I’ve been reading a lot lately about how the ego gets in the way of living a less stressful, peaceful life. Think about this quote for a moment,To study Buddhism is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things.To be enlightened by all things is to remove the barriers between oneself and others. —Zen Master Dogen [1200-1253]
When we wrap ourselves up in our own problems, and hyper focus on the details of our day-to-day feelings about ourselves, how we’re doing compared to others, and how we’re not meeting our own expectations or the expectations of others, then we are basically boosting our own stress levels for the sake of our own ego. This stress of the ego can be alleviated so simply.
When you find yourself feeling sorry for yourself, fuming over how someone has treated you, or just letting your mind go on a tangent about someone else’s actions, realize that you cannot control these things. The only thing you can control is your own mind, and its thoughts and emotions. You will find if you stop yourself obsessing about yourself, that you begin to feel more free and open. You will feel less burdened, and you will absolutely begin to feel more enlightened.
When you let go of ego, you open yourself to the Universe, and the experiences/perceptions of others you probably never considered before. Entering into this “spirtus mundi” will help you feel more peaceful and connected in a positive way.
Here are some recommended reading selections to teach you more about letting go of the stress of ego:
The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle
Loving What Is, by Byron Katie
A Course in Miracles (Chapter 4, “The Illusions of the Ego”)
Also this short article, Ego and Desire