Forms Of Ego (Opinion) Poem by Varanasi Ramabrahmam

Ego is the characteristic of humans. It has different forms in different human beings. Our consciousness about our gender, social status, nationality, physical beauty, psychological traits, mental capabilities, spiritual aspirations, our achievements in worldly life form our ego.

Ego is an essential ingredient of human mental make-up. It inspires us to be lively and sometimes causes inconveniences to our near and dear and others. The thoughts “I”, “me” “mine” arise in us making us joyful and also sad depending on the event, person, and our perception and understanding of them.

Writers, singers, dancers, actors, sports persons and the rest of us identify ourselves with our profession and feel egoistic. Our achievements in our professions make us confident and sometimes arrogant. The term “egoistic” is not always negative. But is used in that sense and cultivated. Most of our achievements we ascribe to our capabilities and failures to the deficiencies of others around us and blame them for the fiasco when it happens. We gladly take responsibility for our successes and refuse to take same responsibility in failures. This is one form of ego.

Persons in authority own all pleasant happenings and blame the opposition for the uncomfortable incidents. They feel themselves invincible and indispensable. They will be under the illusion that it is their greatness and capability that runs the show and delude the citizens about their indispensability for the welfare of the people. It is the ego of the rulers that has brought and is bringing untold sufferings to the ruled. This form of ego in rulers is head-ache to democratic functioning.

We have great human-beings who achieved much in their respective chosen fields and professions. Definitely they are great but their greatness is made up of their parents, teachers, their near and dear who keep them always cheerful and hence enhance their creative abilities through their help and cooperation and also because of the audience, stalwarts in the field and rasikas (civilized and cultured individuals) , who recognize them and their talents with their aesthetic sensitivities and sensibilities, intellectual abilities and applaud, admire and appreciate their creations, them and build them. But most of the times many of the popular and great achievers believe they are in that position solely because of their eminence. This is another form of ego.

We have herds of commercial spiritual gurus today. They are so concerned about us that they dedicated their lives for our and our welfare’s sake. They are building financial and commercial empires to enlighten and liberate us. They indulge in all the house-holder’s activities still shun us if we live as a house-holder. Our ignorance, innocence and blind submission are both their strength and ego. They go to the extent of believing that they are Gods and Goddesses themselves and exhibit high form of ego, when in spirituality the essential criterion and requirement is shedding of ego.

We should not feel “I am this”, “I am that” etc., and thoughts about us should not remain. When we question ourselves “Who am I? ” and the reply is silence we are spiritual beings. No sense, thought or utterance about individual will be present and the ego will be absorbed in the Divinity in us and we will be peaceful and blissful always. Our mental awareness will be vacated by self-consciousness and will be filled with Divine Consciousness. This must happen to the commercial spiritual gurus also. It will not happen and they exhibit this kind of peculiar form of ego.

Ego is part and parcel of the individual rather the individual itself and has as many forms as the individuals and their illusions. We must enjoy this variety of egos and silently observe their owners. This helps us to shape ourselves and have an ego special and specific to us. No one can shed ego easily. We can change it if we want. Changed and transformed ego leads us to Divinity. We become ego-less rather transcend our ego and be one with Divinity.