Oakville Zen Meditation
EGO: How Zen is perceiving our ego? Part 1
In Zen, the ego should not be viewed as an entity to be destroyed; if we try to do so, we will not survive very long. Besides, fighting your ego to make it smaller is another ”ego trip”. Part 2 will be the ego as the main source of suffering, and Part 3 How Zen is teaching how to manage the ego rather than trying to kill it.
1-This week: How Zen analyzes the ego and what are its 5 main functions?
Best friend and worst enemy.
Zen’s view of the ego is very different from the classical definition found in psychiatry.
In fact, my ego - I, me, myself, mine- only exists when I am thinking about myself. However, you are fully immersed in the present moment e.g. if you listen intensively to the rain, your ego vanishes because you become one with the rain.
2. The 5 roles and functions of our ego: They all aim at enhancing our self-identity.
a- Survival:
As previously mentioned, the primary functions of the ego ( little self )
is to survive, to protect, to progress, to create, to function socially, etc… These attributes are critical. But, beside these cliches, others primary functions of the ego should be listed:
b- Cognitive:
Such thoughts, analysis, judgment, belief, opinion,etc. They are feeding our self-image of being a unique, concrete identity even if their contents are very often totally fictional.
c- Emotional:
Our mind at work is egoic by default, and rarely altruistic. e.i. desires, aversions, illusions, being in the past and future are all self- centered.
d- Mirage maker: Our ego is a wonderful mirage maker or illusionist
Mirage maker #1: “I am a separate, independant self-sustained individual”
The ego's primary function is to draw a sharp boundary between "me" and "everything else."
Genetically yes, we are unique but that's it.
Zen points out that this boundary is entirely artificial and dangerous.Through the itching of Śūnyatā (emptiness), the ego is recognized as "empty" of a separate, independent, self-sustained existence. You cannot exist apart from your environment whatever its components: food, oxygen, sun, water, social interactions, ec ; you are an expression of all of them. Zen is rooted in the foundamental view: we are all interconnected, and cannot survive without it.
As a corollary to emptiness is the Buddhist concept of Anatta (non-self). Because there is no permanent, separate, independent self-sustained self or essence inside this self, this self does not exist and therefore it is called “no-self”.
Zen encourages dropping these accumulated layers to experience reality freshly, without the filter of the ego's commentary. It is called practicing a “Beginner Mind” or Shoshin.
Mirage maker #2: I believe in the rational & content of my thoughts, beliefs, judgment, etc…
such as, for example, everything is permanent whereas, in fact, everything is impermanent.
Because the universe is inherently impermanent (Anicca), the ego’s attempt to freeze reality and protect itself is a losing battle. This friction between how things actually are and how the ego wants them to be - illusions- is the major source of our anxiety and discontent.
e-Final function of the ego: Time traveller:
Going back and forth between past and future is an addiction for your ego, simply because these mental and physical travels always imply you. Besides, our ego dislikes the present moment when it is not exciting. The past and future are seen as realities even if they exist only on pictures and calendar.
I will talk about the ego as the main source of suffering in the following weeks.
Your take home:
Who is behind my behaviours, my thinking, my feelings, …? A friend or a foe?
In the following weeks we will talk about
Part 2 Ego as main source of "suffering" & negativities
Part 3 Ego: How Zen practice is managing our Ego
