Introduction to THE EGO...

Hello. It's been a long time since I've posted, but I knew in my heart that I needed to take some time away from the ritual that had become my life in order to do some major soul searching. I think it's good to 'drop out' for awhile. For me, it helps gain perspective. Of course, there are many ups and down when one takes on this endeavor: the ego doesn't like to be toyed with or challenged. The ego doesn't like when we try to get rid of everything in our minds that keeps us down and keeps us small. I spent a lot of time (and continue to spend time) pulling out the weeds of repressed emotions and old thought patterns that needed to be purged like last year's news. Wow, I didn't expect the ego to put up such an intense fight. (By 'ego' I mean the limited mind; that which is NOT our intuitive mind. The 'ego' is the part of the mind that thinks it knows what's best for us, when, actually, the ego is only interested in keeping itself afloat.)

Does this make the mind sound a bit disjointed?

Well, dualistic maybe, but not disjointed. All humans have an ego-mind and an intuitive sense. There's the duality. There's God, and then there is the limited self. The intuitive mind is innate, although it is sometimes buried way beneath the ego mind. I'll write more on this topic later. For now, I will just say that this past year has forced me to look at the things in my thought beliefs and life patterns that keep me bound, and I have to tell you--it's all the doing of the ego. The ego wants to keep us small. It's not so difficult to understand this Truth once the ego is understood. Basically, the ego is that which tells us that we must be careful, fearful, full of guilt, and needy of punishment. In other words, it's the ego that keeps us from knowing the innate Truth within.

We are greater than we could ever imagine! All of us. Just by taking birth we are great--a manifestation of God. Yet the ego keeps us bound.

Why?

Because if we aren't bound, then we are free. No more need for the ego. Our self that was once tethered by the ego becomes a Self swimming in the knowledge of undying existence, love, and bliss absolute (to borrow from ancient Hindu philosophical speak) which can never die.

Think about it: our bodies die, our personalities dissolve. What is left? The spirit. The Self. I have found that knowing the Self within and experiencing the Self is not enough. By the Grace, love, and knowledge of my spiritual teachers it was brought to light that, indeed, knowing the Self is not enough. We must sustain the experience of the Self within.

But how???

Get rid of the ego. Dissolve the ego. I needed to (and continue to) forgive myself for all of the guilt that has been locked away in my subconscious for so long. With guilt comes fear; fear of punishment. Where does this guilt come from? Look inside. Meditate. As the emotions come up, experience them and let them go. Dissolve the emotions, fear, and anger that keep you bound. I had found that many of my not so memorable childhood experiences were still informing my decisions in my adult life. It was time to take out the garbage, for sure.

This is a very lofty, time consuming, emotional rollercoaster of an endeavor, to be sure; however, it is my wish that everyone gets to this point in their lives. The point where they KNOW that their True Reality, the reality of their existence, is LOVE. We are all nothing but love. We are all love. We come from Love; we exist by the Grace of this Love; we find this Love by our longing for something real, something constant, not transient; and we dissolve back into this Love when our bodies/minds die.

May the light within shine so brightly that you long to know this Truth within. And if you know this Truth, share it with others. One by one, we will enlighten this world. One person at a time, until everyone learns the value of their lives. When we know the value of our own lives and truly honor the Self within, we have no choice but to love our fellow man. We must honor all of God's creation--from the largest boulder to the tiniest blade of grass.

Please look upon your fellow man with love. We are all connected. If a fellow man transgresses, know that they are doing their best, even if their best falls incredibly short of the mark of goodness and right action. Some people cannot see the light within; they have no knowledge of the incredible source of love and joy that is within their own hearts. They are blind. Yes, blind. They do not have knowledge of the Truth, therefore, they believe their physical existence is the only reality. That is why they start wars, commit genocide, rob, steal, and punish others. They are truly punishing themselves. They only have personal desire and greed. Blind. Therefore, forgive. And pray that everyone everywhere may know the Light of God, the Love of God, and the immense Grace of God that is right within!

Find the jewel within. All of your Earthly desires will fall away. What is there left to desire when you have knowledge that everything is transient except for this Truth? This doesn't mean you have to give away all material things. It is truly the cessation of longing for things in the outer world simply because you have found That which you are looking for.

Won't you join me in this search? No dogma. Only love. Share it with yourself and your fellow man.

Om Namah Shivaya,
Love,
Bhakti

tags: Jaibhakti,
Bhakti Brophy,
ego, spirituality, Om Namah Shivaya,
Divine Love, Divine Truth, Bhakti