What is EGO?!

EGO is negativity pure & simple EGO wants us to remain in the negative & in control of you once you drop the EGO you are free. Simple, simple, simple.

Moonflower x

Excerpts From....
THE TEACHING OF BUDDHA
BUKKYO DENDO KYOKAI

Chapter three
III
EGOLESSNESS

1. ...........The concept of an "ego-personality" is something that has been imagined by a discriminating mind which first grasped it and then became attached to it, but which must abandon it. On the contrary, Buddha-nature is something indescribable that must first be discovered. In one sense, it resembles the "ego-personality" but it is not the "ego" in the sense of "I am" or "mine."

To believe in the existance of an ego is an erroneous belief that supposes the existance of non-existance; to deny Buddha-nature is wrong, for it supposes that existance is non-existance.

This can be explained in a parable. A mother took her sick child to a doctor. The doctor gave the child medicine and instructed the mother not to nurse the child until the medicine was digested.

The mother annointed her breast with something bitter so that the child would keep away from her of his own volition. After the medicine had time enough to be digested, the mother cleansed her breast and let the child suck her. The mother took this method of saving her child out of kindness because she loved the child.

Like the mother in the parable, Buddha, in order to remove misunderstanding and to break up attachments to an ego-personality, denies the existance of an ego; and when the misunderstanding and attachments are done away with, then He explains the reality of the true mind that is the Buddha-nature.

Attachment to an ego-personality leads people into delusions, but faith in their Buddha-nature leads them to enlightenment.

It is like the woman in a story to whom a chest was bequeathed. Not knowing that the chest contained gold, she continued to live in poverty until another person opened it and showed her the gold. Buddha opens the mind of people and shows them the purity of their Buddha-nature.

For me, there are two egos. The first Ego, is our true personality(the real you). The second, that some people portray, is what is called an altered ego. The altered ego is a false image that a person displays to feel loved and accepted by others. An example would be like a person who is homosexual, and knows this, but chooses to portray a heterosexual lifestyle for fear of the possible rejection and non acceptance of family, friends etc........Your natural Ego, is simply you expressing your true and unique Self. Each time that we incarnate on Earth, we choose a completely new personality expression. As individuals expressing who we truly are, we add to the precious beauty and diversity of our human family. When someone is true to themselves, despite the opinions of others, they have discovered the path of joy and complete freedom..........


Hugs to all, Wind of Grace xo....

[hybrid]

ego is the soul that is not centered in it's origin and source but on something else.

the transcendental nature of the soul has its core being grounded in god/creator, the soul can only know itself and it's meaning and purpose by going back to it's origin and source of being.


the ego is created when the soul goes way ward and seek and focus its meaning/purpose and identity on temporal things, both mental and physical.


.

I don’t visit this site very often , but when I do, I enjoy reading about the ideas and different opinions others have.
However I believe someone reading the post above may mistakenly think that a Buddhist believes in a God or a creator.
That may be the posters opinion, and opinions are fine. But that’s an opinion and not Buddhism.
But this being the Buddhist forum I just needed to let you know.
There is no "god/creator" in Buddhism!
There is no soul or atman in Buddhism!
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/godidea.html
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/5minbud.htm
http://www.religionfacts.com/buddhism/beliefs.htm

Lol. And now to throw the monkey wrench into the works. Some Buddhists believe in God.
But the Buddha did not teach there was a God or gods.


Metta (said with loving-kindness)
Aero

And now to continue with the subject, Ego.
This is taken from www.what-buddha-said.net
The Concept of 'Ego' is a mentally constructed Catastrophe!
The blessed Buddha once pointed out:
Bhikkhus, these ideas: 'I am...', 'I am this...', 'I will be...', 'I shall not be...',
'I shall be of such form', 'I shall be formless...', 'I will experience such...',
'I will not experience...', 'I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient...',
are all self-deceptions, are all conceited fantasies, are all whimsy illusions,
are all agitated excitations, are escalated proliferations and are all inflated,
vain & narcissistic self-love, leading to egotism, puffed pride & arrogance...
Such self-deceptions are all diseases, such ego-conceits are all tumours, such
egocentric phantasms are all internal, agonizing and nailing hooks in the mind!!!
Therefore, bhikkhus & friends, you should train yourselves in this very way:
We will dwell with a mind unperturbed by any 'I exists...' conceiving...
We will dwell with a mind purified of any 'I am this or that ...' self-deception...
We will dwell with a mind uninvolved in any 'I will be this or that...' illusion...
We will dwell with a mind without any 'I shall not be this/that...' agitation...
We will dwell with a mind devoid of any 'I shall have such a form' fantasy...
We will dwell with a mind cleaned of any 'I shall be formless...' escalation...
We will dwell with a mind empty of 'I will experience such...' proliferation...
We will dwell with a mind cleared of any 'I will not experience...' excitation...
We will be freed of 'I shall be neither percipient nor non-percipient...' dreams...
Since these ideas are all self-deceptions, are all conceited fantasies, are all
whimsy illusions, are all agitated excitations, are escalated proliferations and
are all inflated, vain & narcissistic self-centered ego-love, leading to egotism,
pride & arrogance... Self-deceptions are all mental diseases; ego-conceits are
all expansions; egocentric phantasms are all internally agonizing & painful hooks
nailing any mind to inestimable future suffering!!! The cure is understanding the
fundamental selflessness of all things, whether they are internal or external...
Thus should you train yourselves...
http://www.what-buddha-said.net/drops/II/Solo_Self-Deception.htm

nice post aero - to be selfless, thats a good way of looking at it andm puts a different perspective on the words.

Originally Posted by Aero

However I believe someone reading the post above may mistakenly think that a Buddhist believes in a God or a creator.
That may be the posters opinion, and opinions are fine. But that’s an opinion and not Buddhism.
But this being the Buddhist forum I just needed to let you know.
There is no "god/creator" in Buddhism!
There is no soul or atman in Buddhism!

Kia ora, hello Aero,

I wouldn't get too stressed about the post you're referring to, perhaps the postee didn't realize this discussion about ego is under 'Buddhism' and not 'General Beliefs'.

I am glad you made the point about what is and what isn't in Buddhism, the practices, and the beliefs of the Buddhist. It's very informative for people who may be interested in what Buddhism is about and what Buddhists do.

Do Buddhist believes in a God or a creator?

God is not a belief.


In order to become involved in Zen must one kill the ego?

The ego needs to be accepted.


How does one enter a Buddhist temple in order to recive instructions?

Go knock on the door, and tell them you'll work for free.

[hybrid]

fellows,

truly sorry that my post was contrued as an intrusion to your buddhist philosophy.

i am also fully aware that buddhism is not a religion and also knew about buddhist concept of anatta. i also realized that i'm in a buddhist thread.

my lapse in judgement perhaps was i never thought of EGO as an exclusive buddhist concept, nor had the origin of the word in buddhism. thus explained it away as angel had put it, not along the purist buddhist concept but within the line of general beliefs, giving alternative meanings to words being used.

mea culpa


godspeed