EGO CURSE OR
BLESSING? DR. SHRINIWAS KASHALIKAR
Does it not happen that we feel sick to find that we are helpless against the evils; especially when seen on TV? Conversely, does it not happen that we feel miserable to realize that we could not accomplish our humanitarian (according to our perception) dreams, which someone else could accomplish? Is it not therefore true that whether we see something “evil” or “divine”, as an end result we are just miserable? Does it not happen that our pride gets hurt if we do not see ourselves on TV (inspite our desire)? Does it not happen that we feel dejected if we don’t get the accolades (which we think we deserve)? Conversely, does it not happen that we recognize the deceptive nature of the projection and the praise (in view of our genuine perception about ourselves?) after seeing ourselves on TV?
Is it not thus true that we feel rejected whether we are “neglected” or “respected”? What is the reason? The reason is our ego! It gives us pains and pleasures! What is ego? Indiscriminate violence, fanaticism, inconsideration, arrogance, intolerance, pride and identity can be said to be forms, versions or stages of ego with the severity in descending order! In accordance; our pains and pleasures become violent and base or nonviolent and sublime. It is true that the pains and pleasures are due to identifying ourselves with the internal or external surroundings. Thus headache becomes troublesome when we identify it as our headache. The profit becomes pleasant when we identify it as our profit.
Several examples can be found to get clarity about this fact. Hence it is generally said that get rid of ego and you would be free of pains and pleasures. But this is neither simple nor appropriate. Is it not true that when we identify ourselves with our family, society, nation and world that we perform our duty towards them? Is this not true for identities such as doctor, lawyer, minister, and farmer and so on? Is it not true that our identity is crucial for our commitment in our work, even though that implies getting pains or pleasures? What is important is; to appreciate that our identities are multiple and evolving. If that is not appreciated, then we tend to become retrogressive in terms of adhering to petty identity and become indiscriminately violent and fanatic or indiscriminately suicidal and submissive.
NAMASMARAN helps; e.g. a baby girl; to evolve in terms of her identity as a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother and professionally in terms of being a struggler to an accomplished expert. NAMASMARAN helps everyone to evolve in terms of identity as belonging to a family, to a village, to a state or province, to a nation, to a religion, to a race and to the whole universe! NAMASMARAN is the way to evolve and metamorphose from basal stages of ego so as to be one with the all encompassing conscious core of the cosmos! NAMASMARAN enables us to excel in a globally beneficial manner in our functioning identities or peripheral aspects of our ego such as son, father, brother, grandfather, grandson etc or doctor, lawyer, farmer, scientist, artist etc.