Spiritual Ego Trap - #13
In the context of the path toward enlightenment, it is important to pay close attention to the concept of “transformation.”
On the path toward enlightenment, we may encounter the “ego trap” (the ego understood here as what we believe ourselves to be). The “ego trap” creates the illusion of “transformation.” By “transformation” we mean the belief in “evolution,” “becoming,” or “change.”
The “ego trap” is the belief that enlightenment is about transformation–but this is completely wrong. Enlightenment is not about “change” or “evolution.”
When we try to approach the path towards enlightenment through the perspective of “transformation,” there is a tendency to believe that an actual transformation of “something” occurs.
When we aim for “transformation,” we are actually only inflating the ego. Enlightenment is a series of realizations: We realize some story is unfounded, and we then see reality in a less distorted way.
Let’s say I wake up and, as I wake up, I am unaware of my body. I don’t feel it at all.
But then I move my foot. Now I can feel it, and I realize that I have a foot.
It’s not that I suddenly grew a new foot. I always had that foot. I just realized something that was there all along.
Realization is not self-improvement. There is no “transformation.” Realization is only realizing that something was true all along.
In the context of the path to enlightenment, any attempt at “transformation” would only enlarge the ego. In other words, a person convinces themselves they are reaching “higher” levels of “spiritual” development when, in reality, they are merely inflating their ego.
They believe they are “evolving spiritually,” but they are just inflating their ego–they are building a “spiritual” ego.
By approaching the path to enlightenment from the perspective of “transformation,” a person might come to believe that they have transcended their “ego” and reached a “state” of “spirit,” “soul,” and so on, then think they can improve or evolve this “soul” or “spirit.” In reality, they have merely renamed their ego—calling it “spirit” or “soul”—and have enlarged it while believing they are expanding their “soul” or “spirit.”
Enlightenment is not about “transformation.”
By treating enlightenment as a process of transformation, a person will just inflate their ego—which they will then call a “soul” or “spirit.”
This is not enlightenment. Why? Because it’s not about realization, which is realizing that something we thought was true was never true all along. Instead of having realizations, they are renaming one thing for another, or adding new stories—and this is not enlightenment.
The proper way to follow the path toward enlightenment is never through the perspective of “transformation,” since every “transformation” is merely an enlargement of the ego. The right approach to enlightenment is to remove the beliefs, convictions, and identity stories tied to what we think we are (the ego). This unfolds through a series of realizations, not through “transformation.”
The only “transformation” that can actually happen is inflation of the ego. Enlightenment has absolutely nothing to do with renaming what you believe you are (ego). It is about realizations that strip away unfounded stories that create distortions.
If you rename your “ego” as “spirit” or “soul,” you are only inflating your ego. But if you remove “should stories” and identity stories, then actual realizations are happening, and this will produce more clarity and discernment regarding reality.
The ego is just a collection of “identity” stories. There is nothing mystical about it. Enlightenment is the removal of unfounded beliefs, such as “should stories” and “identity stories.”
This distinction can be further illustrated, ironically, with an example. As children, we all believed in Santa Claus. Today, we can correct this false belief in two ways. The first approach is based on realizing that Santa Claus does not and never did exist, because it was my parents who staged the whole thing. The second approach, by contrast, is based on the concept of active “transformation.” In this model, a person would mistakenly say that Santa Claus has transformed into their parents.
Realization is not about “transformation.”
Realization is realizing that something is not true and never was.
You realize that you were wrong in your belief all along. Enlightenment is having a series of realizations about things that we thought were true but were not true all along. Your beliefs change but reality does not–you just see reality more clearly.
To believe in a “transformation” of Santa Claus into your parents is not the same as actually realizing the nonexistence of Santa Claus. It is to exchange one unfounded story for another. For instance, a child may realize that Santa does not exist. But instead of realizing that Santa never existed, and Santa was his parents all along, the child replaces his unfounded story with another unfounded story, that Santa Claus has transformed into his parents. And that story is also wrong: Santa Claus never existed and it was the parents all along.
Of course, this story is absurd, but it’s just to show that the concept of realizing through “transformation” is absurd.
Awareness of the falsity of particular beliefs is what truly leads to enlightenment, whereas “transformation” merely results in the enlargement of the ego.
The process of enlightenment is a series of realizations that certain beliefs and stories we have are unfounded. Some people may wrongly believe that enlightenment is about “transformation”–but the only “transformation” that could happen is inflation of the ego. This would happen if they incorrectly identify with their ego. Then they would only be inflating their ego.
If we were to ask someone, “What do you think you are?” and they were to reply, “My body,” or “My spirit,” or even “My soul,” it would mean that whatever they answer is what they identify with—that is, the word they use is simply a new name for their “ego.”
Whatever they answer to that question is the new name they give to their ego. They might use words such as “spirit” or “soul” or even “body.” They are just renaming their ego.
Very often, we believe we are engaging in practices that lead to the transformation or evolution of the “spirit” or “soul,” when in fact we are only engaging in practices that serve to inflate the ego.
Rituals, meditations, and retreats serve only to inflate the ego. They do not remove unfounded stories or beliefs. Enlightenment is the process of removing unfounded stories. When those stories are dismantled, it removes the distortions they produce.
By doing what gives the impression of “transforming ourselves,” we are in fact doing nothing more than “transforming”—or enlarging—our ego.
“Transformation” is just inflating the ego.
When you give the name “spirit” or “soul” to what you believe you are (ego), you have fallen in the “ego trap.” It’s easy to fall into the “ego trap” because the inflation of the ego actually feels good. You will think that with all the meditations and rituals you do, you really are improving something. But it also feels good to, for instance, overeat on ice cream, and that’s not good for you, either.
In truth, there is only one answer that someone who has attained enlightenment would give to the question “What do you think you are?”: “I don’t know.” Any other answer would simply be another name given to the ego.
The statement “I don’t know” is the acknowledgement of ignorance, and ignorance can be a good thing: It’s much better to realize that we don’t know than to foolishly believe something false.
By realizing that you don’t know what you ultimately are, you no longer identify with an unfounded story or self-image.
This dual way of relating to stories helps us understand how two different attitudes—realizing versus believing in “transformation”—leads to entirely different outcomes. Only realizations lead to enlightenment, while “transformation” merely gives the ego a new name.
Realization dismantles/dissolves unfounded stories. “Transformation” inflates the ego.
In the movie The Matrix, while Neo is inside the Matrix, he begins to suspect that he is trapped inside some sort of simulation which is not ultimate Reality.
When he “escapes” the Matrix, he is then certain, without any shred of doubt, that he is now free. (“Free” means not being in a simulation. “Being trapped” means being in a simulation.) He is confident that he is no longer inside a simulation.
But actually, when Neo “escapes” the Matrix, he may be even more trapped than before. How could that be?
When Neo was inside the Matrix, he suspected that the Matrix itself was not ultimate Reality but a simulation. When he “escaped” the Matrix, then he gave up any doubt that he was inside a simulation. Once he “got out” of the Matrix, he stopped questioning the new apparent “reality.”
He then believed, with absolute certainty, that he had “escaped” the simulation, believing he was finally experiencing ultimate Reality outside the simulation.
But what if the “escape” was part of the Matrix? What if he had not escaped at all–like having a dream in which you dream you wake up, but you do not really wake up? Maybe the Matrix let him believe he “escaped” in order to erase his doubts, so he would stop questioning if he was in the Matrix or not.
Neo could actually be even more trapped now that he is certain that he is “outside” the Matrix: Because he no longer questions if he is in a simulation or not. He is now certain that he is not in a simulation. However, he could still be in another layer of the Matrix, but he no longer questions if he is in a simulation (the Matrix) or not.
How does that apply to this chapter? Let’s say that someone has lots of material things – helicopters, yachts, mansions, etc. He may have a “classical” or “material” ego. This ego is made up of stories, and because of these stories he seeks validation through the possession of material things. But once in a while he may question this lifestyle. “My neighbor is starving,” he says, “but instead of buying him a little bit of food, I’m buying yet another Ferrari just to park in my garage. Maybe that is the wrong thing for me to do.” He is entertaining doubt, which could potentially trigger a realization for him at some point in the future.
That is the “classical” ego at work, but there is also the “spiritual ego,” and it is not about acquiring material things. It’s about feeling superior by believing you are more “spiritual” than other people. It is more difficult to escape the “spiritual” ego than the “material” ego.
Instead of “chasing” material things to seek validation, as with the “classical” ego, you instead chase “spiritual goals.” You may retreat into a temple and abandon all other people and all other interests. You’ve traded one kind of ego for another kind of ego.
Some may say, “At least a ‘spiritual ego’ is better than a ‘material ego’”–but it is not. Actually, it’s worse.
Why? Because if you believe without a doubt that you’re on the right path, it’s hard to question that path. You already believe you’re doing the right thing, so you’ll stop questioning your actions.
It’s easy to look at a driveway full of Ferraris and then at some point find it feels wrong in contrast to people starving – and then start questioning if you are doing the right thing or not. Instead, the “spiritual ego” may never feel wrong. You may just meditate more, renounce more things, go more often to the temple, and do more yoga.
When you have a “spiritual ego” instead of a “material ego,” you feel like you are experiencing some kind of “spiritual evolution” but you are only inflating your ego, just in a different way compared to “material ego”: When you inflate your “material ego” you can measure it by counting the number of Ferraris in your driveway. Instead, when you inflate your “spiritual ego,” you can measure it by the number of “spiritual practices” you do, as if you were collecting them.
Once Neo believed he had “escaped” the Matrix, he stopped questioning if he was in a simulation or not.
Just like Neo may have been mistaken in believing he switched from a simulation to ultimate Reality–from the “wrong” path to the “right” path–you may also be mistaken in believing that you went from the “wrong” path to the “right” path.
When you are on the “wrong” path but you believe you’re on the “right” path, it’s more difficult to change paths than when you are on the “wrong” path and you suspect you’re on the “wrong” path.
It’s better to be on the “wrong” path and know that you are on the “wrong” path (“material ego”) than to be on the “wrong” path and believe you’re on the “right” path (“spiritual ego”).
The reason some people try to achieve “spiritual evolution” is the same reason others accumulate material wealth: the assertion of the ego.
Nice book