How selfish are spiritual masters?

[Eren Eeager]

On 25/12/2020 at 6:38 PM, Eren Eeager said:

@James123 @Nahm How do you guys answer the question, Am I being selfish for wanting material things, a car, a comfy hose, a nice career, even things like a comfy bed?

@electroBeam

I am interested in your answe to this question. How would you answer it?

[Haumea2018]

42 minutes ago, Eren Eeager said:

@electroBeam

I am interested in your answe to this question. How would you answer it?

About 50-50, maybe a hair on the unselfish side.

100% unselfishness is impossible in human form.  There's the body to take care of, and besides, even if one is not particularly interested in luxuries/fine, expensive things there are still immaterial inducements, such as self-importance, vanity, recognition, etc.  Besides, one can't consciously decide that they are 100% unselfish because that's not how human psychology works, enlightenment or not.  

Edited December 26, 2020 by Haumea2018

[Lyubov]

no need to subtly demonize being selfish.

to be finite and identified with the human form is to be ever slightly selfish. it's not possible to be entirely selfless and be a human at the same time. 

repeating this, no need to subtly demonize being selfish.

Edited December 27, 2020 by Lyubov

[Roy]

On 12/25/2020 at 4:07 AM, Gesundheit said:

We seriously need to have clear definitions of these words:

• Selfishness.
• Selflessness.
• Ego/devil.

Maybe, it would be nice, but this work is vastly too abstract. There are so many complexities, tricks, and counter-intuitive pieces that it feels like an infinite spider web in the mind going in all possible directions.

Nothing feels simplistic and "factual". Rather there are just lots of aha moments as things become less foggy and more clear.

[How to be wise]

@Eren Eeager My guess is that the ego is infinite, meaning that it never gets fully dissolved no matter how much work you do. That’s why all gurus will have some ‘egoistic tendencies.’ 
 

The prime example is yogiraj siddhanath. Despite having a high level of consciousness (LOC 1000), I saw a video where he was shouting at his students because they were sneezing too much! 

[Bodhitree]

How much ego do you need? Enough to not step under a bus.

Generally selfishness causes conflict, and so it causes suffering in your immediate surroundings. Take it in moderation, be modest. It is a temporary thing, which recedes the further you get into spirituality. Eventually when you realise we are all one, you start looking at how to serve the all, and then selfishness becomes even less.