A common source of contention in all world’s religions, is the selfishly-centered concerns of the individual ego personality.
The ego, is a psychological component in everyone that functions as a sense of the self (me), separate from others, and is committed to the gratification of the personal concerns of the individual life.
Religion is always ultimately a call to life lead by a will or ideal, beyond our own.
All religious pursuit points to and is primarily concerned with transcendence, be it personal or impersonally.
It is a paradox that a sense of selfishness is a prerequisite for a successful religious and spiritual adherence.
Yet, I will show that it is this very egotistical component of the psyche that serves to undermine the best efforts of the God-seeker; and as the accuser (disobedience) in Judaism, Satan (sin/separation) in Christianity, Shaitan/Iblis (forgetfulness) in Islam, anarchy in Confucianism, pain in Hinduism, Mara (suffering) in Buddhism, and the failure to comprehend attunement/oneness in Taoism, it is nothing more than our very own externally projected ungratified egos …our common enemy from within.
A COMMON ENEMY
The Ego in the Religions of the World
QIAN MECHALITH
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
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Deep, profound and above all else, TRUE!
ReplyDeleteI cannot wait to read your paper! Just judging by your thesis, it is going to shake some people at their core!