What Is the Purpose of the Ego, Anyway?

A short response from a non-dual perspective.

A friend and creative collaborator, in response to my recent introductory talk on the wisdom of non-duality, wrote to me inquiring about the role of the ego.

Natalia Blagoeva

, change whisperer and author of The Human Advantage, wrote:

I find that there is a kind of a "purpose" to the ego. I feel that we are here to experience separations and the consequent sufferings as an opportunity for regaining wisdom. Sometimes we need to lose something in order to appreciate it more. Humanity as a whole has been living in the last years almost in denial of consciousness, wisdom and its Human Advantages, and we can see the results. Maybe that's the long journey we have taken towards remembering who we truly are. Does that make sense from your point of view?

With Natalia’s blessing, I post my response here for the benefit of readers drawn to such themes. I fully recognize that perspectives on the role of the ego vary greatly, depending on whether we are coming from a psychological or a spiritual perspective, and that too varies whether we are looking from a daily living (dualistic) or Absolute (non-dualistic) lens. Here, I offer transmission as an expression of jñāna yoga and Advaita (non-duality) wisdom.  

Photo by Ashley Batz on Unsplash

Hello Natalia,

Thank you for your inquiry. I completely agree, from the perspective of Time and Space, that there is a purposefulness to the ego.

From the point of view of The Absolute (Oneness, All That Is, Brahman, Totality), the appearance of separation, including the ego, is just that – appearance. They are only appearances that come and go and are therefore not ultimately Real. It is as if Consciousness Itself veils itself in order to have this dance (lila, cosmic game), to experience separation.

Some egos in the dance have the experience of awakening to this play, this illusion of separation. Some body-mind-egos, as it were, “wake up” and totally apperceive the illusion of separation. These individual persons (which are also appearances from the point of view of Totality) awaken from the dream of separation.

However, the game does not stop there. These awakened or awakening individuals are still destined to live their lives in this apparent separation so long as the body-mind continues – as long as that form (which has a duration in time and space) lasts. This is what I call “freedom in bondage.” Part of the cosmic joke!

As mentioned above, there is a “purpose” to the ego in the sense that every single “thing” in Existence has a purposefulness, or it wouldn’t Exist. I try always to be clear in my talks and writings to not discard nor disparage the ego nor say, “kill the ego.” Rather, I focus on the end of identification with the ego. This is a crucial distinction.

In the same way that nothing is separate or excluded from Totality, so is the ego. It is all an arising of Oneness with the apparent separate “things” as part of the perceiving in that Oneness for a duration in time and space.

This includes both the individual ego, and “ego” in general when you are referring to humanity’s experiencing of separation.

Now when we talk about this long journey of Time, and our denial of consciousness as you mention – yes, this has been going on Forever. Again, that implies Time, which from the perspective of the Eternal Now, does not exist. So long as one is looking from the perspective of Time (past or future vs. totally Now, not moving even a hair’s breadth away from the Now), there will be separation!

It is an appearance.

So, how do we live our life in the Now, with so much of the experiencing of The Collective (humanity) stuck in misery, separation, suffering?

IF it is one’s destiny, one will “help” raise awareness or consciousness overall to “help” apparent others awaken to the dream. Buddhism calls this bodhicitta, the awakened or awakening mind with wisdom and compassion for all beings, and this is the role of the bodhisattva. The paradox is that from the point of view of Totality, there are no separate beings. Alas, one goes on with the play. This bodhicitta is a completely natural arising, as you yourself can see as well as I can – of raising awareness and pointing to truth so (apparent) others can come out of suffering aka denial or ignorance.

The bodhisattva knows that so long as all beings are not liberated, there is still suffering, somewhere. Thus, we are “bound” or destined to “work” toward awakening. I once heard Eckhart Tolle convey in a rare talk – and I paraphrase – yes, it’s great that “you” as a separate person awakened and “you” are no longer suffering, but! You still have to deal with all the other egos (egoic involvement and identification and suffering) around you and in the mix – and so the apparent striving toward awakening continues.

The joke is ever on “us” or “me”!

This addresses most of your inquiry, but not completely. I’ll leave this as it is for now, as it feels like a good place to pause. I’ll repost the original audio talk, “Introduction to the Wisdom of Non-Duality,” below.

With love,

Erin

Introduction to the Wisdom of Non-Duality

With my Teacher, Ramesh Balsekar. Mumbai, India 2007.