HOW MUCH EGO WE NEED AND WHEN TO USE IT? by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Who is using the ego? How much we need the ego? We need the ego when we get depressed. To come out of your depression, you need your ego. Ego says, come on, what is this, nothing can touch me. And when you think you are failing, then, you need your ego. But, when you think you have succeeded, then ego becomes dangerous. In your success, drop your ego. In your failure, hold on to the ego.

Again, accepting the failure…There are two options for you. One is the higher self, the divine or the higher self, surrendering to the Divine. Then what happens, the small ego which identifies itself with the body/mind complex, your thought process, your concepts, breaks from that and becomes bigger. The whole life is a process of expanding the ego. How much you can expand the ego?

Patriotism is nothing but an expanded ego to the boundaries of the land. Patriotism is, you say you are Canadian—that means your ego is expanded to the boundaries from Vancouver to Newfoundland. That’s your ego. But, if that ego expands further up and beyond all the territories–this earth belongs to me. And the Divine belongs to me, the whole universe belongs to me.

Then comes the great sentence—So Hum, I am that. I am that. So the expansion of ego. But this ego, if it is not fully expanded or totally come to the focal point of nothingness, in between it gives you tears, problems, worries. To do work, to face challenges, to take on new things, pump the ego. Otherwise, subdue it.

It’s very subtle. You can easily mistake that. When we say erase the ego, you only mean a different type of ego. The ego which needs someone else for you to be there. But the ego is not there usually at all. Once you know it is there, it’s not desperate. Until you know it is there, a long time has passed by. Till that time it was necessary. Hum?

Ego as the opposite of childlikeness, it’s not necessary. Ego as the stiffness in you, is not necessary. What do you say? So ego has its place. Keep it in the pocket. Even money should be in your wallet not in your head, in your mind. Similarly ego should be in its place, but not when there is love, when there is oneness, when there is spiritual. When it comes to learning ego should be dissolved. When ego should be there? When there is a place to fight. There ego is essential. Where there is a challenge, where there is a creativity, ego is essential. When there is a place to celebrate, no ego. Where there is a place to learn, no ego.

#ads

Where there is a place to learn and accept your mistakes, no ego. When there is love and togetherness, no ego. There you be like a child, free. Cause if you have ego, what will you learn, you can never do it because you will always take a position and block it and you will not be able to see. In your perception and in your expression, no ego. When you are to make friends, ego will be a hindrance. When you want to make friends, ego is? Hindrance. When you want to oppose an enemy, ego is a great friend. When you want to negotiate and do a business deal, ego will help. So place everything where it belongs to. What do you say?