The Catastrophic Conceit
"I Am":
All the egoism is born right when
assuming that the impersonal and transient
phenomena, such as the body, feelings,
perceptions, mental constructions, &
consciousness to be
"I-Me-Mine", thereby conceiving an egoistic idea:
"I am"!
At once hereafter one falls desperately in deep love with this hypothetical ego,
exalts, gratifies, dresses and even worships it, as the dearest possession of all...
Pride is born right there! By comparing this non-existent entity:
"My Identity"
with external equally conceived perceptions, one then erroneously concludes:
"I am better than ..." Right there
arrogance is born... Or one concludes equally
erroneously:
"I am worse than or equal to this and that person out there..."
When there is pride, there is bound to be wounded pride! Due to this "I/Me"
construing, ego-love and self-overestimation, one cannot respect what should
be respected. If feeling threatened by any realistic evaluation of this adored
"My Wonder 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 many wars are initiated by immature
& infantile
imagination of "Own Greatness", "Cultural/Race Superiority or "National Lead"!
Thus more
than fatal is verily this cramped & cocky conceit: "I Am this & that"!
Serene
& calm Joy is however connected with
open, and detached impersonality.
If there is no "I", "Ego", or "Me", what then to be proud of,
or violently defend?
As the blessed Buddha said:
Blissful is the overcoming of all
sense-desires.
More blissful is dwelling in complete harmlessness.
Even more blissful is solitude for one who is content and learned.
But
highest is the bliss of the uprooting this abysmal 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:
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Pride.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Conceit_I_Am.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/I-dentification.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Prison_of_Pride.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Anti-EGO-Tool.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Anatta_No_Self.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/No_Agent_is_Inside.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Solo_Self-Deception.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Mistaken_Reference.htm
https://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Selfless_and_Harmless.htm
