Can ego come back someday after enlightenment?

[Buba]

Is enlightenment a one second process (revolution) or the result of slow daily improvement (evolution)?  Is it a point where you change permanently or can you deteriorate again and drown in your mind days or years after enlightenment? 

[molosku]

Even better,  you can experience an immediate ego backlash right after.  That happened to me,  got really depressed and hopeless for an hour or so. 

[egoless]

@Buba Enlightenment is permanent. If it is temporary it is most likely a satori glimpse... 

[Joseph Maynor]

Anyone who says Enlightenment is permanent, if they're not talking about themselves -- don't listen to them.  It's a cliche that is very overused in this work.

[h inandout]

In my opinion Enlightened people just watch their ego, and let it go on however it likes.  The difference is that they can say, "oh, hey, ego, you're being really mechanical and repetitive, let's drop this and pretend like we have a fresh slate."  Just for the joy of seeing what it does next!  Just my opinion.  Good question.

[h inandout]

Omg, I think ego gets worse after every "satori".

[Shanmugam]

@Buba  It depends on how you define ego.. I see ego as a function. The sense of a separate self will completely dissolve but the function of ego will continue.. You need ego to function in the world. Before enlightenment, ego strives to protect and enhance the personal separate self. But after enlightenment, ego simply helps you to function in the world. There is no more solid, consistent and separate self to protect. But ego by its very nature is defensive. This defensive nature will continue throughout your life and it is actually an essential function in social life. But you can't feel hurt or insulted anymore because there is no solid 'me' to feel insulted.

For your question regarding enlightenment, read this 

 

[Faceless]

@Shanmugam

yeah.. the seperate self that thought has created dies. As in the content of this seperate self and all it’s implications is negated. One sees that thought gave continuity to this seperate self and in that seeing without acceptance or resistance that seperate self becomes quiet. 

 

Edited January 10, 2018 by Faceless

[Faceless]

@Shanmugam

you speak of your home land often. Where do you live friend?

[Shanmugam]

@Faceless I live in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu in South India

[Nahm]

@Buba There’s only one way to find out. 

[star ark]

Ego could definitely come back

You could become enlightened out in the woods

You walk home but your house is now a mansion!!!

You inherited a long lost aunts fortune and now you are wealthy beyond your wildest dreams and that chick you always had the hots for is waiting with keys to your new mansion!!!! She's gonna suck your cock while her indentical twin sister does what ever you could possible imagine!!!

Somehow your friends witness this through a window - they wanna check out your new pad.

They congratulate you on your house, your wealth and your new Charlie Sheen lifestyle.

Does your ego come back? Anything could happen outside of yourself that sparks the ego. You must be vigilant and watch out for any peeps of the ego

[Nahm]

@Buba nothing will be the same, and Nothing will be the same. 

[Faceless]

@Shanmugam

ah yes now I remeber you had said India in one of your posts. ??

[Buba]

15 hours ago, Shanmugam said:

The sense of a separate self will completely dissolve 

Can it come back? 

4 hours ago, Nahm said:

@Buba There’s only one way to find out. 

I suspect I will )) 

 

4 hours ago, star ark said:

You must be vigilant and watch out for any peeps of the ego

So there is a possibility that, even after enlightenment a person can return to pre-enlightenment mode.

[tatsumaru]

@Buba Did you notice what happened? Everyone in this thread has their own perspective of enlightenment and is replying according to their beliefs about what enlightenment is. From what I can see - most people here seem to equate enlightenment with Jed McKenna's idea of enlightenment or in other words "truth realization". Some "chop wood, carry water" thing.

The way the Buddha described it - it goes much further than that. MUCH MUCH further. Did the Buddha or Tilopa had to chop wood and carry water? Did the Tathagata say that there's no self, or did he say that there's an eternal self that is indestructible like a diamond?

Now, whether any of it it is true is irrelevant. The point is that you shouldn't chase after enlightenment because what you are really doing this way is going after someone's idea or description of it, which cannot be the real thing. A belief will never get you to the end.

Finally, regarding your question: If enlightenment is our true nature, then we've always had it, like ALWAYS. With that said why are we in the situation to have to remember our home? Did we lose it? If we can lose it once, can't we lose it again? Who knows? You can always come up with some weird question like - "What if enlightenment is just part of a computer simulation and we are test rats?". No point in trying to overreach with your intellect. Time to go further than asking questions. The intellect is only useful to let go of the intellect. Keep going further.

Edited January 11, 2018 by tatsumaru

[Buba]

24 minutes ago, tatsumaru said:

@Buba Did you notice what happened? Everyone in this thread has their own perspective of enlightenment and is replying according to their beliefs about what enlightenment is. From what I can see - most people here seem to equate enlightenment with Jed McKenna's idea of enlightenment or in other words "truth realization". Some "chop wood, carry water" thing.

The way the Buddha described it - it goes much further than that. MUCH MUCH further. Did the Buddha or Tilopa had to chop wood and carry water? Did the Tathagata say that there's no self, or did he say that there's an eternal self that is indestructible like a diamond?

Now, whether any of it it is true is irrelevant. The point is that you shouldn't chase after enlightenment because what you are really doing this way is going after someone's idea or description of it, which cannot be the real thing. A belief will never get you to the end.

Finally, regarding your question: If enlightenment is our true nature, then we've always had it, like ALWAYS. With that said why are we in the situation to have to remember our home? Did we lose it? If we can lose it once, can't we lose it again? Who knows? You can always come up with some weird question like - "What if enlightenment is just part of a computer simulation and we are test rats?". No point in trying to overreach with your intellect. Time to go further than asking questions. The intellect is only useful to let go of the intellect. Keep going further.

Yes I agree with you. My mind asks endless questions and finds "bugs". Not  just about spirituality, but about everything.  When I was learning programming in an online course, I was the most question asking student.  Questions arise in every aspect of life. With such questions I became atheist (I was muslim).

[NoSelfSelf]

When you see who you are ego will disappear and it will be super silent and peacful because you master is here and ego mind is your servent...

[Leo Gura]

On 1/9/2018 at 4:11 AM, Buba said:

Is enlightenment a one second process (revolution) or the result of slow daily improvement (evolution)?  Is it a point where you change permanently or can you deteriorate again and drown in your mind days or years after enlightenment? 

All the above.

Careful not to oversimplify it. In reality, it's a tricky and multi-faceted beast.

There is not just ego to consider, but the entire process of mind and self-survival.

One enlightenment experience will rarely nuke the whole ego, and certainly won't change the entire mind with all its habits, dogmas, programs, cravings, fears, quirks, and neuroses.

For most people, their first few glimpses don't stick. Because the mind needs a really deep exposure to "get it". This exposure process can take years of work. I personally feel it happening in myself this way. I feel my mind preparing itself for the ultimate demise. It's not ready yet. Even though I've died many times by now and know what that entails. Each exposure to the Absolute slowly burns off the ego.

Don't expect it to be a clean cut, black and white, instant Buddha-like enlightenment.

This will also depend on which techniques you are using. The yoga path will be quite different from the self-inquiry path, from the psychedelic path. The psychedelic path in particular is lots of small exposures which gradually re-sculpt the mind in a big way. I suspect most meditation paths like Zen are that way too.

[snowleopard]

Exclusive Girl/Guy Obessesion is a very entangled, persistent and resilient condition to alleviate, and often takes several courses of ongoing treatment, and much suffering, to overcome ... This might make a good allegory