Namaste! I am sensing things, I can read your aura (pssst! You need to unblock your large intestine-chakra). And as a traditionalist, I sit in lotus pose for 3 hours without moving – biting through the pain. After meditating for 20 years in various secret monasteries, this has lead to the opening of my third eye. It finally helped me with looking through the spiritual ego and turned me into a radiant scholar saint.
However I didn’t get stuck in this inferior role. I could let it all go! Therefore by now I am enlightened and of course I am your master! But since I am also very humble (it comes with enlightenment) all of the above is just what others say about me. My heavenly spirit animals actually appointed me to write this blog post in order to help you become more like me.
The Root of the Spiritual Ego
Jokes aside – we love it when others see or hear us. We feel confident and appreciated, happy and sad in dependence upon the presence of other beings. Comparing ourselves to them, we can feel superior, inferior, right or wrong. Defining ourselves by using the mirror of our surrounding is in fact a natural part of being human.
When it comes to our spiritual practice, this habitual tendency is often carried over into our new lifestyle. Being part of a group where all of us think alike gives us a sense of safety. Being blessed by a teacher gives us hope. Reading books makes us feel that we understand the conceptual framework and being able to conform makes us feel that we belong.
The Many Faces of the Spiritual Ego
As useful and needed all the things I mentioned above are, they also often become the breeding ground of a pervasive spiritual persona. We become a scholar and cling to the notion of “me knowing many texts by heart”. As a traditionalist we look down upon those “hippies who have no real roots”. We might become someone that takes the various displays of a creative mind all too seriously and think that we can “see special things”
I am not saying that these things are impossible or pure fantasy. But these “attainments” do speak to something within us. We want to be special, we want others to see us and feel validated or loved. They might think: “Wow, look at how spiritual this guy is. I heard that he meditated for 20 years!” or “She is so humble and so Zen!”… We all want to be little superstars in our own world, while bathing in the affectionate attention of others.
What really matters
So what is it that really matters? Is the world really interested in you being more special than anyone else? Does the world really need your amazing third-eye tricks, or do people really benefit from you knowing countless books by heart? I will tell you a little secret (because I am a secret master with the highest initiation into secret stuff – just in case you didn’t know that).
People don’t want to appreciate you – they want you to appreciate them.
Nobody cares that you are special – everyone wants you to see how special they are.
No one cares to listen to you – but all of us want you to listen.
You are not the center of the universe – others are not the center of the universe.
That leaves us with a simple job
Know yourself thoroughly with honesty and let go of all burdens.
See that we all suffer – and everyone seeks happiness just like you do.
Show genuine Kindness and Compassion instead of a “self”.
Thank you. “Eye” needed that.