Asmita and Breaking the Bondage of “Me” and “Mine”
Asmita, or ego, is born the moment our undivided pure consciousness falls from its pure state, and we forget (avidya) our true divine nature.
Breaking the Bondage of “Me” and “Mine”
by Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari
In my last article, “Ignorance: The Root of All Suffering,” we discussed the first of Rishi Patanjali’s Five Afflictions (Pancha Kleshas) of Mind. Patanjali, who showed the world the path of Yoga, talks about these five afflictions as the root of all pains in life: Avidya(ignorance), Asmita (ego), Raga (attachment), Devesha (aversion), and Abhinivesha (fear of death). Humanity has lost its vision due to this clouded state of mind brought about by these five afflictions. Therefore, understanding them as the most significant aspect of Yoga can help us find our way through our current jungle state of mind.
The Second Affliction: Ego, or Asmita
The second klesha, or affliction that Patanjali talks about, is Asmita, derived from the Sanskrit root of ashm, meaning “I am.” Asmita, or ego, is born the moment our undivided pure consciousness falls from its pure state, and we forget (avidya) our true divine nature. Maya or illusion takes over in the form of a veil or mask, covering the face of our pure consciousness, and as a result, Asmita, or ego, is born.
The Need for Ego or Asmita
Asmita is vast and needs a lot of meditative contemplation. In its grossest form, it is just the ego, which always tries to catch attention, find recognition, be appreciated, and be loved. But let us not underestimate the need for Asmita for the entire creative process. Imagine if there is no avidya (self-forgetfulness); there would be no step down from the absolute state of pure consciousness that results in all the creations or manifestations of this glorious universe and cosmos. This is the positive side of the story, that because we have avidya, we have this world, our body, our mind, our thoughts, and all the beauty of continual celebrative creations.
Then, Asmita, being born out of avidya, even though it can prove problematic on the surface as “ego,” has a great role to play in our lives. Just imagine the world without egotistical people! So the urge to create, prove, excel, innovate, prosper, and play all comes from that one source, the shadow self that is Asmita, or ego.
The Downside of Ego Is Pain
What is the downside of ego? Self-respect and self-esteem are positive parts of a strong character. But ego is not. Watch the difference. While one lifts us, the other destroys us. How do we know it is ego working? When we are craving attention and recognition, even when we do charity or help those in need. We do “good,” but our tricky minds may be silently fishing for compliments. If we are not appreciated, we may become depressed! We do so much good. But earn so little! Ego cannot earn! It can only spend.
Ego is a separate identity from the state of absolute purity. With ego, the pure Soul now identifies with the body and thinks, “I am this body.” The identifications deepen with the mind and intellect. The body-mind identified Soul creates his or her own opinions, ideas, thoughts, philosophies, beliefs, and concepts as if they are possessions. The deep bondage of “me” and “mine” spreads its branches all over; the identification, which started with the body and mind, now extends to everything the person starts to possess, own, and control. The pains follow.
Breaking from the Bondage of Mine and Me
Ego thrives on problems. It takes its food to survive problems and stress. The more we struggle to remove all problems, the more problems cling to us. To have a peaceful life, we need to stop fanning the ego and its cravings. Ego creates and sustains problems through its survival instincts!
Therefore, we need to be watchful of our thoughts and words. They are creating our destiny every moment. We empower our thoughts and words and win without ego winning by watching, screening, and distilling. As we empower ourselves, we see the dormant potentials of our real self-manifest, and we become dynamic outside and calm and passive inside.
Any identity we create for the world is from our ego-self, our shadow-self. Our true identity is hidden in the recess of our hearts. How can we be happy with our shadow identity? How long can we be happy to wear a mask called personality? When will we shed the false persona and know that we are the children of eternal light, that we have come to this transient world only to dive within to know who we truly are?
Millenniums have passed; civilizations have come and gone, and so much has happened, yet the relevance of Patanjali’s insights is beyond question. Once we know the cause of pain in our lives, it becomes easy. Then we can work with focused attention to heal our pains for good. With Asmita or ego, we must accept it as it is. Then through prayer, mindfulness, and meditation, we begin to consciously move from an ego-centered life to a soul-centered life, for only soul-centered life can uplift us to calm and peace, for that is what Soul is all about!
About the Author
Bodhi (Shuddhaanandaa Brahmachari, India) is a globally acclaimed spiritual teacher with 40 years of meditation experience, author, and visionary social advocate; he founded Lokenath Divine Life Mission serving thousands of poverty-stricken individuals. Received Lifetime Achievement Award, House of Lords, UK, 2015. Author: Living with My Himalayan Master. YouTube Channel: Bodhi Shuddhaanandaa. www.courseinmindfulness.com
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