Your ego doesn't want to know the truth

Morning Meditation: January 6

Jim Palmer

Enlightenment is the ego's ultimate disappointment. True enlightenment is the realization that there is nothing to achieve, gain or attain, which is a blow to my ego's over-inflated sense of importance. C.G. Jung wrote, "The first half of life is devoted to forming a healthy ego, the second half is going inward and letting go of it.”

The truth of who I am at the most fundamental level has no beginning or end. That Self or witness knows only peace, harmony, and well-being. That Self always is. It does not evolve, it is not in some journey of growth and progress, it has no need for enlightenment. It cannot be improved upon or diminished. It is only my ego that holds onto ideas such as evolution and progress.

All that's left is my recognition and awareness - to identify with and abide in that Self. My ego's ears perk up: "identify with," "abide in" - it sees an opportunity to do something and insert its presence.

Plants grow in sunlight, but the sun does not grow. As we identify with our true Self our human experience grows and evolves, but our true Self does not grow. It just is. That Self is not embroiled in the drama of trying to be happy; that Self or witness knows only peace, harmony, and well-being. My Self is unaffected and undisturbed by human affairs. It is only my humanity that grows and evolves, but even that does not require the kind of effort and work that the ego operates in.

As I identify with my true Self the idea of living a life of greed is repulsive. As I identify with my true Self I cannot live in discord with my fellow human beings and all living things. As I identify with my true Self I cannot participate in or allow injustice and the oppression of others. As I identify with my true Self I desire to aid the liberation of all. That's the growth, progress and evolution part - becoming a different kind of human.

When I don't identify with my true Self I run into the world to get mine. I am driven by fear and scarcity. I am caught up in the drama of being happy. My ego runs roughshod and does whatever it takes to achieve security and superiority at whatever cost. I see other human beings as a threat. I use the earth's resources to fuel my plan to build my own personal kingdom.

I am aware this morning of a different kind of self-acceptance that is central to my life. It's the acceptance of my true Self. For too long I have laid the burden of my happiness at the feet of my ego-self, and put my ego-self in charge. My ego-self is tricky and will even use spirituality and the idea of enlightenment to play the same game. I have been conditioned to walk lockstep with that ego-self, and there is a lot of habit energy behind it. Today I will slow down that train by simply being aware of the peace, harmony and well-being that is that me that always was, always is and always will be.