Spiritual
Ego
The “Spiritual Ego” is a
“spark” from the great “Divine
Flame” that catalyzed the creative process of the universe.
This spark is our portion of that flame, perhaps even, our portion of
God Himself. Till this very day, this “spark” (that
we all carry inside) still holds the memory of this passionate event
that we all share with our creator - and the rest of creation. This
spark still identifies itself as being a part of this Oneness. Its
constant desire (if we are sensitive to it) is to unite our individual
selves (and the rest of creation) back into the creator. Essentially,
this spark – our spiritual ego - is all about
“Universal Love”.
The
spiritual ego acts as a sort of touchstone or compass that reminds our
souls (while we are still immersed in illusion and limitation) who we
really are... and it motivates... and gives us clues... as to the
direction we must go to get us back home. It nudges us to re-expand
beyond our limited sense of identity... beyond the awareness that we
are more than just our mate, immediate family, clan, tribe, village,
state or nation... beyond our culture or creed, job title or degree,
financial status, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation, political
affiliation, age or even pant size. Eventually, our awareness and sense
of self will expand far enough that we will eventually re-unite with
our “Divine Self”, reaching the pinnacle
realization - Universal Love.
Shadow
Ego
Just like our Higher Selves were endowed by the Great Creator with the
ability to recreate itself in the forms of our lower selves, so too was
the spiritual ego given the ability to recreate itself into a lower
form of ego, yet one only a “shadow” of the
original spark (just as our lower selves are a shadow of our Higher
Self). Because our “shadow egos” and lower selves
are both of a denser nature, they are more interested in or
“oriented” towards the lower dimensions of the
astral plane and material universe. For the sake of argument, one could
even call this lower ego the “Material Ego”. This
ego could also be seen as the reverse or mirror image of our divine
ego. Where the Divine Ego is all about uniting with the Creator and
Love, the agenda of the material ego is all about attaching to and
identifying itself with limitation in all its forms, be it ones mate,
immediate family, clan, tribe, village, state or nation... ones
culture, creed, job title, degree, financial status, race, religion,
sex, sexual orientation, political affiliation, age or pant size. And
each thing it identifies itself with, it holds on to and guards for
dear life - against any comers:
Mine
Yours
Ours
<against> Theirs
Us
Them
If we are
functioning from the “Spiritual” ego, we
don’t usually have any problems energetically or physically
(none that are of our own creating that is). However, the problems that
we most need be concerned with while we are incarnate are those caused
by the material ego - which is pretty dominant in this dimension. And
no wonder. In the vast history of this planet, there have been a great
many occasions when the conditions of life (both natural and man made)
were extremely brutal and severe. Simply from the point of view of a
biological life form merely trying to survive, the incarnated human
needed to do some pretty nasty things if they wanted to live throughout
the day. If we didn’t have this “material
ego”, chances are we wouldn’t even be here as a
life form today. However, we are not just here to survive and live for
our own sakes, or simply to perpetuate our biological species. We are
much more than that.
The
Ego Mind
When we were first created...
Our experience of the universe was undifferentiated.
There was no space or time, as there was no "where" or "when".
There was no concept of duality, only an awareness of "The One"
There was no separation between people and things.
There was no sense of "I" or "you", "mine" or "yours".
There was
just an expansive, unlimited awareness of the unity of all creation. We
were at one with the "Universal Mind" and we could hear the "Universal
Voice" (AUM) resounding through all. And yet, in the space of time (it
could have been a moment or a millennia) we realized that we were also
endowed by our Creator with an individual Soul containing the rudiments
of a “separate mind” with a “separate
voice”. This allowed us to have the freedom and ability to
discriminate and choose between one thing or another, between "yes" or
"no". And with that ability to choose came the self directing, self
motivating will power to act upon that determination.
The Bible
tells us that this “Voice of God” (the Universal
Mind) instructed us to not do certain things in the "Garden of Eden"
(unity). And the "Serpent" (the voice of the Ego) bids us to eat an
"apple" (the fruit of our pleasure?) and thus we gained the "knowledge
of good and evil" (the awareness of "Duality"). And with this one
little choice, our jaunt in the "Garden" (of innocence) came to an end.
Yet this was only the beginning of our "fall from grace". The rift had
begun, and over time became only greater, as one defying choice led to
another and another... further and further into the density and
duality, as our conscious awareness of the "Universal Mind" became
narrower and narrower. We had stepped upon a path where the vibrations
and energies became more and more convoluted and material, and we
descended deeper into the lower realms of creation. And the further we
moved away from the center of the “Universal Mind”
and its “still small voice”, the louder the voice
of the "Ego Mind" got (one drowning out the other). It is this "Ego
Mind" with which we must now grapple with as it still judges,
determines, chooses, and wills - perhaps now more than ever. And our
soul still must decide what voice it will listen to.
The results
of any choices we have ever made, the fruit of these actions (our
"karma") is held within our energy - vibrational bodies, making up who
we are physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually - today and
into the future.
The world
is the way it is predominantly because of the accumulated choices of
all who have ever lived on her.
The Ego
Mind has the ability to label or identify things (including its self)
from and within a very limited conceptual or mental frame of reference.
This is good in the sense that by being able to discriminate between
one thing and another, we have developed a complex language which
enabled us to mentally communicate with other people, which lays the
foundation for us to practically (and inventively) manipulate things.
The downside is that the Ego Mind also begins to attach and identify
itself to actions, things, people and ideas. Thus, we become trapped
(by attachment and identification) into becoming our own creations...
such as: This car is mine; This is my wife; I am your son; You
are my child; I am white; I am black; I am a Christian; I am a
Democrat, and so on....
The Ego
Mind also sits in judgment on these differences between actions,
things, people and ideas, eventually labeling one "good" and the other
"bad". These learned behaviors and belief systems become indelibly
imprinted upon our mind (like programs in a computer) held within our
energetic and cellular memories, passed down from lifetime after
lifetime (until the "programs" get deleted). When our Ego
Mind starts to create and accumulate all these incidental programs, the
original and pure program (our Divine Purpose) instilled in us by our
creator, becomes overwritten... and we start to run on the egos
programs. Then it’s just a matter of time before we become
creations (and mirrors) of our ego. And for all intents and purposes,
our ego ("idol") replaces and then becomes our God ("have no idols
before Me"). Through subterfuge within the consciousness, the ego
programs subvert and usurp our Divine Purposes (like a virus that can
mimic and confuse the immune systems' own antibodies). Unfortunately,
the Ego is so insidiously enmeshed within our psyches, that it can fool
anyone into believing anything - when it comes to spiritual matters, it
will run circles around you, saying all sorts of things that you would
swear are true.
With
healing, over time, that stuff which has been created by your ego mind
shall be broken down... the old paradigms you have been working from -
the old traditions, ideas, belief systems that you have accumulated
from your church, school, family, friends... will no longer fit you,
and you will once again be free to follow and be your inner truth.
Ego
Orientation
There is a time and a place to strengthen our ego-identity, and a time
to release it. In our culture (generally), men have over-developed ego
minds in order to function more efficiently in the cold cruel business
world. Their ego orientation in the world is centered around and for
themselves and what they can accomplish. For women, we see the opposite
(though this is changing as more women enter the work force). The
woman's focus has been more on the needs of her children (verses
herself). Mothers hold their children to be the center of their
world...their egoic point of reference is not inside them but outside
in their children (thus they appear ego-less or self-less). All the
mothers thoughts, feelings, identity... is invested in another. The
mother holds her ego identity and attention outwards onto others, the
father inwardly towards personal achievement. Both are important role
models, demonstrating examples of polarities for the developing child.
Children
all go through a stage where they feel as if the world revolves around
them...this is a period where the ego is strengthened (a period where
the being is held to develop in a cocoon). Once we have an established
and solidified ego, then it is possible to release and shift our ego -
paradigm - perspective to another's point of view, to turn from the
caterpillar to the butterfly. If the soul is insecure in itself, if it
has not had the proper time and environment to have a healthy and
completely developed ego, then it will not transform.
Integrity
- Boundaries - A Practice
The basic
foundation of any dynamic spiritual
growth is to have a strong sense of "Integrity" - personal boundaries -
a centered self identity. You cannot expand beyond the limitations you
have until you have clearly identified your boundaries - where you end
and another begins. If ones personal boundaries/ego/will power is
undeveloped or weak, one may not be able to hold their ground in the
world and in relationships. Of course, the converse may be a problem
too - if one has too strong of an ego and will power, they may be so
far expanded into someone else's space (perhaps yours). Either case is
a problem of personal integrity - one exhibits passive tendencies, the
other arrogant or aggressive... or, someone may exhibit both (there are
always two sides to every coin). When you have a strong sense of
integrity (having developed your ego/will enough) you will be able to
say "NO!”, mean it and unshakably stand by it no matter what
the consequences. As a child, most people were not given this power
over themselves (being dominated by someone else's will) and are still
in reaction to this in many aspects of their lives (perhaps exhibited
as passive aggressive behaviors).
Here is a
practice for you to develop your personal space - your ego-will.
Go into your room or some personal private area where you feel safe to
connect to the universe and your God/Higher Self (somewhere that is
sound proof). Yell and scream "NO" over and over.
NO NO NO NO
NO
See how
this makes you feel. There is no one there but you and God. No one is
saying this is wrong, or you must say "Yes". "NO" is allowed and
acceptable, if that is what is in your heart. It is your choice. In
fact, if you cannot say "NO" with firmness and commitment, can you
truly say "Yes" to life? It is two sides to the same coin, and both
must be honored alike (for balance, you may also practice the reverse
and say "YES" over and over).
The next
step in this practice is to say "No" to someone in your life you have
always said "Yes" to (or vice versa). You may tell them you are doing
this as a practice. See what happens. If you truly have a free and
accepting relationship where this other person honors all your choices
as a sovereign individual, then they will equally receive and honor
your "No" with as much love and acceptance as a "Yes". When you do this
practice, choose what you say "No" to another very carefully, something
that is just about your life and your boundaries. Be prepared for any
response from this other person. Remember, this is a test of your
boundaries - your integrity - and to what extent other people around
you are honoring of that. It is also a test of how unconditionally
loving and accepting the other person is of you. Remember... when you
start to claim your personal space, you must also give others their
space.
Ego
- Friend or Foe
Your ego can be your best
friend or worst
enemy.... it can work for you in the world but against you in your
spiritual life (and in this healing process). If it is the materially
minded ego that is running your life, it must take the materially
minded ego to finally choose to be reconnected to the higher self. The
material ego will not easily or willingly surrender or relinquish this
control and power until it reaches a point where it becomes aware of
its immense limitations, being so dysfunctional and incapable of even
"thinking its way out of a paper bag" (people in recovery programs
speak of this). When the ego realizes its own powerlessness, and sees
itself running your life into the ground (destroying you and everything
and everyone around you)... when you have finally reached bottom and
the only place you can go is up, only then is the ego ready to
surrender and ask for and receive help from the Higher Power (since the
ego must learn "Humility", this help often must be found through a
human channel).
As
children, though our earthly parents tried to wisely guide our ego
choices, they too were limited and trapped by their own material egoic
devices and couldn't always be our shining ideal (however divine or
flawed your earthly parents were, they did what they were karmicaly
destined to do). There comes a point in every child's life when the
realization hits -> our earthly parents cannot be our spiritual
guides. For the spiritual soul, this is the time when the journey
starts... when we begin to search for someone who may guide us on the
path (leading to our own Inner Selves). It becomes the
healers’ task to assist and redirect you to the "Inner Door"
of your Heart, where eventually you may come to realize your own inner
parent - your spiritual warrior - that impeccable master.
Attachment
and Fear
We are frail and insecure creatures subject to a human nature that has
been thousands of years in the making while it was struggling with the
basic needs to survive. We all have learned to hold on to all that
which comes to us with a death grip, no matter if it eventually falls
apart, fades and decays with time.
"Store not
your treasures where rust doth corrupt"
We hold on
to concepts, beliefs, bodies, people, things, feelings, memories...
everything. No wonder we are constantly in fear... the fear of losing
all these things runs and motivates our lives: fear of loss, fear of
being out of control, fear of pain, fear of getting old, fear of dying,
fear of being wrong... these are just a few. And yet, as long as we are
holding on to anything, it does seem inevitable and logical that many,
most, or all things we "possess" will eventually fall through our
hands... our worst fears realized. What to do?
One of the
more serious problems a soul may have while it exists in this material
world - even to the soul who dwells within the spirit realms (see
incarnation) - is that of ego "attachments". Even the slightest degrees
of attachments have serious consequences. One slight attraction can
cascade a series of events that once started cannot be stopped (it may
only take the slightest push to roll the largest rock off a mountain).
The
universal law of attraction states that you will gravitate towards and
attract to you what you desire... and then, once you have the object of
your desire, you may find that it then possesses you. For example, if
you have anger, fear, hate and violence inside (even if it is so deeply
hid within your sub-consciousness) that is what you will magnetize to
yourself - no matter if it (or you) exists in physical or non physical
form. Anything that you are attached to (on any level) will be a weight
onto your soul. The more you can un-attach or let go of your
“stuff”, the freer you will be to move closer to
the center - the source of life (easier said than done). Something we
all need healing help with.
Baggage
The best way we can ever hope to directly
inter-face and inter-act with what is real in this very moment is to
not be prejudiced, tainted, or influenced by that
“stuff” we hold in our beings, commonly known as
"baggage". Over lifetimes of journeying through many lands, we have
accumulated much of this "baggage", helpful at times, most of it is now
outmoded and obsolete... yet we are still carrying it around (and it is
slowing us down).
Within
every "bag" comes a number of multi-colored (some very dark) reading
glasses, and an instruction manual on how to function in "this"
particular situation or "that". Some baggage has a name on it that says
"relationships", others "belief systems", another "thoughts" and so on.
When we come into a new situation, we can't help but bring out our
"baggage", pull out our glasses and consult our manual. Some people are
very comfortable and feel safe with all this paraphernalia - it gives
them the belief that their lives are organized and they can make sense
of reality and what’s what - knowing the boundaries on how to
think, feel, and act in every situation. Many are so deathly
and fearfully attached to their stuff... they won't part with
it for anything. In fact, many people are even interested in
accumulating more stuff - if you could believe that (but it's true).
Look around at all the things people have - it’s all a
reflection of their inner. The difficulty arises when, in addition to
all your baggage, the people we interact with also bring their baggage,
glasses, and manuals - so instead of interacting directly with that
other person, it all filters through this other stuff. When you realize
that most of your relationships are based on "stuff", it can be very
sobering.
Once you
are free of more and more stuff (via the healings) perhaps you will
begin to see that what you thought was reality, is like nothing it
appeared to be: The people who we felt and thought we knew are nothing
like we earlier perceived. The truths we earlier believed in are empty
shadows - mere reflections of something else or outright lies.
Underneath
the surface, there exists layers and layers of diverse consciousness
and vibrations... whole worlds invisible to the material eye...
multi-dimensional beings behind beings... wheels within wheels...
spinning agendas, desires and determinations... plans cast eons ago...
unfolding in the now and eternal future. And we think we know what
truth is? The best we can hope for (if we really work at it) is to be
clear enough of our personal baggage so that we can directly experience
who we really are... and perhaps, just perhaps, we may be able to
really know another.
Copyright
1999 - 2008. David Raphael Isaacson. No portion of information in this
website may be reproduced or distributed in any form without prior
permission from the author. All rights reserved.
