Working with My Ego

Befriending My Ego

When I first started Zen one of the 1st aha's was all this ego stuff going on.  All of a sudden my motivations for everything seemed sooo self-centered.  I want this...I want that...I want things to go my way...AND...I get varying degrees of mad when they don't.

The mad can be so short that it doesn't really register if you're not paying attention, or it can really take over and create major mental churn.

I started to pay more attention (something I'm still working on.)  When I'm "present" (Zen for being aware of the mad) I started to visualize what my ego looked like.  Now in a non-dual, you've got your full Zen on, world this picture doesn't make sense because it carries the connotation of "bad"...But it makes me smile...it gives me some perspective...and it allows me to be friends with my ego.  And, now I know that just because my ego jumps off a metaphorical cliff, I don't have to follow (...my parents would be so proud.  They thought I never listened to those speeches.)

That is the derivation of the image that goes with this post...my ego.

Namaste and Friendly Bows _/|\_