Is Ego the Devil ?

Originally Posted by sky123

No self, no desires.....
True self, self-less desires

perfectly said in my view!

figuring out how to be happy and good and at peace is the path
and the only way to do that is to observe and learn about yourself
to learn and see and understand the ways we are making ourselves
not happy, not kind and good, not at peace

[ThatMan]

Originally Posted by AbodhiSky

figuring out how to be happy and good and at peace is the path
and the only way to do that is to observe and learn about yourself
to learn and see and understand the ways we are making ourselves
not happy, not kind and good, not at peace

Self inquiry is the starting point, when you'll start observing your actions, your thoughts, your thinking patterns, the way you act, the way you react, the way you speak, everything about yourself, then you will be making "real" steps on the path of knowing who you are.

Witnessing yourself seems to be they key not a direct interaction with who you are, instead to fight an addiction, see it for what it is, see it naked, it will be ashamed of its emptiness, of course this may take time.

After you understand that there's something deeper that witnesses everything about yourself, you understand that this deeper "thing" is primordial to your nature, it gives birth to all that you are but it is nothing from all that you are. You understand that you are this deeper thing because when all it's gone, you are still here, though there's no "I", the "I" that you identify day and night.

Happiness is already here, just like Peace and all the other emotions. We tend to project our happiness in the outside world and most of the time, in the future, but that's not true, it's all within.

This is the key to inner power, to open the doors of the creative force within you.

I am being honest, that deeper thing sometimes speaks through me, I am not talking about "channeling", but about speaking with my voice and it's always a message of love and good will to all of us. My father was angry with a neighbour, the "old" me was agreeing with my father when suddenly, my mouth spoke on its own and called for understading, that we are all humans and we make mistakes, that we should understand each other. This left me for some time speachless, it was quite out of this world.

I noticed this, when it happens, the "old" me, the one that I am every day, fades away and something full of life speaks.

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by sky123

Some seem to think Ego is evil and refer it to Satan, why, how ?

It is the ego that is filled with desires, hate, wants and needs. All the things Satan tempted Jesus with were all desires of the mind.

Satisfy one desire and another comes to take it's place.

There is no greater hell than what one can create in their own head.


Sorry for jumping in late to the conversation..

[sky]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

It is the ego that is filled with desires, hate, wants and needs. All the things Satan tempted Jesus with were all desires of the mind.

Satisfy one desire and another comes to take it's place.

There is no greater hell than what one can create in their own head.Sorry for jumping in late to the conversation..

Jump in whenever you choose, the more the merrier

What about ' Wholesome ' wants, needs and desires ?

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

It is the ego that is filled with desires, hate, wants and needs. All the things Satan tempted Jesus with were all desires of the mind.
Satisfy one desire and another comes to take it's place.
There is no greater hell than what one can create in their own head.

Sorry for jumping in late to the conversation..

Glad you did, since I agree!
When you are urged inside the mind to feel jealousy, fear, worry,
low self esteem, indignation, pride, to take revenge, wish someone harm, take glee in their misfortunes,
decide not to give that person a dollar,to steal, to lie, to have that third
cocktail bef driving home...that is the lower ego-self, to me - sure I could call it the devil.

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by AbodhiSky

figuring out how to be happy and good and at peace is the path
and the only way to do that is to observe and learn about yourself
to learn and see and understand the ways we are making ourselves
not happy, not kind and good, not at peace

Sorry, my friend, I would have to disagree on that.
Myself being the example.
(And I know a lot about therapy and this particular model used.)

Only is a tough word...as are always and never. I'm not saying observing and learning are not useful things, btw.

[ThatMan]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

Glad you did, since I agree!
When you are urged inside the mind to feel jealousy, fear, worry,
low self esteem, indignation, pride, to take revenge, wish someone harm, take glee in their misfortunes,
decide not to give that person a dollar,to steal, to lie, to have that third
cocktail bef driving home...that is the lower ego-self, to me - sure I could call it the devil.

I call it the false self, there's nothing real about it, it only appears to be. If you rest in awareness, where is the self?

I say it like this: The mind is of the devil and the Consciousness from God.

[jonesboy]

Originally Posted by sky123

Jump in whenever you choose, the more the merrier

What about ' Wholesome ' wants, needs and desires ?

Many are based in "wholesome" wants and desires.

My view is as the Buddha teaches and as we have discussed before :)

It is the attachment to those desires that is the key. Be they wholesome or not.

[sky]

Originally Posted by jonesboy

Many are based in "wholesome" wants and desires.

My view is as the Buddha teaches and as we have discussed before :)

It is the attachment to those desires that is the key. Be they wholesome or not.

Yes it is the attachment not the desires that cause the problems. There's nothing wrong with desires/wants or needs.....