Is the "ego" our enemy or "satan"

[Ron Alexander]

Even if we think our "ego" is our enemy, should we not "love our enemies." Actually, the term ego is one of the 3 divisions of the psyche organized by Sigmund Freud. The other two is the id, which is what most people think the ego is - it is the lower ("snake brain") instinctual part of us where fear and survival competitive issues remain. The ego is described by Freud as the CONSCIOUS mediator of reality for us - the part of us that can drive our car and take care of our body. Simply,it is known as our "self". The other part is the "superego" which we would call our Higher Self as in Reality.
Helen was the one who started demonizing the ego when she channeled ACIM. When I was studying with Bill Thetford(the Scribe) in the mid-80's, he told us to "tear out those pages." He had embodied the wonderful essence of ACIM - Oneness in Love! One average size book could be written called The Essence of ACIM and it would be one of the greatest Holy Books ever written!

And remember from the Bible - "the body is the temple of our spirit."

And to be here now, we need our body and ego!

I do believe in the ending of St. Francis's Prayer - "it is letting go of the self, that we are born to eternal life." However, I think you have to be ready to let go of your body also, and we will always have to face that profound choice. However, as of now at age 66, I have never felt more alive!

[Rita O'Gorman]

And, thanks for the Banks quot.
Ron Alexander said:

Rita O'Gorman said:

Thank you, Richard. I first developed this notion while read Tolle's "The New Earth". He has much to say on the topic of ego. And I agree on the 2 paths. I gathered that if love was unity than separation must be the opposite. My main point here was that our battles are within...No devil out there lurking around. I had my fill of that during the years I spent as a bible thumping fundamentalist. I also agree that we make our experience.

Richard Boothe said:

Historically, Satan was simply the accuser - not, as Gentile Christians later characterized, the Devil.  Such concepts changed over time and now bear little resemblance to their original meaning.  During a web search for the terms Hell and Hades, I learned that Hades was long considered the god of the underworld - which was, moreover, not a place of punishment, but the resting place of the dead - all the dead (similar to the Hebrew Sheol) - and that Hell had a similar background.  Jesus taught his disciples there are but two paths in this world: a broad one to destruction, and a narrow one to life.  In order to follow the latter, he told us to love and forgive each other, not judge or condem, because we will reap what we sow.  What few realize is that we experience this existance as heaven or hell depending on the relationship between our inner and outer realities.  When we truly connect with spirit, we connect with all spirit - including what Native Americans call "the Great Spirit," or God.  If we hate ourselves or others, however, we also cut ourselves off from God, because God is love.  Jesus, thus, taught his followers how to be filled with light and love, and experience the Divine - here and now - rather than the destruction and separation that comes from greed, envy or hatred (which breed division).  Ego, therefore, is simply the false self, which sees itself as separate from external reality and others, rather than the greater self, which is one with all.

Rita O'Gorman said:

Well, ego as Satan has been a consideration of mine. If not ego then what? An evil being? Negative energy? A fallen angel? I prefer to think that all the battles are within and that the idea of separation from, say Spirit, each other, comes from the individual identity or ego. Help me out here. Thanks

Love Ego - It has a Job to Do!

Love your ego for what it is and for the great job it has done to keep you alive and bring to this point. Don't fight it; embrace it and love it. Teach it that your spirit is in command and that it must back down when instructed by the guidance from God. Utilize checks and balances to keep it in its place. It has a job to do; your survival. When you deny that, it will retaliate at the most inappropriate moment to teach you a lesson. Love it for what it's worth. ~Dean A. Banks, D.D.

Buffy Per Sempre: I like this a lot Dean. Ego has kinda been given a bad rap - since we all have one. I've tried everything to deal with my ego and LOVE works best. ღ
Ron Alexander: Thanks Dr. Dean, it is better to have a healthy balanced ego than to have a weak one (feeling less than, guilt, shame, fear, etc.) and to be aware of our "earth guide" (Gary Zukav) is the key!
Photo of Gary Zukav who coined the ego as our "earth guide" -
.Manoj Kumar ‎:-). thanks dean. it is only with ego that egoless state can manifest. kind regards.
Pankaj Saini: Lovely sharing...When Love comes in beween :) God is there in Between....thanks Dean for sharing....
Carlos Ortas: Embrace everything with Love, even ego. Then it feels protected, safe, and expands...until it is...Love. ♥

[Ron Alexander]

Ah, Rita O'Gorman, wonderful advice to a friend with cancer:
"She ask me if I thought she had given up on God. I told her, with all confidence, that God has not given her up and wasn't leaving her. He has no where to go cause there is nothing outside of him."  You, my dear, are the LIGHT OF THE WORLD!   I am so grateful for our dialogue. It helps me in my clarity, that "God, as Love, is All there is!" ron

    
Rita O'Gorman said:

Ron, yes and yes...and here is the contradiction I was brought up with. That while God was omnipresent, it was possible for him to not be within me, or that he might leave me, or that I could lose him. Where could he go? Where is this place that he is not? And, this teaching of the separation from God is anti-Christ in as much as it opposite unity. When I consider how all encompassing love is, I can feel his embrace and I have to shed some tears of joy.

I have a friend who is going through a hell all her own. Her family is being torn apart, she is laden with guilt and battling breast cancer.

[Richard Boothe]

Ron Alexander:  Your said:  "Anything or anyone we consider separate, including our ego or man-made artifacts, is placing us squarely in duality."

The thing is, we must avoid attachments if we are to fully avoid duality.  Attachments come when we do something for an anticipated future benefit, rather than for its own sake.  Why?  Because we're attached to the outcome and fruits of our labor (which is karmic) instead of remaining focused on what we are doing in the present moment (where Paradise lies, hidden from all but the innocent and pure).  Now, I'm not saying that everything we do or make in ordinary reality is done for future benefit, but the main thing that separates the man-made and natural worlds is that so many of our activities in civilization focus on future benefits - and even worse, punishment and guilt over past deeds - whereas in Nature (which is Divine creation), our true being and spirit can manifest, enabling us to transcend the realm of dependency and karma, because we don't need anything beyond what already exists.

[Ron Alexander]

Richard Boothe said:

Ron Alexander:  Your said:  "Anything or anyone we consider separate, including our ego or man-made artifacts, is placing us squarely in duality."

The thing is, we must avoid attachments if we are to fully avoid duality.  Attachments come when we do something for an anticipated future benefit, rather than for its own sake.  Why?  Because we're attached to the outcome and fruits of our labor (which is karmic) instead of remaining focused on what we are doing in the present moment (where Paradise lies, hidden from all but the innocent and pure).  Now, I'm not saying that everything we do or make in ordinary reality is done for future benefit, but the main thing that separates the man-made and natural worlds is that so many of our activities in civilization focus on future benefits - and even worse, punishment and guilt over past deeds - whereas in Nature (which is Divine creation), our true being and spirit can manifest, enabling us to transcend the realm of dependency and karma, because we don't need anything beyond what already exists.

"The thing is, we must avoid attachments if we are to fully avoid duality."   Good point Richard!

Excellent in fact, how do we avoid "attachments" ?  The only way I can think of is doing alot of meditation and observing the negative (& positive) attachments and keeping the middle road. 

Not fighting them or trying to transform the negative to the positive - just being aware and watching them pass. Nothing is permanent, everything passes, and knowing that all is illusion can we heal from the feeling of separateness that is the basis of all of our troubles.  Be as One! Meditate and live in aware Mindfulness! Thanks for the dialogue, dear Richard!

[Rita O'Gorman]

Yes, Ron. We need to be aware of attachments. Once aware, they lose their power over us. I am working with my attachments to my children, now all grown. I was an orphan. Though adopted, I knew I didn't really belong. So somewhere deep inside, I decided to make my own family. And I did. I had 7 children. Although while I was doing this, I was not aware of my own intent. Now I know I got my hearts desire in them and I am aware of the attachment I have to them and my home. I am so blessed that present I have them both. But I know this too shall pass. But, hey, what more could one person ask for in this life? I feel the urge to make them all a huge lovely quilt. hahaha. I laugh because I doubt I'll live long enough. But the quilt would be something to say, "I cover you with my love." You know, I think I better get started....