What is the easiest way to dissolve your ego?
—Mary Kate Villacres, United States
Dear Mary Kate,
The best way to dissolve the ego is to love God with all your heart, mind, strength and soul. And the second is like unto the first: love your neighbor AS your Self.
Since these “commandments” are difficult for most people there are five ways, which, used in combination, will perhaps be the best approach:
1. Social way. Love all with the love of God. Love all AS manifestations of God. Love your enemies, your critics, and those who make daily life difficult for you.
2. Ascetic way. Discipline your senses in your love for God. Control your tongue (talking); your palate (eating); drinking in gossip (hearing); sex impulses; avoid bragging or putting yourself “down;” Come down from the Self from time to time to speak and interact with others. See no one nor any object, possession or desire as yours but only as being consigned to you by God for a short time. Do your duty as conscience, common sense, and ethics requires. Do so with equanimity, cheerfulness, and even enthusiasm.
3. Yogic way. Meditate daily: withdraw your life force from the periphery of the body, the senses, and into the central astral spine; from thence raise the kundalini of egoity to the spiritual eye in self-offering. Learn Kriya Yoga.
4. Transcendental way. Sit with eyes closed anytime you can: visualize an expanding light from your heart encompassing your body, expanding throughout the city, countryside and encircling the globe; out into all space. God’s body is space. Feel space in the body and beyond. [Obtain the book, Metaphysical Meditations by Paramhansa Yogananda, to have access to innumerable such meditations.] In short, change your self-identity from the body to all creation and beyond into the Bliss of God.
5. Guru way. If God has sent to you a true guru, such as Paramhansa Yogananda, or one of the great masters (being sent to you in your heart), follow his every counsel; every technique; study his life and extract personal counsel from every story and teaching. Chant to guru throughout each day.
In these ways, my friend, your ego will dissolve into the soul who is Bliss, who is a spark of God, and who is infinite, eternal, without end, and beyond all death and suffering.
My soul sends to your soul the Joy which is our true Self,
Nayaswami Hriman
Seattle WA USA
www.Hrimananda.org