Separating out your ego-self from
your true-self. step 2
by: Greg
Step 2, A Yogic or traditional way of prying yourself loose.
Some people identify with their car, some identify with their children, some
people identify with their money and some identify with their job. Most
identify with their physical body and virtually everyone identifies with
their name.
What is interesting is one's name is really kind of a label for the ego.
Considering that the ego is a program, software for the physical body, one's
name is kind of like the name of the software and even a version number.
The next time someone asks me, "Who are you?" Maybe instead of just saying
the normal "I'm Greg." I might say "I'm Greg version 4.0." What is good
about that is although I still identity with being Greg, I am identifying
with being a CHANGING Greg! If I thought about how many big changes I have
gone through, versions 1.0, 2.0, etc. and how many small changes, .1, .2,
.3, etc. I could be up to "Release 435.8" or even higher by now.
Could that mean my ego is changing too? I think so.
If we again consider that the ego is a program then who is the programmer?
And is a changed Ego a reprogrammed one? And then on top of that, if I say
"I" am the programmer then who or what is an "I?" Especially if I identify
with my ego.
So am I the programmer or is Greg the programmer? Well, if I am Greg then
there is no difference but if I am NOT Greg then there is a difference. If
I identify with Greg (or my car, kids, money, job etc.) then am "I" the
identifier?
Could it be that I am the identifier who chooses what to identify with? If
so then maybe there is an option to HAVE an ego rather then only Be one.
Maybe then I can "identify" with being whatever it is that Blue says I am
and at the same time HAVE an ego.
A Yogic Traditional Technique.
The Yogi's worked on this question a lot and came up with a way to get a
handle on who or what the "identifier" (or programmer) was by trying to get
an experience of who or what the "I" was.
The technique is called: "netti, netti" and it means " not that, not
that." And, it is a process of elimination.
The process is to ask the question "what am I?"And then the mind makes a suggestion.
And then you test the suggestion. by asking the question :Can I set this
thing that is suggested aside for consideration? The "setting aside for
consideration" really means: "Can I separate myself from that?"
If the answer is "yes, I am able to set it aside for consideration" then it
cannot be what you are since what you are is doing the considering and
therefore not the thing considered!
And then whatever is left over after all of the setting aside is done must
be what you really are which is able to do the considering and not be the
considered.
As we begin, ego-self says, perhaps sarcastically, how do you know you
aren't your elbow?
You reply; "because I can set it aside for consideration. Meaning I can
adopt a "point of view" that is separate from the elbow and consider, for
example, it's size, shape, color, function etc. And so you assert, "I am
not that."
Ego-self retreats a bit and acknowledges you can do that with legs, liver or
lungs and therefore any physical body part. It then suggests that you are
your thoughts.
As you think about this, you notice that you actually ARE your thoughts for
a moment! But, just like any good traditional mediator you begin to simply
OBSERVE your thoughts and as you do this realize that you are, in fact,
setting them aside for consideration. Setting them aside for consideration
is just about the same thing as observing them.
So you tell ego-self: "Nope, not that."
Ego-self then says, "Well, suppose you just fell off a cliff and there are
rocks at the bottom. You are screaming your head off "I don't want to die,
I don't want to die…" So clearly YOU will die and therefore YOU are your
physical body!
You acknowledge that this is a tougher one and go to work on it …..
Ego-self actually interrupts you and asserts rather loudly: "Even if you
think that you are not your physical body, look at how scared YOU are and so
for sure YOU are your terrified emotions!"
You're getting nervous now and ego-self senses the advantage and presses
hard for ultimate victory. It blasts you with: "AND THEN even if you wiggle
out of that through some ILLUSION, when YOU hit the rocks and YOU stop
screaming because YOU are dead then YOU will be GONE!" RIGHT?!!
... So, my friends, if you feel the impulse, when you are ready, draw your
sword of truth and see how you fare against the ego-self. See how far you
can go and how many times you can look it in the face and calmly, in your
truth, say "No, not that."
Most commonly, if you or anyone else asks you who or what you are, you will
say. "Well, I'm just me." Have you ever wondered what a "me" actually is?
If you're interested, here is what I did with that question: See:
much love and much peace ….
Greg
