Harm incurred due to high ego and why it is important to destroy ego ?

1. Becoming unhappy due to ego

        Dasbodh (Dashak 6, Samas 7, Shloka 36) says ‘If you say I am the doer, you will become unhappy. If you say Shriram is the doer, you will achieve success, fame and valour’. The more the ego, the more unhappy is an individual. Psychiatric patients have high ego, hence, they are unhappy. Individuals who have thoughts such as ‘my wealth’, ‘my body’ become unhappy if wealth depletes or if they fall ill. At times, psychological unhappiness due to ego is more painful than even physical pain. Saints believe that everything belongs to God, and they own nothing. Hence, they never become unhappy and are always in Anand (Bliss).

2. Ego is the root cause of unhappiness

        Since we have desires, we have attachment that leads to ego. Ego means being selfish, arrogant and having body-awareness. Ego itself is one that gets wounded and one which wounds. Ego gives us unhappiness and hurt. Ego is the reason for taking birth repeatedly. Once ego is destroyed, the root cause of unhappiness is also destroyed. When ego is destroyed, there is an experience of happiness, peace, calmness and Anand. Hence it is important to destroy ego.

3. Not being able to experience happiness in the true sense due to ego

        To experience even ordinary happiness we should sacrifice ego; For example, while eating a dish of our choice if we remember that we are a well-known professor, a wealthy man or someone great, we cannot enjoy the dish. We can enjoy other worldly pleasures only if we forget our position or knowledge.

4. Ego destroys everything

 

    जरा रूपं ऱ् रति धैर्यमाशा मृत्युः प्राणान् धर्मचर्यामसूया ।

    क्रोधः श्रियं शीलमनार्यसेवा ह्रियं काम: सर्वमेवाभिमानः ।।

– Mahabharat, Udyogparva, Adhyaya 35, Shloka 43

Meaning : Old age takes away beauty, hope destroys patience, death takes away life, envy does not allow one to abide by Dharma (Righteousness), anger destroys wealth, serving uncultured people destroys a good disposition, sexual desire destroys shame, but ego destroys everything.

5. If ego is less, God protects from negative energies

        The following incident illustrates how two seekers got to learn of this

5 A. Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale suggesting that ‘For combating negative energies, one should have a warrior attitude that is devoid of ego’

        Once in a satsang (Company of the God Principle), I put a question to Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale- ‘Why are negative energies not destroyed despite chanting with kshatravrutti (Warrior attitude)? On this Paratpar Guru (Dr.) Athavale replied, ‘Due to ego, meaning, due to the thought that I will destroy negative energies. While chanting God’s Name, we should have a sharṇagat bhav that with their weapons, the Deities are destroying negative energies that are causing distress to me. Before having a thought my chanting will destroy the negative energies, we should have a thought that these negative energies also have performed spiritual practice for thousands of years’. After realizing this, my chanting takes place with complete sharṇagat bhav. Also, consistency in spiritual practice and kshatravrutti has been retained. – A Seeker

5 B. On having a thought that ‘I will fight the negative energies with my own strength’, God did not help; and upon taking a miniature form and going into H.H. Dr. Athavale’s nail, the negative energy left me

        On 10.3.2003, at noon, when spiritual healing was being performed I was getting many negative thoughts. I could see His Holiness Dr. Athavale’s Holy feet before me, but someone was trying to take me away from them. A prayer to God to protect me from this negative energy began taking place, but it did not have any effect on the negative energy. Finally, I thought, ‘let me combat the negative energy myself’ and I began to fight. In this process, I thought of Sage Yadnyavalkya. Once when a negative energy was troubling Him, even Brahma, Vishṇu and Mahesh Could not prevent the negative energy. Finally, Sage Yadnyavalkya assumed a miniature form and entered the nail of Deity Mahesh. Then the negative energy could not do anything to Sage Yadnyavalkya. When I remembered this, I too assumed a small form mentally and entered the nail of His Holiness Dr. Athavale. The negative energy then had to leave me. – A Seeker

Reference : Sanatan Sanstha’s Holy text ‘Spiritual Practice for Destroying Ego’.