Function of the Ego.

[Gadasaa]

I'm on spiritual path. However, I'm finding it to be very conflicting to purse enlightenment while still having desires to succeed and experience the world to the fullest. If the ultimate aim of spirituality is to eliminate the ego and exist as one with everything else, then it's tremendously hard to function and succeed in this world which necessitates an ego. I've plans for the future. Most of them, require me to elevate my ego to certain degree, to make them happen. I notice that every time, i become humble and less selfish, others impose their ego and unconsciousness on me which causes me to bring out my own ego and it's a never ending vicious cycle. How can i reconcile spirituality with life of competition and desire? 

[oMarcos]

What if you could understand better the other ego's because you are on the path of studying the functions of your own ego, that would make you better in dealing with other people, and that doesn't mean your are being selfish or egocentric, just means you are becoming more conscious

[Martin123]

23 minutes ago, Gadasaa said:

I'm on spiritual path. However, I'm finding it to be very conflicting to purse enlightenment while still having desires to succeed and experience the world to the fullest. If the ultimate aim of spirituality is to eliminate the ego and exist as one with everything else, then it's tremendously hard to function and succeed in this world which necessitates an ego. I've plans for the future. Most of them, require me to elevate my ego to certain degree, to make them happen. I notice that every time, i become humble and less selfish, others impose their ego and unconsciousness on me which causes me to bring out my own ego and it's a never ending vicious cycle. How can i reconcile spirituality with life of competition and desire? 

Hi Gadasaa!

While the ego is certainly something that is very painful to unravel, the goal on a spiritual path isn't to get rid off the ego, push it away, and nor is it wrong at any point to have an ego.
As we go through childhood and conditioning societally, we develop ego to cover up the wounds we haven't been necessarily able to process. This brings two revelations. Firstly, ego is your friend, and you are it's wise guide, it has always been there to protect you from not being able to process the trauma in your nervous system. 
Secondly, healing and integrating your ego does not equal deleting your personality. You will always have choices, free will, desires and individuality. Ego is just the reactivity we have our personality covered with. So you can totally still find success after fully healing, integrating and awakening. It's just gonna give you a vastly different perspective and experience.
To be one with all does not mean give up your autonomy. When you are one with all, you are in an intimate relationship with all. In such an intimate relationship, that there is no separation, and it's really wonderful, and yet this wonderfulness will be experience through the personality of your autonomous individual self.

[Forestluv]

50 minutes ago, Gadasaa said:

If the ultimate aim of spirituality is to eliminate the ego and exist as one with everything else, then it's tremendously hard to function and succeed in this world which necessitates an ego. 

I would say it's more about transcending the ego than eliminating the ego. Complete and abiding dissolution of all egoic dynamics is an extremely high bar and extremely rare. Like becoming a four-time olympic gold medalist in the marathon, gymnastics, snowboarding and weightlifting. I suppose it's conceivably possible, yet I wouldn't want to hold my standard of success to that standard. And I wouldn't spend much time wondering what that type of life would be like.

Another perspective is that the "ego" is actually an illusion. Therefore, it has already been eliminated (since there was never an ego to eliminate). It is just a matter of waking up to this.

[TheAvatarState]

1 hour ago, Gadasaa said:

. I notice that every time, i become humble and less selfish, others impose their ego and unconsciousness on me which causes me to bring out my own ego and it's a never ending vicious cycle. How can i reconcile spirituality with life of competition and desire? 

NEVER sacrifice your values, your humility, to command more respect or attention. This may seem counterintuitive, but true authentic humility commands everyone's respect. It is an immovable object, and in fact one of the rarest and most-prized character traits in existence. Society is in the business of convincing you that humility is weak, because they themselves do not possess the strength to wield it. Stay strong, my friend. 

[Gadasaa]

Really appreciate your response guys! 

[Gadasaa]

2 hours ago, Serotoninluv said:

Another perspective is that the "ego" is actually an illusion. Therefore, it has already been eliminated (since there was never an ego to eliminate). It is just a matter of waking up to this.

That was good one! 

[Shadowraix]

I forward the motion it is abou transcending the ego. To be able to use it but not be restricted by it. At the end of the day you live with an ego but you can be more conscious of it. 

[tecladocasio]

4 hours ago, Gadasaa said:

How can i reconcile spirituality with life of competition and desire? 

@Gadasaa You don't . Because it's you that's saying spirituality is , in some way , better that competition and desire . Your desire to spirituality is the same desire as the ''competitive'' ones . I guess you want to be effective in the real world , and this has nothing to do with ego . Ego is the imaginary part of you that you think you are , ego is identity . Look at sadhguru , he seems very effective , the most i've ever seen . 

[Jkris]

@Gadasaa It is not the ego or I thought that you are trying to eliminate.As long as body is there I thought will be there.

It is the I feeling or me feeling or sense of seperate self or the identity that needs to be eliminated.

 

[Bill W]

On 4/25/2019 at 11:19 PM, TheAvatarState said:

NEVER sacrifice your values, your humility, to command more respect or attention. This may seem counterintuitive, but true authentic humility commands everyone's respect. It is an immovable object, and in fact one of the rarest and most-prized character traits in existence. Society is in the business of convincing you that humility is weak, because they themselves do not possess the strength to wield it. Stay strong, my friend. 

This is one of the most beautiful posts I've seen on the forum. Thank you. 

[TheAvatarState]

4 hours ago, Bill W said:

This is one of the most beautiful posts I've seen on the forum. Thank you. 

This made my morning, thank you