Real ego
Bhagavad-gita As It Is
BG Chapters 13 - 18
Srimad-Bhagavatam
SB Canto 3
SB Canto 4
Teachings of Lord Caitanya
Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
So from this false ego, when we come to real ego... What is that real ego? That "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." Gopī-bhartur pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. That is real ego. So our, this Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is teaching people how to come to the real ego, real constitutional position. The Māyāvādī philosophy, they are also trying to do that, but they're another false ego: ahaṁ brahmāsmi. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi—"I am Brahman"—that is a fact, but I am not Supreme Brahman, Parabrahman. The Māyāvādī, they take it: "Because I am Brahman, I am Supreme Brahman." No. Suppose you are all coming from America. You can claim that you are American, but that does not mean you are Mr. Ford, the President. So similarly, this is false ego. If somebody thinks, "Because I am American, therefore I am equal to Mr. Ford," that is false. That is not... So our Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement is how to bring back these, I mean to say, insane, crazy fellows to their real consciousness. These crazy fellows, they are thinking, "I am God," "I am master," "I am this," "I am that," "I am prime minister," "I am president." This false ego. The real ego is, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is the beginning of Caitanya Mahāprabhu's teaching.
When Caitanya Mahāprabhu was approached by Sanātana Gosvāmī, his first question was ke āmi: "Who am I?" This is the first education, spiritual education. And the same thing is taught in the Bhagavad-gītā because Arjuna was too much identifying himself in the bodily conception of life: "I belong to this Kurus' family, so if I kill them, then family will be ruined. The women will be widows, and they'll be corrupted. Then there will be unwanted children, varṇa-saṅkara, and in this way the whole world will be hellish," and so on, so on, so many, but beginning with the bodily conception of life. All, what was, Arjuna was explaining to Kṛṣṇa, that was... From material point of view, it is very nice. He wanted to become nonviolent. He did not like to kill his family members. He, rather, liked to forego his claim, that "I don't want. Let them enjoy." But everything, from material point of view, it was very nice proposal. But this identification with family, with nation, with community, this is all foolishness.Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
Prabhupāda: Never. Guest (1): Forget yourself?
Prabhupāda: No. We don't forget. We always remember that we are servants of God. We don't forget. We forget this material nonsense. That's all. But don't forget ourself. Our identity is there. We are all servants of God, Kṛṣṇa dāsa. And this is real ego. So ego is not dissolved. Ego is there, but it is purified.Bhaktijana: Can I ever forget myself? Prabhupāda: How you can forget yourself? Guest (2): Not self.
Prabhupāda: You cannot forget. You simply purify it. In diseased condition, your identification of "I" is different. Sometimes you are in convulsion. You forget... Rather, that is forgetfulness. Sometimes if we are, I mean to say, deranged in brain, we forget everything of our relationship. But when you are cured, you remember, "Oh, I was forgetful in my that delusion. Yes." So your "I" is always there. This "I," this "I," remembering, is purified. So ego has to be purified. Ego has not to be killed. And that cannot be killed, na hanyate hanyamāne śarīre [Bg. 2.20], because it is eternal. How can you kill ego? It is not possible. So you have to purify your ego. The difference between is between false ego and real ego. Just like ahaṁ brahmāsmi, aham... "I am Brahman." Oh, this is also ego. This is, this Vedic version that "I am Brahman. I am not this matter," so this ego is purified ego, that "I am this." So that "I" is always there. Either in illusion or delusion or dream or in healthy stage, the "I" is always there.General Lectures
Philosophy Discussions
Hayagrīva: So this persona he's speaking of is like the false ego.
Prabhupāda: The false ego, so long he is in the material world. Otherwise "I am." "I am American," this is false ego, and "I am servant of God, Kṛṣṇa," that is reality, that is real ego. We say, therefore, false ego. Ego must be there. That purified ego is, "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." Otherwise "I am this," "I am that," "I am this," "I am that."Conversations and Morning Walks
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Yogeśvara: The first thing is that this gentleman doesn't agree. He doesn't think that the major problem is ignorance. But this gentleman suggests that there is a danger, there's a danger in what he calls "spiritual pride," "spiritual egoism," that is to say, thinking that we have helped someone and actually...
Prabhupāda: But that pride is there. That gentleman is proud that he's helping someone. That prideness is there. But out of these two kinds of prideness, one prideness which is real, that is welcome. If one is falsely proud, that is useless. But if one is actually proud of doing something, then he... That is good. Just like in the Vedic literature it is recommended that you should feel ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am Brahman." This is also ego. This is real ego, that "I am spirit soul." This is not bad. But when one thinks, "I am this body," he's a rascal. If one thinks that "I am servant of God," that is real ego. And if one thinks, "I am servant of Satan," that is not very good.Satsvarūpa: ...yesterday said, when you said that one must be pure before he approaches God, they said, "That's spiritual pride." They said, "That is not good to say first we have to be pure. Like egoism," they said.
Prabhupāda: They'll tolerate material egoism, "We are doing this humanitarian service." That they... And spiritual egoism he'll not. That I replied, that this is real egoism, ahaṁ brahmāsmi. And I'm: "Ahaṁ dog asmi." (laughter) That is not very good pride. [break] Why not make one world? That I said to to that man. Why do they not do that? Everything belongs to God.1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Paramahaṁsa: But isn't it better to give up all ego altogether?
Prabhupāda: Why? Why? That is Māyāvādī philosophy. We make our ego purified. "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." That is wanted. Not that to make my egoism zero. That is Māyāvāda. They are disappointed, they think finish this egoism. It cannot be finished. Because you are individual soul, it cannot be finished. Simply it has to be purified. I am thinking Indian, you are thinking American. You are neither American neither Indian. We are all part and parcel of Kṛṣṇa. Direct we have to come to that point. Not to falsely think that I am American, I am Indian, I am cat, I am dog. That has to be finished. But you'll come to the real egoism, that I am eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa. That "I am" will go on. No that... They are thinking in a way to finish the "I am" or "I am the same." Wrong thing.1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: Yes. But if we think that "I am chanting. I can do all nonsense," then it is wrong.
Dr. Patel: First of all, sir, it is the "I-ness" which must go. And you must surrender your "I" at the sacred feet of...
Prabhupāda: No, no, "I-ness" is there. If I decide, "I shall not do anything which is not for Kṛṣṇa..."
Dr. Patel: I did not mean that, sir. Your "I-ness" means your ego must be sacrificed at the feet of Kṛṣṇa.
Prabhupāda: No, ego is...
Indian (1): How will it go unless the chanting...
Dr. Patel: Unless you surrender yourself.
Indian (1): Even the chanting will go with that ego.
Prabhupāda: Ego, ego is there, but false and right.
Dr. Patel: False ego.
Prabhupāda: False ego is that "I am Patel. I am Patel" (laughter) And real ego is "I am Kṛṣṇa's servant."
Indian (1): Yes.
Prabhupāda: This is ego.
Indian (1): Real ego. That is the reason. That is the reason.
Prabhupāda: So long I'll think that "I am Patel. I am master of this man..." (Dr. Patel talking simultaneously) (Hindi) People are, I mean to say, entangled with these all upādhis. So therefore bhakti begins when one is upādhi-less. No more upādhi. Gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. That is real ego."The internal subtle senses are experienced as having four aspects in the shape of mind, intelligence, ego and contaminated consciousness. Distinctions between them can be made only by different functions, since they represent different characteristics." Purport: "The four internal senses or subtle senses described herein are defined by different characteristics. When pure consciousness is polluted by material contamination, and identification with the body becomes predominant, this is called false ego. Consciousness is the function of the soul, and therefore behind consciousness there is soul. When consciousness is polluted by material contamination, this is called ahaṅkāra."
Prabhupāda: Bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān. The same thing. Puruṣaḥ prakṛti-sthaḥ bhuṅkte prakṛti-jān guṇān.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: Is—this ego mentioned here—is it a false ego? That's what I understand.
Prabhupāda: Not real. Real ego is "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." Ahaṁ brahmāsmi.
Rūpānuga: Is there false ego in different modes? Like false ego in the mode of ignorance, false in the mode of passion or goodness?
Prabhupāda: Yes.Page Title: | Real ego |
Compiler: | Serene, Srivas, Sharmila |
Created: | 06 of Dec, 2008 |
Totals by Section: | BG=1, SB=2, CC=0, OB=1, Lec=6, Con=5, Let=0 |
No. of Quotes: | 15 |