Egoism vs. Mind of Ego: Unraveling the Mystery

In his book “A New Earth,” Eckhart Tolle, the spiritual guru everyone’s talking about, distinguishes between egoism and the mind of ego. He describes egoism as being stuck in a noisy bar with a bad cover band, where you’re overidentifying with the mental racket. In contrast, the mind of ego is like the bouncer at the door, aware and discriminating, keeping the riff-raff out.

When you let your ego run the show, you live in a world that revolves around you. But when you use your mind to make decisions, being mindful of your thoughts and feelings, you’re operating from a place of true consciousness. That sounds like a better deal, right?

Egoic Thinking: The Root of All Drama

According to Tolle, egoic thinking is like a boxing match: me against the world. “I win, they lose. I’m right, they’re wrong. I’m the shit, they’re shit.” This kind of thinking leads to conflict, both within ourselves and with others. We get so wrapped up in being right that we forget to listen and understand where others are coming from. We’re so busy stroking our own egos that we forget to look at the situation from a place of compassion.

Letting Go of the Ego: The Path to Consciousness

Letting go of our egos can be tough, especially when we’re used to being the center of our own universe. But it’s crucial if we want to achieve true consciousness. As Tolle says, “If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate all wars and conflict, then eliminate war and conflict within yourself.”

Only by doing our own inner work can we hope to create lasting change in the world around us. It’s like cleaning your room before complaining about the mess in the living room.

Mindfulness: The Antidote to Ego

The next time you find yourself in a situation where your ego is running the show, take a step back. Ask yourself what would happen if you approached it from a place of mindfulness instead. Would you be able to see things from another perspective? Would you be able to find compassion for those involved? Would you be able to find a solution that everyone could agree on?

When we allow ourselves to operate from a place of true consciousness, anything becomes possible. So, let’s start taming our egos and start living from a place of compassion and consciousness.