvement, the Way imposes choices on us. With the self divided in two, choices create internal conflicts. These conflicts create an imbalance at all levels of the organization. We have to align the ego with the soul, in the sense that the ego's desires are in harmony with the soul's quests.
In the same way, we have to work on the "I" without forgetting the "we", since the opposite is also true. In other words, taking care of the world without forgetting about oneself. They are parts of the same art; thus the being becomes one, is freed from worldly anxieties, knows fulfillment and peace.
Is it necessary to annihilate the ego?
The ego is very important, it is only necessary to educate it, because it offers exercises to strengthen the soul; they are the exact stages of the overcoming of the self. Although in its initial state the ego is more related to appearance than to essence, by worrying about the body and physical well-being, which is fundamental to sustain life, we need the ego's interest in the mundane to manifest the sacred that dwells in the soul, not to suppress the one for the other but to harmonize the two. For the good walker, every material difficulty, necessary to move forward, ends up strengthening the emotional, mental and spiritual aspects.
Struggles, doubts, conflicts, problems and anxieties are important to unearth the perception of oneself, still latent in the depths of the self. By understanding himself, the individual gains the wisdom of the world, enhances his gift and discovers the magic of virtues; love flourishes.
The ego, in its primary state, is very sensitive to the shadows of envy, pride, vanity, resentment, greed, and jealousy. These are terrible prisons without bars. The first step in the journey towards liberation of the self is to accept the shadows and then transform them into light. Thus, life becomes perfect through imperfections.
Is it selfish to think more of myself to the detriment of others?
Certainly not. Each one is responsible for the source of his own life and must see to it that it never dries up. To quench the thirst of others with the water that springs from within oneself makes us sacred, but to think that it is the obligation of the other to allow us to drink from his fountain is the root of conflicts. What is the main lesson of the Sermon on the Mount: 'Love our neighbor as ourselves'
If you do not love yourself, you will not be able to love anyone. How will it be possible to feed the other if we do not carry bread in our luggage? How can we give what we do not possess? We have to put our soul to show the ego the joy of sowing the fields of the world and supplying the granary of the heart; to gather the wheat, transform it into bread, eat the bread and share it with others. We can only share what we have. And what we have, in truth, is only what we have already succeeded in sharing. This is the only true heritage. However, the real need of the other may sometimes not be exactly what they ask for; therefore there is a yes and a no.
Facing the problem through the eyes of the other person does not mean giving him exactly what he wants. In addition to love and generosity, one must have wisdom and common sense; powerful virtues that complement each other. They will give you the exact measure of whether the other person, at that moment, needs to be carried or encouraged to walk on his or her own legs. There are times to do one thing and times to do another. There is a difference between feeding a weak person and raising a weak person; the boundary is tenuous.
It is the force of the ego that moves us towards material conquests, as it is related to questions of appearance and survival. This has value, because it is in these battles where spiritual values emerge, show their importance and move essential transformations. The victory consists in making the ego continue its march, however, every day more and more passionate about the enlightened values of the soul and having the noble virtues as weapons of struggle.
Material conquests should not be despised, on the contrary, they only have to be in consonance with spiritual conquests; then we discover that the ego can be a cruel villain or a valuable ally. The ego becomes a mighty warrior if we pay attention to what feelings drive choices. This is of fundamental importance. When the ego comes to dance to the lullabies of the soul's love songs, anxieties are appeased, battles become sacred and victories are enshrined in pure light.
The ego is more concerned with the "I" and the soul with the "we". Imagine the situation of crossing a desert, being on the verge of thirst and finding a pitcher of fresh water. To drink the whole pitcher is to renounce the others; not to drink the water is to die of thirst; to drink a part and leave another part for the one who comes after makes it sacred. It is the perfect integration of the self; it is to love the other as oneself.
Always do what is different and better. Mantra and prayer.
The expansion of the Universe is constant and infinite. We are part of it, therefore it is contained in us. Therefore, our opportunities are beyond the ordinary imagination. If it does not grow, the whole stagnates. This allows us to understand why we are essential and will never be abandoned by the Universe, even if we often do not understand its pedagogy and its determination to move us forward. As we do not yet have the sensitivity to feel his infinite love and understand his immeasurable wisdom, we doubt this interaction.
However, pay attention because the opposite also applies: even if we walk individually, we have an undeniable commitment to the work or to the whole, whatever you want to call it. At this level of existence our lessons are presented through personal relationships, with the difficulties and opportunities they offer us. In every conflict you can find a problem or a teacher; it just depends on how you look at it.
The path is solitary and supportive. Independent and accompanied. In absolute synchrony. We are ego and soul; we are the part and the whole. This is the power, the greatness and the beauty of the unification of being; with itself and with the farthest star. If you bring the full force of the Universe in you, you have already imagined what you are capable of.
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