DEMYTHIFYING EGO - IN HONOR OF JUMAAT

Revisiting my previous 'long-winded' blog entry, and shortening it for easy reading of dear students.

THE TRANSIENT NATURE OF IDENTITY, SELF AND PERSONALITY         

Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 3:02am

This is my response to M. Haniff's pondering on his art.we.ar., his cosplay art. It relates to my own personal works.

Hanif,

Ego and alter ego are patterns of thinking. We wear, manifest and project it physically most of the time, even without art.we.ar.

What we normally refer to as our physical identity or personality is also actually a projection of the mind. What we look as our physical self is a shadow of our mind.

Some tradition refers to this notions of identity or personality as an illusion, or manifestation, or a sign for self, or in relation to you, a shell or an armour. It is not the real Self.

"Mendiri" with projection

However, if we identify with such shell, it becomes our ego. Once we said that this ego is absolutely real, we become entrapped and even enslaved by it. We need to protect and feed it all the time, with whatever that makes the ego (illusion) grows. We suffer for it. Those who r enslaved by ego will never b free. They r enslaved by the mind and emotion (reaction to the mind), both of which r supposed to b our instruments, not our master.

The real Self or master is the witness of the mind - a state when one is aware of what one's mind is doing and projecting. Its a state of awareness or in some traditions, awakening and enlightened, which is different than thinking and feeling.

"Mendiri/Standing up" (2010)

Interestingly, the armour allows us to project a different pattern of thinking, different illusion, manifestation, sign or shell. By doing so, it also allows us to b a witness to how other illusions of self response to it. Behind the armour, we r not affected by what we assume as others, because we know that they r responding to something that is not the real us.

Becoming a witness sets us free in a similar way becoming the person behind the armour can also set us free. Again, we don't have to take how other egos response to it personally, because we know for sure that the shell that we wear are not our real self. Consequently, we can have a much fun and enjoyable experience. We can play. Play is important. Being cheerful and playful is being close to our true nature.

This is a very telling metaphor for the fact that our physical appearance itself is also a mere armour/shell/shadow/illusion/manifestation of the mind.

The real person behind the armour is an apt metaphor for the real master/a silent witness who is looking at what the mind is projecting.

A person who is in a state of awareness or awakened or enlightened, will never take anything personally because he or she r aware of the transient nature of all projected identities. The real Self is not affected, because he/she is in his/her natural state of being which is free, peaceful, full of love and joy.

In short, art.we.ar for me, is an interesting metaphor and avenue to celebrate the fact that any notion of physical identity or personality is actually a mere shadow of the mind. It keeps on changing, transient, never stays. The Real Soul will always be the silent witness, that will never b affected by all the transient illusions of physical experiences.

Returning to the real Self is when one returns to the true nature of one's Soul by being free of one's ego/s (unveiling the illusions of physical experiences). Once free, one can have a much fun, free, loving, cheerful and enjoyable 'living' experiences, provided that one follows the correct 'paths'/syariat' as a guidance.

But that would be another pondering all together.

Keep up the good vibes Haniff.




Hasnul