WHAT IS THE EGO?

              

The term "ego" is often defined simply as a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance. At a basic level, having a sense of self-worth is healthy and necessary. However, when this sense of self-importance becomes inflated—leading to excessive pride or conceit—it indicates that the individual has ventured into the unstable grounds of intellectual reasoning and has become trapped there.

When someone becomes a slave to the intellect, nothing remains sacred. Interactions with others are dominated by self-interest, and even matters of spiritual importance, such as the Word of the Lord, are rationalized to fit personal weaknesses, earthly desires, and exaggerated self-importance. This intellectualization can lead to misunderstandings of spiritual truths, such as the notion that the Son of the Almighty could be sacrificed for sinful humanity.

However, there is a deeper, more profound meaning of "ego" that transcends this superficial understanding. In this higher sense, the "ego" represents the true essence of who we are—the real spiritual self.

To understand this spiritual ego, we must trace its origins. Human beings originate in the lowest part of the Spiritual Realm as spirit germs, existing in a state of unconsciousness and in need of development. This Spiritual Realm is higher than the Substantiate Realm, where the core of animals originates, and the World of Matter which is now visible to us in turn comes below the Substantiate Realm.

When a longing for personal ego-consciousness awakens in the spirit germ, it must descend into the World of Matter. It is only through experiences in this material world that the spirit germ can evolve into the human ego. This evolution occurs through the exercise of the spirit's intuitive capacities, leading to the recognition of God's Laws and the development of spiritual abilities. As the intuition is strengthened, the spirit germ matures, becoming a self-conscious, living ego.

A fully matured spirit germ, having completed its journey and development, is welcomed back to Paradise, its original home, as a living ego that has become useful in Creation. Conversely, a spirit germ that fails to achieve the necessary maturity will still return to its origin but as a dead ego, one that has not fulfilled its potential.

This understanding of the ego as the real spiritual man sheds light on our purpose and journey in life, emphasizing the importance of spiritual growth and the development of true self-consciousness.