Pearls of Wisdom : Egocentric desire is virus

Ego is deadly. It creates waves of disparity and disharmony in the society. The foolish are victimised by their own ego. You must ensure you do not fall a prey to it

The virus that attacks the character of human beings is one’s ego and egocentric desires. The ego is an exhibition, overemphasis of one’s person. An exaggerated projection of oneself over others. The ‘i’ that wants to get bigger and bigger. Craves to be known and idolised.in the process one develops insatiable desires to maintain and inflate the ego. Most of these desires remain unfulfilled to cause mental agitation, frustration, stress.

The ego manifests in a person in three distinct ways:

• I am supreme
• I alone exist
• I am the doer.

In the first manifestation of ego the person considers himself supreme. Feels intoxicated with an air of superiority.suffers from a superiority complex. With pride and vanity he puts himself on a higher pedestal and regards others inferior to him. Thus estranging himself from his colleagues. You must be careful you do not develop this noxious trait. it segregates you from the rest and ruins the spirit of cooperative endeavour in the organisation.

In the second manifestation he feels himself all-important. As though he alone exists. And everybody and everything is meant to cater to his person. Totally self-centred, his interest and conduct is directed to his wellbeing at the expense of others.

A third way, the ego manifests as the notion of doership: iam the doer,i do everything. A sense of arrogating every piece of work done to one’s sole effort, none else. such a person fails to recognise the contributions of many others towards his achievement. Without which it would not have been possible for him to accomplish it. Take an example of the designer of the latest model of the Mercedes Benz. No doubt he has produced an excellent car. But he must realise that thousands of varied technicians have contributed their expertise in the past and present towards its creation. To ignore all their inputs and arrogate the new model to his sole effort is the play of the ego. His ‘i’ sticks out more than his work.

Ego is deadly. it creates waves of disparity and disharmony in the society. The foolish are victimised by their own ego. You must ensure you do not fall a prey to it. Learn to look at the world dispassionately. Not egoistically. Try to understand how nature works. How the animate and the inanimate are knit together to form the universe. How all of them act as spokes in the wheel of life. Each one playing a distinct part.so must you play your part. He that is ignorant of this phenomenon does not perceive the great plan of nature. Fails to look at himself as a part of the whole. Develops the petty ego and suffers.

You must get wiser than that. understand that everyone in this wide world possesses a talent of his own. And you are one such. Why do you have to compare yourself with others. Just play your life’s role without an air of superiority or inferiority. Live your life in a spirit of dispassion.remember, all the world is a stage and all men and women mere actors playing their different roles. None important, none unimportant.

The great American philosopher-poet, ralph Waldo Emerson drives home this thought in his simple poem:

• The Mountain and the Squirrel
• The mountain and the squirrel
• Had a quarrel;
• And the former called the latter “Little Prig.”
• Bun replied,
• “You are doubtless very big;
• But all sorts of things and weather
• Must be taken in together,
• To make up a year
• And a sphere.
• And I think it no disgrace
• To occupy my place.
• If I’m not so large as you,
• You are not so small as I,
• And not half so spry,
• I’ll not deny you make
• A very pretty squirrel track;
• Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;
• If I cannot carry forests on my back,
• Neither can you crack a nut.”

By Swami Parthasarathy