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Nature of ego

CHENNAI: Where there is ego there is worldly fame, where there is no ego there is divine grace in full measure is an adage in spiritual lore. This neatly sums up how essential it is to efface one’s ego if one wants to progress spiritually. Great saints have shown by example how childlike one must become to get closer to God. But it is easier said than done. It is only when a spiritual seeker consciously tries to uproot his ego that he will realise how difficult a task it is and also how it surfaces in subtle ways.

In his discourse, Swami Vimurthananda said a disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa used to say that the saint did not make his disciples great; instead he made them nobodies — obliterated their egos and in the process made them infinite (Purna). What a transformation without much effort on their part which only a great Master like him could bring about! On the part of the spiritual aspirant he has to “empty” himself (the process of eliminating the ego), and the more he does it, the more he will be able to act well.

Whenever there is discussion about ego, Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa immediately come to mind as these two saints have emphasised the need to uproot the ego repeatedly in their counsel to devotees. They have also made it clear that it is a difficult task. One must tackle it consciously by analysing one’s reactions in all situations and surmount ego whenever it raises its head. When one tries to be on guard intentionally one can see that it is not as if it is black and white, a clear demarcation of ego and non-ego, but various shades of grey in between: mild, strong and middling. One whose ego is mild may appear very humble but it may be only superficial and deep down he must be egoistic. On the other hand, there will be some who will be modest and submit where necessary knowingly. The other extreme is the one whose ego is strong.

The middling is what is known as “child’s ego,” which saints approve of, in which there is total faith and submission to God. Saints have shown how to efface it: by negating it or by developing the attitude of a servant towards God (Dasabhava) or by total identification with the Self (Atman) within.

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