Ego and desire
by Atman Nityananda / Bkes
The intrinsic nature of the ego is desire or better to desire. Therefore, desire and ego are one and the same principle. The ego assumes the form of desire and the form of ‘I-ness’, that is, the feeling ‘I am the body’ or ‘the body I am yο’, that is, I am an individual confined in body and mind, separate from creation and God.
In reality, all egoic tendencies are only modifications of desire. Thus we can see, for example, that greed is the desire to want more and more money, gluttony is the desire for pleasure through food and drink, lasciviousness is the desire for sexual pleasure, jealousy is the desire to have what others have, and pride has to do with the desire to feel important, superior and to be recognized as special by others, and vanity is the desire for fame and glory. Anger is also just a modification of one’s desire; when something or someone prevents the desire from being fulfilled or when it is not fulfilled, the desire turns into anger.
Therefore, desire, the ‘I’ and all egoic tendencies or defects are one principle: the so-called ego, which assumes these seemingly distinct forms of itself.
Most of the time we want (desire) or do not want something, we like or dislike something, we are attracted to something or repelled by something. All this is nothing more than the game of ego-desire. Deceived by the seductive energy of desire, we become an obedient servant of desire, a slave of pleasure, passion, lust and desire itself.
The ego manifests itself as ambition, desire and lust. Under their influence man indulges in hatred, love, flattery, pride, unscrupulousness, hypocrisy and delusion. Desire nothing, give up all desires and be happy.
The “secret” of a life of abundance, a life of harmony, happiness and contentment is to have a pure-sattvic mind free from desires and to live in every moment in conscious contact with our true Self (Consciousness).
🌺 Peace, Love, Harmony
atmannityanada 