(April 6, 2012 at 10:39 pm)Bgood Wrote: You are somewhat correct but I think you misunderstand the purpose of letting go of ego, especially during meditation. It is in the gradual lessening of the ego that lessens anxieties, fears, possessiveness, etc. The over-reliance on ego generally causes alot of personal human suffering. Realistically ego will probably never fully disappear or be completely surrendered, but the effort to reduce it's dominance is vital according to most Eastern philosophies. Supposedly, the complete conquering of "ego-self" is the state of Nirvana. I can't really imagine what that is like all the time, but I think I have had brief experiences of something akin to it, usually by chance or circumstance.
I added definition because ego IS quite a "heady" term. I don't see it as meaning 'the mind; or the brain as you do though. It has no real physical basis as I see it. It is kind of abstract.
e·go
noun, plural e·gos.
1. the “I” or self of any person; a person as thinking, feeling, and willing, and distinguishing itself from the selves of others and from objects of its thought.
2. Psychoanalysis . the part of the psychic apparatus that experiences and reacts to the outside world and thus mediates between the primitive drives of the id and the demands of the social and physical environment.
3. egotism; conceit; self-importance: Her ego becomes more unbearable each day.
4. self-esteem or self-image; feelings: Your criticism wounded his ego.
5. ( often initial capital letter ) Philosophy .
a. the enduring and conscious element that knows experience.
b. Scholasticism . the complete person comprising both body and soul.
Presenting definition does not tell me which one you are using. While referring to ego, I use the first one.
According to that, reliance on ego is reliance on yourself - which according to you is the cause of suffering. So, what should we rely on reduce it? I know that eastern philosophies advocate its surrender, or atleast reduction in its dominance, to reduce suffering and that is exactly what I consider corrupt. I consider that practice to be akin to taking drugs to deal with your problems - that if you can convince yourself for the moment that your problems do not exist, then they'd cease to exist.
