The Catastrophic Conceit "I Am":
All the egoism is born right when assuming the impersonal and transient
phenomena, such as body, feeling, perception, mental construction, and
consciousness to be "I-Me-Mine", thereby conceiving the idea: "I am"!
At once hereafter one falls desperately in love with this hypothetical
ego, exalts, gratifies and even worships it, as the dearest possession
of all... Pride is born right here! By comparing this non-existent entity:
"My Personal Identity" with external equally conceived perceptions, one
erroneously concludes: "I am better than ..." There arrogance is born...
Or one concludes equally erroneously: "I am worse than or equal to ..."
When there is pride, there is bound to be wounded pride! Because of that
"I-Me"-construing, ego-love and self-overestimation, one cannot respect
what should be respected. Feeling threatened by any realistic evaluation
of this adored "Ego", all potential "critics" or "competitors" are violently
repressed... By clinging to this cherished idea of "Myself", harming, hate,
ill-will, and violence thereby come into being. Even wars are initiated by
immature & infantile imagination of "Own Greatness" or "National Lead"!
Thus more than fatal is verily this cramped conceit: "I Am this and that"!
Serene Joy is however connected with open, and detached impersonality.
If there is no "I", or "Me", what then to be proud of, or violently defend?
As the blessed Buddha said:
Blissful is the overcoming of all sense-desire.
More blissful is dwelling in complete harmlessness.
Even more blissful is solitude for one content and learned.
But highest is the bliss of uprooting this deepest conceit: "I am"!
Udana – Inspiration: II – 1
Frequent reflection on the impermanent and transient flux of all internal
and external phenomena, leads towards this counter-intuitive, yet crucial
comprehension of the fact of No-Self=Anattā. Absolutely freeing is that...
Sabbe Dhammā Anatta ...
All States are Selfless!!!
More on Anti-Egoism: Be as humble as a doormat:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Pride.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Conceit_I_Am.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/I-dentification.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Prison_of_Pride.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Anti-EGO-Tool.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Anatta_No_Self.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/No_Agent_is_Inside.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Solo_Self-Deception.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Mistaken_Reference.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Selfless_and_Harmless.htm
The Prison of Pride!
