Is ego a projection?

[DefinitelyNotARobot]

I project what seems to be true for me onto other people. I seem to "have" an "ego" (whatever that is), so when someone else appears to behaving from a place of ego, is that just like an image in a mirror? It almost feels like it's a recognition of the true nature of "others", as Me, but that this recognition is being filtered through all the belief structures in my mind, so that recognition of our true nature turns into a projection of my own apparent nature as an ego.

[caspex]

The sense of others is the same as the sense of self. 'You' are creating both the sensations. So it would make sense how you view yourself spills over to viewing others, because both those illusions have the same source.

It's funny how 'projection' is viewed as projecting yourself onto others, when you are projecting 'Others' themselves

Edited April 12, 2023 by Swarnim

[DefinitelyNotARobot]

@Swarnim Yeah "other" is a projection, but I guess that's where the concept of projection breaks down, because who is the "I" that is doing the projection, what is "it" projecting and what is "it" projecting "that" onto? Am I projecting myself onto myself? What would projection even mean in that context?

So in that sense, my question was more of a relative nature, in that it relies on the appearance of separate entities to project something (ego) onto.

Edited April 12, 2023 by DefinitelyNotARobot

[Moksha]

You see what you identify as. If identified with your mind (which is ego), you see and respond to the ego in others. If realized as the absolute, you see and resonate with the absolute in others.

Everything you sense, perceive, or project onto is transient and illusory. Other is as false as I. Only the absolute, which is directly realized beyond sensing, perception, or projection, is real.

[DefinitelyNotARobot]

@Moksha That makes sense. I suppose the first step to go beyond this would be to become aware of what you're sensing, perceiving or in this case projecting, so that you can actually start asking what all of that REALLY is and ABSOLUTELY is? Acknowledging the apparent "illusion of the mind" and working my way from there for example.

[Moksha]

16 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotARobot said:

I suppose the first step to go beyond this would be to become aware of what you're sensing, perceiving or in this case projecting, so that you can actually start asking what all of that REALLY is and ABSOLUTELY is? Acknowledging the apparent "illusion of the mind" and working my way from there for example.

What you're describing is the beginning of the neti, neti (not this, not that) process where you systematically identify everything you are not (thoughts, feelings, sensations, perceptions, etc.). It is the initial stage of the spiritual journey, and the brain can actually help you here. It has the capacity to realize what it is not.

When you have finally distilled yourself down to the essence, to pass through the gate requires letting go of the mind and directly realizing the absolute.

[Leo Gura]

This whole notion of "having an ego" is just an imaginary construct. The sooner you drop the whole idea, the better.

There really aren't any egos, just ideas in the Mind.

[tuku747]

5 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

This whole notion of "having an ego" is just an imaginary construct. The sooner you drop the whole idea, the better.

There really aren't any egos, just ideas in the Mind.

 

[Yimpa]

 

[DefinitelyNotARobot]

@Leo Gura Why then do so many people (including you sometimes) put an emphasis on the distinction between self and Self? Is the idea of a smaller s self just standing in the way?

[Leo Gura]

1 hour ago, DefinitelyNotARobot said:

@Leo Gura Why then do so many people (including you sometimes) put an emphasis on the distinction between self and Self? Is the idea of a smaller s self just standing in the way?

That is a holdover from bad teachings I was infected with. In the future I will move away from speaking about ego at all.

Nothing exists but MIND.

Edited April 12, 2023 by Leo Gura

[Yimpa]

3 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

That is a holdover from bad teachings I was infected with. In the future I will move away from speaking about ego at all.

Nothing exists but MIND.

o_o

damn.

so that is precisely why nobody here is AWAKE.

MIND cannot be monopolized by anything.

It’s ALL Things 

Only Leo understands this because I am Leo, lmfao. (You know what I mean).

@DefinitelyNotARobot you are a freakin’ legend! Asking the important questions 

[DefinitelyNotARobot]

@Leo Gura That's an interesting perspective, I don't think I've seen any "spiritual teachers" that don't talk about ego (at least not that I can recall). Most of them bring it up at one point or another. 

I will consider it as a possibility.

@Yimpa ❤️

[Yimpa]

1 minute ago, DefinitelyNotARobot said:

That's an interesting perspective, I don't think I've seen any "spiritual teachers" that don't talk about ego (at least not that I can recall). Most of them bring it up at one point or another. 

Maybe it’s cus they understand ego very well.

But do they understand… GOD?

[Leo Gura]

55 minutes ago, DefinitelyNotARobot said:

@Leo Gura That's an interesting perspective, I don't think I've seen any "spiritual teachers" that don't talk about ego (at least not that I can recall). Most of them bring it up at one point or another. 

I will consider it as a possibility.

@Yimpa ❤️

Ego is still a useful relative concept.

[Yimpa]

13 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

Ego is still a useful relative concept.

I was just arguing with my sister now about how she is selfish and invalidating my feelings. 

I feel empowered. I’ll still call our people on their egoic bullshit. 

[Thought Art]

Ego is a useful concept but its meaning is nebulous.  

[Leo Gura]

3 hours ago, Yimpa said:

I was just arguing with my sister now about how she is selfish and invalidating my feelings. 

You are being selfish for caring.

[Breakingthewall]

we call ego the idea we have of ourselves, a human being who is going to die, who has a certain position with respect to other humans, etc. The problem is that in spirituality books they tell us that the goal is to transcend the ego, when it is only the first step.

[StarStruck]

9 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

This whole notion of "having an ego" is just an imaginary construct. The sooner you drop the whole idea, the better.

There really aren't any egos, just ideas in the Mind.

Even in the Jungian school, the ego is not real, there is only the self but it should be understood pre-verbal.

Edited April 13, 2023 by StarStruck