Ego and effort*
While the ego is alive in us the identifications will continue to happen mechanically and compulsively because the ego, by its nature, continually causes identifications. The ego lives and perpetuates its existence through identifications and projections.
While the ego is alive in us the identifications will continue to happen mechanically and compulsively because the ego, by its nature, continually causes identifications. The ego lives and perpetuates its existence through identifications and projections.
If we want to dissolve the ego and live free from its mechanical impulses and reactions, it is necessary to be alert and vigilant moment to moment in order to stop any identification caused by ego and focus our attention and mind in the silence within. We must develop self-awareness and be established in it.
The identification
with the ego (living as the ego) empowers the ego itself, the mechanistic way of living and the suffering; on the contrary living from our center of existence ( by abiding consciously
in the inner silence) breaks the identifications, and brings balance and harmony. Living awake and in conscious connection with our soul and life we open the doors of joy, peace, love and freedom.
We have to choose; What do we want most ? Continue identify with the fandom of ego and experience illusory pleasures mixed with much pain and suffering or live consciously, identified with our essence and experience the peace, joy and freedom of the spirit?
So, either we continue to live asleep identified with the ego and all things that the ego identifies or, by conscious sincere and systematic effort*, we stop this compulsive egoic functioning and return in conscious communion with our divine essence which is beyond the world, the body, mind and ego!
The
effort is necessary until the ego with all its aspects (greed, pride, anger, lealousy, fear, arrogance, lust, desires, vanity, gluttony etc.) dissolve and thus cannot cause any more
identification or suffering. When
the ego disappears from our psych there is no need for in order any further effort to experience the peace,
bliss and freedom of Being.
Note:
Effort or endeavor doesn't mean struggling; Right effort is to do what is needed to be done according to our plan or spiritual program with gentleness, attention and carefulness.
It is true that when we don't know something, we try harder than necessary, but this is normal. It is also possible struggling to happen as long as the ego in us is strong. But if we practice regularly with devotion, interest and attention gradually we will learn to handle properly the practices and the techniques without unnecessary effort and we will manage to calm the egoic reactions without struggling or unecessary effort.
Effort or endeavor doesn't mean struggling; Right effort is to do what is needed to be done according to our plan or spiritual program with gentleness, attention and carefulness.
It is true that when we don't know something, we try harder than necessary, but this is normal. It is also possible struggling to happen as long as the ego in us is strong. But if we practice regularly with devotion, interest and attention gradually we will learn to handle properly the practices and the techniques without unnecessary effort and we will manage to calm the egoic reactions without struggling or unecessary effort.