Episode 171
Where is the Ego Here
With some thoughts, it will be obvious as soon as we look – with a memory of an argument, thinking about the perfect comeback we could have said, about something we’re proud of or some reward we look forward to receiving. Just by scratching the surface we can see some association with the ego.
We might find that, even though we recognize these thoughts are based in ego, we want to persist with them. In that case, we can simply notice that impulse. Perhaps there is even a subtler desire to continue with the impulse. Again, we notice the desire.
Often in meditation, and in life, it is not necessary to seek to change things. By becoming aware of our own tendencies, we plant the seed of transformation.
Note: In the episode Kurt attributes a quote to Lao-Tzu – “When I let go of who I am, I become what I might be.” The quote is from a translation of Chapter 22 of the Tao Te Ching, but the translation is not faithful.
Hosts & Guests
Kurt Robinson
Transcript
I’ve been thinking trying to expose my own thought process to a question.
I ask myself where is the ego here? What am I identifying with?
Of course sometimes when we have thoughts it can be quite prominent the ego is there but if we don’t stop to ask the question we might not notice we’re having thoughts, thinking about arguments and things that happened in the past and how we could justify ourselves, justify our position and identify with our position. We might not even realize if we don’t stop to ask the question: where is the ego here?
And of course even in other memories, things that aren’t so combative or antagonistic. WE might think of memories and things we’ve done and ask what is it? What am I identifying with? Where’s the ego, here?
In many of our thoughts, in one way or another we are trying to justify ourselves and we might even find that we ask that question and we find the ego in some form but we don’t wanna let go of it.
We think yes I am identifying with this, yes this is the ego and yes I’m going to continue to identify with it.
There’s nothing really wrong with this. Once again I like to apply this rule of thumb. We don’t need to deny anything or attack anything. Becoming conscious of things in meditation and in many practices, becoming conscious is enough to start the ball rolling.
We notice the ego is present, that we are identifying with some thought, memory, perception, argument.
And we notice we have this drive or desire to continue with the identification.
That’s fine. It starts the process going, it gets us to slowly start to realize these things can slip away. Finally perhaps we are left with just a space.
What would you be if you had no idea who you were?
What might you be?
As Lao Tzu wrote “When I let go of who I am I become who I might be.”
Who are you then? Who are you?
Thank you for listening, I hope you have a wonderful day. I hope you explore the limits of your own identification and identity ever becoming something more subtle, more wonderful.
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