A dear Christian friend of mine pointed out to me that the crucifix is I crossed out! I thought this was a striking symbol of a goal Christians aspire to. It then occurred to me that the Bahá'í symbol of the Greatest Name (also known as the ringstone symbol) is I crossed out no less than three times! [see illustration below] Boy! Bodhi and I sure have some work to put in!!

However, I believe that however hard we work - were we to strive every waking hour from now until the year 3,000 we would still not be totally free of ego! The following passage explains why:-

The only people who are truly free of the "dross of self" are the Prophets, for to be free of one's ego is a hall-mark of perfection. We humans are never going to become perfect, for perfection belongs to a realm we are not destined to enter. However, we must constantly mount higher, seek to be more perfect. The ego is the animal in us, the heritage of the flesh which is full of selfish desires. By obeying the laws of God, seeking to live the life laid down in our teachings, and prayer and struggle, we can subdue our egos. We call people "saints" who have achieved the highest degree of mastery over their egos. (Unfolding Destiny, page 453)

  I can illustrate this Bahá'í belief, again by reference to the Ringstone symbol. It has many meanings but the one we are concerned with here is that there are three distinct realms of being. The top line represents the Kingdom of God; the middle line the Kingdom of the Prophets or Manifestations of God; the bottom line the Kingdom of creation. The line going down the middle - that connects all three - represents the Holy Spirit which is an emanation of God.

The High Prophets, or in Bahá'í terminology, Manifestations of God, although like us in physical form are a distinct level of creation capable of subduing their ego to a degree we can never aspire to. These special beings are the Intermediaries between the Unknowable Essence that is God and His creation. In order for them to manifest God, their own ego must be utterly effaced.

For the slightest whispering of self within such a Court is an evidence of self-assertion and independent existence. In the eyes of them that have attained unto that Court, such a suggestion is itself a grievous transgression. How much more grievous would it be, were aught else to be mentioned in that Presence, were man's heart, his tongue, his mind, or his soul, to be busied with any one but the Well-Beloved, were his eyes to behold any countenance other than His beauty, were his ear to be inclined to any melody but His Voice, and were his feet to tread any way but His way....(Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, page 55)

As far as you and I are concerned, I guess it is a case of:-
You go
They go
But ego
No go
Til I go!
--by Paul Booth   paul@nur.win-uk.net

A BUDDHIST'S COMMENTARY
DHARMA THE CAT: EPISODE 7 - "EGO"
by Peter Masefield, Pali scholar
[view the cartoon]

How can one tell if a person is enlightened ?

The simple answer is that one cannot; for as the Buddha often pointed out, it takes one to know one: an enlightened person can know of another whether or not he is enlightened, but those of us who are not can only accept such matters on trust, including, it may be added, whether the Buddha himself was actually enlightened.

But can we tell if a person is not enlightened ?

Again, probably not—ultimately. But it remains a fact that if we spend enough time with a person who is not enlightened, he will probably, sooner or later, give the game away in some manner.

I once shared a flat with someone who was an advocate of Advaitavedaanta, whose central doctrine (tat tvam asi) is that the innermost essence of a human being (aatman) is identical with the innermost essence of the cosmos (brahman), and that all else, including the distinctions between things that we normally make in everyday life, is ultimately illusory. Yet I was taken to task for not cleaning up the illusory dust her illusory individuality had created when writing with illusory chalk on her illusory blackboard !

Sooner or later, most give the game away, though some may not, in which case, we can only suspect that they might be enlightened, but that we have no way of confirming this.

On the other hand, some of the behaviour we might expect of an enlightened person, or conversely we might not expect of such a person, may not be as foolproof as we might have supposed.

For instance, the behaviour of some, supposedly enlightened, teachers may, at times, strike us as rather eccentric, and even inconsistent with the essential doctrines of the system they purport to represent, as some of the statements made by Zen masters illustrate.

Then again, we might suspect that Bodhi's apparent conceit is a sure indication that he is not as enligthened as he thinks.

Yet Buddhism has always been beset by a seeming paradox—that in order to succeed in the spiritual quest one has to desire the attainment of a state that is devoid of desire which, of course, carries along with it notions of self-improvement, when there is, in reality, no self to be improved, and only delusory ignorance to be dispelled.

Now, one might suppose that those who are enlightened, and who have thereby seen through the illusory notion of self, might well be devoid of any personal pride or conceit. Yet this is, rather surprisingly, not the case, for conceit, or pride, is actually a very subtle impediment which is only eradicated at the very last moment of the path.

The liberation process is a progressive liberation from the ten fetters (sa.myojana) that bind us to the round of births. These fetters are usually enumerated as follows:

(1) lust for sense-desires (2) aversion (3) pride/conceit (4) wrong view (5) doubt (6) attachment to rites and rituals (7) lust for becoming (8) envy (9) selfishness (10) ignorance

The process through which one becomes liberated from these fetters is said to occur in four distinct stages, viz. those in which one becomes:

(a) a sotaapanna (streamwinner) (b) a sakadaagaamin (once-returner) (c) an anaagaamin (non-returner) (d) an arahant.

In each of these stages one becomes progressively released from the above fetters.

In the first stage, one is said to become rid of (4) wrong view, (5) doubt, and (6) attachment to rites and rituals. The elimination of wrong view grants one a vision of the four truths, including nibbana, which forms the third of those truths, and also allows one to see through the illusory notion of self. This means, then, that even at the first stage, one is totally enlightened and, indeed, there is no quantitative, or qualitative, enhancement of such enlightenment in the subsequent stages, yet one is still, in this first stage, subject to pride/conceit.

In the second stage, (1) lust for sense-desires, and (2) aversion, are considerably weakened, though not entirely eliminated; their elimination occurs only in the third stage.

This means that, following the attainment of this third stage, even such an advanced individual is still beset by the five remaining fetters, viz. pride/conceit (3), lust for becoming (7), envy (8), selfishness (9) and (10) ignorance. These five are only eliminated with the attainment of the fourth, and final, stage.

Bodhi may well be on the way—even enlightened—but even his realisation of ego loss will not necessarily result, in the initial stages, in any loss of pride/conceit, which may well yet provide him with sufficient motivation to advance to the final stage, in which that fetter of pride/conceit will finally be severed.  -- Peter Masefield

"Self-denial" has long been an interpretation of the Christian faith for some Christians.  But it can be a most deceptive idea.

When I become proud of my "self-denial" I have already fallen into what some have called the devil's trap.  Such pride leads to a fall.

Yet, at the heart of the Christian faith is the self-giving, self-effacing sacrifice of Jesus for the sake of others.  And there have been many examples of life lived and life given this way in the history of humanity.   Think of people like Mother Theresa of Calcutta.  In the realm of drama, think of McMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest."

This is life lived and given in the spirit of Christ for the release of others.  And it's an example for all of us to follow - for our own sake, for the sake of others, for the sake of the world we live in.  – Rev Bern Stevens.

Ego is the most difficult thing we all have to master, Bodhi all the more so because a monk is supposed virtually to have extinguished the ego. When we know ourselves, as the Oracle of Delphi recommendedlong ago, do we know only the ego or something deeper and transcendent we have so much difficulty in grasping?

Dharma, of course, true to his name already knows the deceptiveness present in thinking ego can easily be supressed and eradicated. The immediate difficulty, recognized in Buddhist meditational practice, is that our feeling of ego is helped along by the language we speak. It is so easy to transfer the linguistic unity of "I", "me" and "mine" into something else that unites one as an individual.

For Hindus ego is what prevents a person from gaining in spiritual advancement. This maxim is found everywhere: from the most sophisticated philosophical text, to the most emotional of devotional practices and to the most sublime poetry. Ego blocks the pathway to the higher self, that which communicates with the divine.

The Sanskrit word for ego translates literally as "I-maker". It is much easier to translate than the word normally translated as "soul", as the latter has no referent outside of itself. Ego drives activity and will. In doing so it produces karma and rebirth. Above all it conspires to make the individual think that the mentally and physically active part of what drives him or her is the real locus of existence. It is both the foundation of meaning and the means whereby the individual will express this meaning. Unhappily it is really the source of spiritual ignorance and the first step to be taken by any person who places themselves on a path to enlightenment - however this might be conceived - is to recognize the ego for what it is and then to supress it. This does not mean destroying it, only setting it in its proper place.

In the famous Hindu text, the Bhagavadgita, Arjuna was not able to realize Krishna as the highest god until he had brought about the supression of his ego. In the earliest chapters of this book he is depicted arguing constantly with Krishna, as if he is pitting his own will against the divine. But this is the rub. He must do this. He must confront and conquer his ego in an act of self-sacrifice. In truth his own "self" is identical with Krishna's "self", yet this flash of insight will emerge only when Arjuna can see beyond the limited self created by ego.

Which brings us back to Bodhi. Dharma already knows ego should be discovered and left to lie dormant. Hence he can sleep easily. It is not for him to strive after a false conception of self. Only Bodhi strives to complete himself in a way utterly recognizable as belonging to himself. But where is his own self? Is it in his body, or is it in his shadow? From a Hindu perspective he has created a duality where none should exist. Unwittingly he has regained his own ego he had claimed to have lost, whilst recreating the spiritual duality upon which ego so thrives.  -- Dr Greg Bailey

INTERFAITH PERSPECTIVE
DHARMA THE CAT: EPISODE 7 - "EGO"
by Rev Paul Brindel, Santa Cruz, California
[view the cartoon]

My Son Noah Has New Lungs.

I am “my Son Noah has new lungs”.

I haven’t always been, of course. Before that I was “my Son Noah needs new lungs”.

Six months ago I was: My Son Noah, also an Interfaith Minister, struggled for each breath. He had trouble walking to a movie from the car. He couldn’t dance. He reached a terrible low about 6 months ago and was hospitalized. In preparation for a possible lung transplant, the result of 24 years surviving Cystic Fibrosis, he had an operation to clean out his sinuses. Some of the infection spread to his lungs and he became as ill as I had seen him be since he was 9 months old.

He had visions in the hospital. He was a Samurai Warrior in Japan three hundred years ago. He disapproved of blood sports but he was ordered, by his Master, to fight in a tournament, and in the process became injured and woke up in the hospital and couldn’t understand the plastic on the walls, or the oxygen tube up his nose, or the many electronic, medical devices. He was out of time.

Three months ago I was: My Son Noah grew stronger and gained 20 pounds of muscle. He focused on his Chi Kung and Tai Chi; he participated in prayer groups, and his breathing improved so much that he was no longer eligible for his “at home” oxygen tank. He walked to movies. He participated in Seminary activities. He bought new clothes and cut his hair. He fell in love with a beautiful woman who speaks many languages. And she fell in love with him.

One month ago I was: My Son Noah got the call at 6 AM. A suitable donor was available and he needed to come immediately. An hour later we were at the hospital preparing for the transplant, still unsure as to the appropriateness of the donor lungs. For six hours Noah prepared for the operation and even when they wheeled him into the operating room at 3:30 PM we were not sure.

A double lung transplant operation is like the launch of a space shuttle. The count down could be put on hold at any time the surgeon thought it should be. The operation could be called off right up to the time Noah’s own lungs were removed.

And now I am: My Son Noah has new lungs. He was breathing on his own two days after the operation and the new lungs provided more oxygen than his old ones. He began to take short walks. After a week in Intensive Care and another in “Step Down Intensive Care” he moved to an apartment a block from the Transplant Clinic. He has lived there almost a month now. We walk more than a half a mile each day and once we walked a mile, though that was a bit much. He will live there for at least two months, maybe three, as the anti-rejection drugs are balanced.

His Mother lives with him from Monday to Friday and I take over Friday afternoon through Sunday evening. His Grandmother, my Mother, helps with shopping and cleaning and moral support. I read to him every day I am with him, like I did when he was much younger. We argue religion and politics and the origins of the Universe. We do constant testing of blood pressure, heart rate, glucose levels and temperature. He takes 15 different medicines four time a day orally and intravenously twice a day. He has begun to spend hours on the phone with his girlfriend.

I am: my Son Noah has new lungs and is slowly growing stronger and has been offered a job when he recovers, and has dreams of travel with his girlfriend, and dreams of future doings unreachable before. Noah has again added the “Rev.” to his name when he signs forms and corresponds.

I know I am more and less than all of this; we did the “I am” exercises at Seminary, but I don’t care right now, and I can’t think of a more glorious “I am” than “My Son Noah has new lungs”. -- Rev Paul Brindel.

ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
DHARMA THE CAT: EPISODE 7 - "EGO"
by Saifullah Khalid, National Vice President
Ahmadiyya Muslim Association of Australia
[view the cartoon]

According to Islam, God has granted man will, volition and desire to exist and continue, so that by making proper use of his physical, mental, moral and spiritual faculties he may progress and evolve and make himself deserving of receiving spiritual rewards in this life as well as in the Hereafter. Had man not been given choice in action to a great degree, he could not have been held responsible for his actions whether good or bad; nor the Divine law of cause and effect and the system of rewarding man for good works and punishing for the evil ones, would have been in operation.

Man's volition, self or ego is a manifestation of the faculties of his soul. To humble one's ego and submit it to the Will of God is to serve the purpose of his creation. Egoism is against the spirit of Islam, which means peace and submission. Explaining it, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Founder of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam says:

" In the idiom of Arabic, Islam means money paid as earnest to conclude a bargain, or to commit some affair to someone, or to seek peace, or to surrender a claim or point.

The technical meaning of Islam is set out in the verse: " The truth is that whoever submits himself completely to the will of Allah and acts righteously shall have his reward with his Lord. No fear shall come upon such nor shall they grieve" (2:113).This means that Muslim is one who commits himself wholly to the cause of God Almighty; that is to say, one who devotes himself to God Almighty, to following His designs and to winning His pleasure, and then becomes steadfast in doing good for the sake of God Almighty and devotes all his faculties to that cause. In other words, he belongs entirely to God Almighty both doctrinally and in practice." ( Ayeena Kamalat-e-Islam P 57-58; Essence of Islam Vol I P14 ).

Elaborating the point further in his book "Lecture Lahore", he says

" The reality of Islam is to present one's neck to God like the sacrificial lamb; to give up one's own designs and to be devoted to the designs of God and His pleasure; to lose oneself in God and to impose a type of death upon oneself; to be dyed in the personal love of God and to obey Him entirely for the sake of that love; to obtain eyes that see only through Him; and to obtain ears that hear only through Him; and to develop a heart that should be wholly devoted to Him; and to obtain a tongue which would speak only at His command. This is a stage where all search ends: human faculties complete their functions and man ego dies completely. There-upon Divine mercy confers a new life upon the seeker through His living words and His shining light. He is honoured with the delightful converse of God and a fine light, which is not discoverable by reason and is not recognisable by the eyes, approaches close to his heart: as is said by God: We are closer to him than his jugular vein (50:17). In this manner God honours mortal man with His nearness" ( Lecture Lahore P 20-22, Ess. of Islam Vol. I P14-15).

Thus, when the state of mind and heart described above is achieved by a seeker after truth, it marks the end of his ego, and consequently a condition of humility and submission occupies him. Then from the ashes of his Self---which once incited him to evil---springs up a new spiritual life. He now becomes dyed in the colours of God's Attributes, which he exhibits in the conduct of his life and relationship with others. At this stage, he becomes devoid of his Self and all of his physical and spiritual faculties, acts, thoughts, desires and passions become subordinate to the Commands of God. This, indeed, is the true salvation that accrues to the seeker of peace within himself, peace with his Creator and peace with His creation. -- Saifullah Khalid

A PAGAN (WICCAN) PERSPECTIVE
DHARMA THE CAT: EPISODE 7 - "EGO"
by Mari Powers
[view the cartoon]

Ego The Cave. The wall. The shadow on the wall. We see through a veil, though dimly. Our perceptions are colored by our culture and personality. Though complete ego loss is possible for only a short time as long as we are tied to our bodies, it is a refreshing change from everyday ego-based perception.

Bodhi has the right idea that daily meditation is a good thing for him to be doing. He can feel proud of his dedication and healthy choice. In most Pagan traditions we learn that ego-based perception, and a moderate sense of pride in our choices, need not be egotistical. Seeing ourselves at the center of universe is OK, as long as we remember that every being sees themselves at the center of the universe.

Bodhi is cultivating the feeling of oneness in meditation. What he does not know is that it is not ego in the way of that feeling of oneness, it is the feeling of competition with others that will keep him from feeling divine oneness and connection.

A healthy sense of self helps us to cooperate with others and honor the divine within them as well as in ourselves. Wanting to be best and to be first can only be good in very small doses. Honoring our own best efforts need not put us in competition with others. But then, Bodhi is young, and has time to learn.  -- Mari Powers

A TAOIST'S PERSPECTIVE
DHARMA THE CAT EPISODE 7  - "EGO"
Charles Cromer
Founder of the Taoist Circle Organization
[view the cartoon]

Through out the teachings of Lao Tzu you are reminded that the sage forgets himself. He places himself last, and leads without notice or recognition. The Tao Te Ching tackles this very issue at the very beginning, in chapter one. Tao Te Ching #1 (B. Walker translation)

Therefor, to see beyond bounderies to the subtle heart of things, dispense with names, with concepts, with expectations and ambitions and differences.

Ego is just the opposite of that. Ego is about "Me", self centered thought, and self recognition. By focusing on "Me", one loses sight of the profound oneness of all things. Instead, one sees only the material manefestations. When one's focus shifts to the material manefestations, dualities arise. Duality seperates one from the Tao.

Thus one must forget self, lose ego, and see beyond the material to the unity of all things. -- Charles Cromer Ccdrogan@aol.com  Founder of the Taoist Circle Organization http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Aegean/7201/index.html

If you would like to contribute some commentary on behalf of your religious or secular organisation, please CONTACT US!  Email dharma@dharmathecat.com .  The next cartoon episode (Episode 8) will be posted on 15th May 1998.