(Continued from Issue 232)
Since Issue 227,
we have been looking at various psychological methods to reduce
ego. In this Issue we will look at a few more such methods.
Playing with children: One forgets one’s status (ego) at
least to some extent when playing with children.
Not talking about oneself: When one constantly tells others about
his happiness and sorrow, problems or developments in worldly life,
etc., it increases attachment to oneself, to one’s life events
and to the body, therefore increasing ego. By not speaking about
oneself, attachment to the body automatically reduces, as does ego.
Behaving with family members according to their wish rather
than one’s own wish: Not all seekers’ family members undertake
spiritual practice. Such seekers should not have the attitude that ‘I
am a seeker’ while interacting with his non-seeker family
members. Instead, he should consider himself just another member
of the family. By thinking, ‘I am a seeker’, he considers
himself distinct from non-seekers. This itself is a sign of ego.
While interacting with family members, if he acts according to their
wishes (parechcha) then the seeker develops the habit of listening
to others, which reduces his ego.
One should behave respectfully while talking to elders in the
family. One should respectfully offer obeisance to them. If a seeker
behaves with his family members as if they, too, are seekers, then
even at home, among non-seekers, he can experience the Bliss of
living in a hermitage (ashram) or in Holy company (satsang) of seekers. Sometimes seekers face opposition to spiritual practice from family
members who are non-seekers. If at such times the seeker is adamant
about his spiritual practice, then the opposition is likely to increase
further. However, if the seeker listens to the family members, everyone
likes him. Later when the opposition to his spiritual practice reduces,
the seeker can gradually tell them to undertake spiritual practice,
too.
The seeker can follow the above guidelines, as the situation demands,
while interacting with colleagues at work, friends and relatives.
In the next Issue we will continue to look at some more methods
to reduce ego. |
