The fastest/easiest way to overcome Ego (Selfishness)

If the ego is selfishness, then The Spirit is Generosity.

If this is the case, then the quickest way to overcome ego is through Generosity. The more you focus on giving to others, the less you will focus about yourself. Of course, while in the human body, you will need to think about yourselves sometimes for the sake of survival (these bodies do need to be taken care of - food, water, shelter, etc.) but it will be less, and therefore, the worrying/fear will also be less. You will be more fulfilled with what you have.

Some people do not like generosity because they believe that a person gains more happiness when focusing on receiving rather than giving, but a lot of studies show that although it is counter intuitive, this is not the reality. Giving does make the person who gives more happy [1].

It also has health benefits. Generosity reduce stress, support one's physical health, enhance one's sense of purpose, and naturally fight depression, it is also shown to increase one's lifespan [2].

Luke 6:38 KJV
Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Proverbs 11:25 King James Version

The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself
---
Proverbs 11:25 A Modern Translation

The soul who freely gives shall be made abundant: and (s)he that gives water shall also receive water.

It's always easier to recieve than to give, but it's more rewarding to give than recieve. Because your rewards in the end is a feeling that can't be givin by anyone.

a reply to: arpgme

Greetings- And the more You 'use' the more You'll 'receive' .. If You haven't checked out the TaoTeChing, it addresses these very matters.

It is always refreshing to read 'it' another 'way' . TheTao = TheWay


Good talk

Its very easy to feed your ego by giving to others. Giving and receiving are one and the same thing.

Takers need givers.

well.. a generous mind is generous. it gives. and when the mind changes and seeks inward support, it becomes selfish.. how can someone who has given so much be so alone when they need it in return?

No.. giving is not the answer to wanting.

it is unequivocally, the combination of giving and receiving.

those who always take, will be full and slowed down. those who always give, will be weak and unresponsive.

the middle ground.. you need to find that. without it, you are skewed.

a reply to: arpgme


Yeah, yeah, yeah...this used to seem like a dollop of wisdom to me too. Giving is great. Being generous is wonderful.

But there is a fine line between generosity and foolishness. Sometimes giving of yourself is damaging, rather than the selfless good deed you think it is. A gift not enjoyed, a gift misused, a gift jilted can all hurt the giver...and trust me, ain't no one is quite selfless enough to shake off egotistical spurning. It will wear even the most enlightened back down into ego.

Also, consider carefully before you start giving, giving, giving just to be generous. No, it requires quite a deal of pragmatism and sensibility. Are you giving cash to a drug addict who will cause further damage? Are you giving someone access to cause more pain and suffering? Is someone taking advantage of your giving nature for nefarious purposes? Trust me, these things are important. Acting through love is precious, but remember that your love can always be converted into suffering once in another's hands.

Recall the parable of the spiritual aspirant who bought all the live fish from the market in an attempt to return them to life at sea (and save them from being eaten.) What he felt was a selfless good deed ended up becoming a seagull buffet. There are always unintended consequences with the best of intentions. This is why it's best just to let things sort themselves out. The plan in motion needs very little help from us. Act out of love when you can, when it's appropriate, when it is asked of you! You cannot take control as if you know the outcomes.

The whole, "I'll give, and then the results are out of my hands. I'll do the good deed, and what may be, may be.." is the wrong kind of philosophy. It doesn't work. All actions have consequences, and one will still get tangled in the web of action/ reaction--karma. You reap no rewards, whether practical or spiritual, through foolish generosity. In fact, you lose something out of it.

Think carefully, the next time you want to give of yourself. Give yourself to God first, then to people secondly. This is not selfishness, but wisdom.

So sayeth the sleepy buddha

I always help and give to others. If they thank me I just say 'don't be silly, it is me that should be thanking you for giving me this opportunity to feel good about myself'. It really works because we always end up laughing and it does make me feel good.

a reply to: arpgme

I get what you're saying, and it makes sense, but let me throw something your way.

Giving unconditionally is a wonderful thing, it shows a great, caring person. But if you're giving solely because it makes you feel good, and are using it as a way to speed up the process of letting go of your ego, isn't that the ego causing you to do it in the first place??

That's the funny thing about the ego. Even if you think you're doing good, which you are, your ego could still be in control, which isn't quite letting go.

Just some food for thought.

The ego can be pushed aside when doing readings. It can also be pulled back or contracted in certain energy works.
I find it often clouds our high selfs. Tho I do believe it has a purpose.

originally posted by: sn0rch
those who always take, will be full and slowed down. those who always give, will be weak and unresponsive.

the middle ground.. you need to find that. without it, you are skewed.

You believe you need to 'balance' between Ego and Spirit, Selfishness and Love, but The Body already has ego. Ego will keep coming back to protect the body, you don't have to try to "keep" it. Even when you get rid of it it'll come back when needed to protect the body and that in itself will be a balance.

Trying to balance something by holding on to it, when it is already sufficient creates excess (more ego than necessary).

Keep in mind: I am not telling anyone what to do. If you like ego, then that is ok. That is your preference. I'm only speaking to those who don't want ego or want less of it, a great way to reduce it is generosity, giving to others instead of trying to take for self.

But the ego IS NOT selfishness.
It is much more.
It is how you experience life
tetra

i dont believe in Karma, i'm going to sound abit sorry for myself here but i've always helped people out, lent money, offered help advice blah blah blah, i just got completely worked over by everyone.

It does not come back to you, karma is rubbish.

originally posted by: WilsonWilson
i dont believe in Karma, i'm going to sound abit sorry for myself here but i've always helped people out, lent money, offered help advice blah blah blah, i just got completely worked over by everyone.

It does not come back to you, karma is rubbish.

me, too
i think karma was hijacked a long time ago. now, it's used as much like a weapon as the bible, imo.
tetra

..i think once a person gets it across to the annoying little unit up in the control tower
"hey buddy, this body isn't going to live forever.."
"..and furthermore, *you're* just the co-pilot"
most of the problem solves itself
/shrugs


i think the bible trumps all the competition (as far as all this stuff is concerned) (compare thus spake zarathustra to the book of proverbs) (so thanks for making the topic) but also found (the first) 3 portions of the (supposed) 5 great & noble truths (buddhism?hmm, can never seem to spell that word properly) helpful in all this
1. existence is suffering
2. the cause of suffering is attachment
3. the cause of attachment is desire

iirc (?) the book of romans, ecclesiastes & proverbs have some nice advice when it comes to the battle with the lower nature
come now let us google together
/shrug (umm.. well.. seeya)

a reply to: arpgme

The ego seems like a mind state associated with the maturing process of CREATOR Creations. And as "WE" further mature the need for it diminishes as its replaced with confidence.
Confidence is like self verification that your progressing in the correct directions within existence based on your hard work and efforts... And so subconsciously reminds you to continue doing your best. Like you work hard to be healthy in turn generate healthy body build and are appreciative of all your hard work when you observe yourself. But you don't get an ego and say well I look better than others who wish they could look like me. Your confidence may help you to help others gain strength like you as you believe in yourself enough to teach them how to gain better health and move on...

Maturity associated because as we mature past the need for an ego or self concentration we realize that to assist others we cannot think only for ourselves.
Thinking of others WILL eventually produce less concentration on the self and more on others.
If others needed you and you possessed an ego how could you truly help them if ultimately you care only for yourself?

EX:
If you were to be a being set to assist others in mass for example and there was placed upon you major responsibilities and obligations and with these responsibilities you were granted access to advanced technologies spiritual techniques to enhance others consciously & or physically, imagine the outcome if an ego was allowed to influence. A mind state could be produced that would potentially become about SELF once its realized the technologies and spiritual upgrades it had been granted usage of as the being would tend to think why help many advance when they can advance alone leaving others behind forgetting the responsibility to help / upgrade others.

A ego less consciousness would follow the requested responsibilities, wouldn't go out of control with technologies or techniques provided, do the job ask of the and assist others to upgrade advance potentials and afterwards would follow potential next request of hide technology or return it & would continue to co-exist with all upgraded and wouldn't think to misuse technology - techniques to become POWER FORCE over others to rule others...

Sort of like the CREATOR/GOD/SOURCE granting AVATAR like responsibilities to some (universally) to help others advance consciously-physically and these responsibilities given being mistaken or taken for privileges over others in need due to ego weakness generating a god complex eventually slowing the whole reason the AVATAR program was initiated to HELP... Because now some wish to control (with ego) those who are not in the KNOW of the advance technology techniques as if unequal to the requested.

So 1 agrees arpgme (Selfishness) can help to eliminate a potentially dangerous ego mind state


NAMASTE*******

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

Well said....

Only thing I would like to add: "To help the others you have to help yourself first"

And this is meant excatly how it is said. It`s only people who see this the wrong way, the negative way.

For example...I see the OP is talking about unconditional love. You can only give that once you accept it yourself about yourself and others.

a reply to: arpgme

I think you are getting close, but not there yet Let me ask you this. Yourself and another person haven`t eaten for days and you find a peace of bread. What would you do, eat it yourself or give it to that person?

It's egotistical go give to others because you get a "good feeling" in return.

If you got no satisfaction or pleasure from helping others at all, then yes -- it would be ego-less.

originally posted by: 3u40r15m
It's always easier to recieve than to give, but it's more rewarding to give than recieve. Because your rewards in the end is a feeling that can't be givin by anyone.

That last part, I've never thought of it like that. Thank you for pointing that out.

a reply to: Op3nM1nd3d

Good post!

It sounds selfish at first, but you're totally right. It's like we're all in this airplane going down together. Help yourself first so that you can help the person next to you...make sure you actually have something to give (beyond the material,) before you start giving.

I strongly question whether ego dissolution is really a positive thing. While the ego is not at the apex of the heirarchy of being it may be a necessary subsystem of larger entities.

To the best of my limited understanding, most schools of thought that attack the ego focus on transcending the individual level of being in pursuit of aligning ones actions and/or plane of experience to the good of some communal or cosmic whole. To me this seems very egotistical - rooted in a desire to be the whole thing in ones own right rather than to embrace ones true function within the big picture.

Everything in the universe interacts on its own level according to its own laws and thus automatically makes up something larger. These higher orders then push the lesser things around and the lesser things do not interfere much with this process or ascend, They just play their necessary foundational role.

The atom looks for electrical balance and gives rise to molecules, which do likewise along with some other stuff I don't know enough chemistry to explain. And the molecules give rise to among other things, DNA again with it's own unique and necessary programming. Then cells, multicellular organisms, communities, cultures, ecosystems, all the way up to whatever the sum of all universal machinery is.

If DNA or a specialized cell or a predatory organism or anything else stopped obeying its programming the cycles that run the higher order would be disrupted. They must go on with their programming, and with no effort on their part the higher order will keep them in functional parameters. Keeping them in functional parameters can mean the death and replacement of the entity, or a population crash that restores balance or an illness that corrects unhealthy behavior, so it is preferable to the ego of any entity to actively maintain balance for its own sake, But this is not always possible and not necessary to the survival and evolution of the transcendent higher entities.

We will be us until the cycles naturally reorganize us. We have been hydrogen, we have been stars, we have been elements spread thru many distinct lower organisms, and now humans containing an entire ecosystem of lower organisms, and we will continue to become other things when our atoms and all of our works are recombined again. We will get where we are going when this phase of construction is complete and not before. And the ego is one of influences needed for this stage of the project.

You can't screw up the big picture really. You can afffect it, but something suited to the outcome you create will be the next stop for you - there's no such thing as hell and you couldn't build it if you tried. There are only fleeting bad days from the subjective lower viewpoints and they will pass.