SELF-REALIZATION or ENLIGHTENMENT and the EGO
Although great teachers like Adisankaracharya, Swami Sivananda and Sri Ramana Maharshi have made very clear what is the nature of Self-realization, unfortunately many western teachers have created their own idea about Self-realization. Some do not accept the necessity of purification of the mind and others doesn't mention the necessity of complete eradication of the ego and all agoic tendencies (vasanas). Some claim that even after Self-realization the ego remains but in the periphery. All these are are false ideas of unenlightened teachers whose mind resists to see the truth.
Lets see some quotes of these three great beings about Self-realization or libeartion or enlightenment (they are synonymous terms.
Sri Ramana Maharshi said:
"It is not by a single realization, ‘I am not the body but the atman’ that the goal is reached. Do we become high in position by once seeing a king? One must constantly enter into samadhi and realize one‘s Self and completely blot out the old vasanas and the ego, before he becomes the Self."
Therefore meditate!"
"The death of the ego in the unlimited Silence ( the non-dual Truth) and the shining forth of the Self is the attainment of Oneness (Kaivalya-Siddhi ). In that State of Jnana, pure Bliss will gloriously blaze forth as one’s own True Nature."
In his famous 40 verses says:
"He who, having completely lost the ego, sees the Self, has found God, because the Self does not exist apart from God."
"All religions postulate the three fundamentals, the world, the soul, and God, but it is only the one Reality that manifests Itself as these three. One can say, 'The three are really three' only so long as the ego lasts. Therefore, to inhere in one's own Being, where the 'I', or ego, is dead, is the perfect State."
In the above sayings Sri Ramana Maharahi makes very clear that Self-realization is reached when all vasanas and ego itself are completely dissolved! There alre many other quotes in which Sri Ramana says the same thing.
There are similar declarations of Swami Sivananda:
" A Jivanmukta* is a liberated sage. He is emancipated while living. He has cut off all bonds.
He has destroyed his mind. He is in a state of mindlessness. He is absolutely free. He has identified himself with Brahman or the Absolute Consciousness. He has no identification with the body. He is free from egoism, lust, anger, greed, selfishness, pride, likes, dislikes, exhilaration or depression.
NOTE: " In the spiritual teachings of east, who has achieved Self-realization or enlightenment is called Jivanmukta.
Adisankaracharya in his book Vivekachudamani says:
299. So long as one has any relation to this wicked ego, there should not be the least talk about Liberation, which is unique.
300. Freed from the clutches of egoism, as the moon from those of Rahu, man attains to his real nature, and becomes pure, infinite, ever blissful and self-luminous.
301. That which has been created by the Buddhi extremely deluded by Nescience, and which is perceived in this body as "I am such and such" – when that egoism is totally destroyed, one attains an unobstructed identity with Brahman.
303. As long as there is a trace of poisoning left in the body, how can one hope for recovery ? Similar is the effect of egoism on the Yogi’s Liberation."
"317... the destruction of desires is Liberation, and this is considered as Liberation-in-life."
We see that in these sayings there is not any doubt that Self-realization requires a complete dissolution of the ego and all egoic tendencies (Vasanas - anger, desires, fear, greed, pride etc.)!
READ ALSO THE NEXT POST: WHO IS A JIVANMUKTA (LIBERATED)