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We often hear about the ego as the cause of pride or the culprit for a person’s suffering when faced with an unwanted situation. But… what exactly is the ego and how does it influence our happiness?
For Western psychology it is a representation that we make of ourselves. However, from the Buddhist point of view the ego is an activity, the recurring tendency to identify with anything that has this representation that we believe it to be.
In this Buddhist tale we will see how this identification keeps us separate from the world and brings us suffering and dissatisfaction, in addition to fostering competition. Enjoy reading.
A test for the chocolate-flavored ego
Joel had arrived three years ago in one of the oldest Buddhist communities in Tibet, and there he longed to be trained to become an exemplary monk.
Every day, at dinnertime, he asked his master if his ordination ceremony would take place the next day. “You’re not ready yet, first you need to work on humility and dominate your ego” , replied his mentor.
Ego? The young man did not understand why the master was referring to his ego. He felt that he deserved to ascend on his spiritual path as he meditated incessantly and read the Buddha’s teachings daily.
One day, the master devised a way to demonstrate to his disciple that he was not ready yet. Before starting the meditation session, he announced: “Whoever meditates best will receive an ice cream as a prize.” Chocolate,” added the old man.
After a brief flurry, the youth in the community began to meditate. Joel wanted to be the best meditator among all his colleagues. ” D this way, show the teacher that I am prepared for the ceremony. And I will be able to eat the ice cream” , concluded the disciple.
the young buddhist tries to meditate
Joel managed to concentrate on his breathing, but at the same time he visualized a large chocolate ice cream that came and went as if on a swing. “It’s not possible, I need to stop thinking about ice cream or someone else will win it”, he repeated to himself.
With great effort, Joel managed to meditate for a few minutes in which he simply followed the rhythm of his breathing, but then he imagined one of the monks eating the chocolate ice cream. “Damn it! I’m the one who needs to get this ice cream!” , thought the anguished young man.
When the session was over, the GM explained that everyone had done the task well, except for someone who had thought too much about ice cream, that is, in the future. Joel composed himself before speaking:
– Master, I thought about the ice cream. I admit. But how can you know that I was the one who thought too much?
the ego reveals itself
– I can’t know. But I can see that you felt so affected that you got up and tried to put yourself on top of your peers. That’s how, dear Joel, the ego acts: you feel attacked, questioned, offended… and you always want to be right in the game of being superior to others.
That day, Joel learned that he still had a long way to go. He worked on his humility and ego impulses. He lived in the present and tried not to be above others. He also understood that it was not convenient for him to identify with his achievements.
So, with hard work and patience, the big day arrived. It was the one in which the master knocked on his door to announce that he was finally prepared for what he had longed for.
When he arrived at the temple, he found no one there. Just a small platform and on it… a chocolate ice cream. Joel was able to appreciate the ice cream gratefully, without feeling disappointed. And then he was ordained a monk.
humility has its prize
Each person has their own chocolate ice cream: what they want to achieve. The problem is having the mind set on it, preventing us from enjoying the present.
If we can detect our own ego and deactivate it, we automatically drop the need to criticize, argue, compete, or judge. Thus, we get rid of the role of victims, of the suffering that represents not complying with the demands of the ego… And we will be able to enjoy the ice cream!
*Original tale by Mar Pastor.
Last image courtesy of Nadezda Murmakova / Shutterstock.com
