Ego´s aspects that cause suffering
by Atman Nityananda
The root cause of the development of the ego is ignorance of our true nature (Consciousness) and identification with the body and mind.
The factors of our misery, pain and suffering are:
- Insecurity related to survival due to identification with the body, (concerning death, illness, accidents, lack of money to cover the needs for food, shelter, clothing, health care, etc.)
- Psychological insecurity is related to identification with the ego and the mind. Psychological insecurity is related to our false self-image, pride, reputation, low self-esteem and self-worth.
- The illusion that our happiness depends on pleasures, money, relationships, successes, fame, glory and general external factors.
- The illusion that our psychological reactions (states) are due to others and external conditions and situations.
- The desire for pleasure (primarily sex, food and drink).
- Other desires such as money, power, acquisition, fame, success, etc. These are related to the desire for pleasure, pride, recognition, reputation, low self-esteem, emotional insecurity and body survival.
- The sense of lack and dissatisfaction that the ego constantly causes (assumes) within us.
- Pride: the desire to feel superior, great; or greater; a desire for fame, success, and power.
- Reputation: the desire for others to have a good image of us. It is related to pride and low self-worth.
- Low self-esteem, feeling that we are not worthy, that we are not capable, that we are inferior to others. Because of this we seek-need-want (desire) acceptance, recognition, approval, validation and reward from others to overcome the unpleasant emotional state caused by feelings of inferiority, contraction, contraction, being lonely, the feeling that I am not worthy, I am incapable or insufficient.
The main emotional reactions associated with all of the above
1. Fear (anxiety, worry, anguish, agony, phobia) about the survival and health of the body and psychological insecurity. More specifically, our insecurity and fear are related to our desires (fear of not being fulfilled), emotional security, pride, reputation, and low self-worth which is the cause of our desire and need for acceptance, recognition, validation and reward from others) and survival and health of the body.
2. Anger (annoyance, resentment, aversion, irritation, indignation, wrath, rage, rancour, hatred) is related to desires, emotional security, pride, esteem, low self-worth (which is the cause of desiring and needing acceptance, recognition, validation and reward from others) and the survival and health of the body.
3. Disappointment, frustration, grief, and depression, is the natural consequence of not having our desires fulfilled related to all of the above, namely: desires for pleasure (sex, food and drink being the primary ones), money, power, acquisitions, fame, success, etc.; pride, reputation, low self-worth, emotional insecurity and body survival.
4. Liking – Disliking
5. Sympathy – Antipathy
6. Attraction – Aversion or repulsion.
The ego is constantly moving mainly between
- dissatisfaction, lack,
- pleasure and pain
- liking and disliking,
- attraction and repulsion,
- fascination, disappointment,
- and sadness,
in all their nuances
Since we identify with all these ego reactions we live under the domination of the ego and its programming, tendencies and habits and we suffer. Even worse we consider and perceive all of them as ourselves or as our own choices which makes it difficult to gain psychological distance from them (“disidentification”) and eliminate them from our psyche.
Although we are under the domination of the ego, undoubtedly with proper knowledge and systematic practice we can become aware of all that is happening in our psychology, disidentify, understand and get rid of all egoic tendencies, desires, lower emotions etc.
The result of this inner work is to be free from the pain created by our ego and to experience in all circumstances the peace, fullness and bliss of our divine Being.
Our glorious, immortal Soul is always free, whole, peaceful and blissful.
🌺 Peace, Love, Harmony