We shall again explore some of the ways in which we can manage and overcome the problem that is our ego.
Jnana yoga or the path of knowledge: There is only one entity that exists and that is the real “Me”. It is not the body, mind, name or form. Wrong identification with the above has given us ego. An example will illustrate this clearly. A movie actor is given the role of a king. On the sets, donning his royal costume and crown, there is a change in his identity. When he is playing the role of a king, a peculiar notion arises in him: “I am a king.” When all these identifications are dropped, we become the infinite.
Karma Yoga or the path of action: Actions done without a sense of “I”-ness help remove the ego. Ego is of two kinds: the technical ego (“I am an Indian”) and the problematic ego (the sense of “I-ness” or individuality). The problematic ego is the one that gives us sorrow. We have to get rid of this problematic ego.
If you are an employee of a company, it means that you are on the payroll of the company that has given you a job, status and designation. It is your duty to work only for the company and no one else. You cannot use your position to accumulate things for yourself that would be a misuse of your position. Similarly, your very existence has been given by the totality. When you understand that God gifted all your faculties to you you will also understand that it is your duty to serve the totality as His instrument.
Bhakti Yoga or the path of devotion: Devotion to God is called bhakti. Total love of God purges negativities and purifies the mind. In bhakti, I lose my identity and become one with Him.
When we merge with totality, there is no sense of duality, no ego, and no sense of limitation. In bhakti yoga, the bhakta (devotee) feels: “I do not exist. Only God is everywhere.” Our sense of individuality dissolves and the ego disappears.
