AHAMKARA or egoism
The elimination of egoism is the sole condition of Self-realisation.
AHAMKARA or egoism is the self-arrogating principle in man. It is a Vritti or modification that arises in the mind. Patanjali Maharshi calls this by the name 'Asmita'. The same mind assumes the form of egoism when man self-arrogates himself. Ahamkara manifests first and then comes 'Mamata'.
This baneful egoism generates
actions, desires and pains. It is the source for all evils. It is illusory. It
deludes people. Through it is nothing, it is everything for the worldly people.
It is associated with mineness.
It is the greatest enemy. If one renounces this dire Ahamkara he will be
happy. The secret of renunciation is renunciation of egoism. Ahamkara has its
seat in the mind. It is under the influence of egoism man commits evils and
wrong actions. It is deep-rooted. Anxieties and troubles proceed from egoism.
Ahamkara is a veritable disease. Pride, lust, anger, delusion, greed, jealousy,
love and hatred are the attendants of Ahamkara. Ahamkara destroys our virtues
and peace of mind. It spreads the snare of affection to entrap us. He who is
free from egoism is very happy and peaceful. Desires multiply and expand on
account of egoism. Our inveterate enemy, egoism, has spread about us the
enchantments of our wives, friends, children, etc., whose spells it is hard to
break. There is no
enemy greater than egoism.
An aspirant who treads the path of devotion destroys
his egoism through self-surrender or Atma-Nivedana to the Lord. He say I am
Thine my Lord. All is Thine. Thy will be done. He feels he is an instrument in
the hands of the Lord. He dedicates all his actions and the fruits of his
actions to the Lord. He feels that there is nothing but the Lord, that
everything is done by the Lord, that even an atom cannot move without Him and
that all live, move and have their very being in Him alone.
A Karma Yogin destroys his egoism through
self-sacrifice. A Jnana Yogin kills his egoism through self-denial or
self-abnegation, through Vichara and the practice of Neti-Neti - I am not this
body, I am not the mind, I am not Prana, I am not the senses, and through
identification with the Supreme Self by meditating on the formula, 'I am
all-pervading Self or Brahman.'
May you rest in the big Infinite 'I', the pure
Sat-Chit-Ananda Brahman and enjoy Eternal Bliss by annihilating this little
illusory 'I', the product of Maya, through self-denial or self-sacrifice or
self-surrender!
"Serve, Love, Give, Purify, Meditate, Realise;
Be good, Do good, Be kind, Be Compassionate;
