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CONSCIOUSNESS Is Everything
The Ego Is an Illusion
One of the ideas that results from cultural thinking in a modern society is that I am a separate person with an ego. It is learned along with many other things necessary for me to be an acceptable member of the ‘group’ - family, teammates, co-workers, classmates, neighbors, citizens, humans.
The ego, supposedly, is this character behind my eyes, somewhere in my head, who initiates my everyday thoughts, feelings, and actions. With judging thoughts, I label and remember many of the things that seem to matter. The ability to review these memories supports this ego idea. When familiar circumstances are faced, I usually react in a predictable way. This behavior consistency suggests that I have an ego or that I am an ego.
Valuable time and energy is wasted if I excessively review the past and my future expectations. Unchecked, this type of distraction allows impulsive regrettable responses to repeat themselves when facing familiar challenges (like when my button is pushed). My attention better serves me when it is focused on the present moment which is the only one available to me. It is always now.
Meditation helps to slow down or temporarily stop the constant thinking – the chatter. Reading, sports, and cleaning works almost as well for me. When I take time to quiet this review type of thinking on a daily basis, I am more calm and likely to respond in a productive manner when challenged. As the ego idea fades (and it’s gradual), consideration and creativity come more easily, giving satisfies more than getting, increasing happiness and reducing suffering for those within my reach is more important.
I am replacing the ego idea with this;
Everything in the known universe (all forms of life, inert matter, energy, and empty space) all of it arises in CONSCIOUSNESS. There is no central ‘ego’ character inside of my head. As these words are being typed or read, it is only an experiencing activity that is happening here by perceiving, thinking, reacting, communicating, and moving around using this brain as its instrument and this body as its vehicle. CONSCIOUSNESS experiences ITSELF through individual living creatures (people, animals, birds, fish, and insects) and perhaps even through vegetation and other non-living matter.
A human being is an experiencing activity happening in a reality filled with continuous movement between inseparable opposites such as up and down, in and out, hot and cold, desire and satisfaction, joy and grief. While change is constant, many assumptions, opinions, and beliefs held by individuals are very specific, rigid, and / or extreme. ‘Mistakes must be avoided. After death, our souls go to either heaven or hell for an eternity. I can’t live without him. Foreigners can’t be trusted. If you love our country, you must respect our flag. Everything happens for the best. War is necessary to protect the peace. You are my best friend. That can’t be done.’ This experiencing activity is drawn to notions that are in sync with a more selfless perspective.
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