[quote="tourbi"]Ah, don't stop!! You bring smiles to this face and heart.  Thank you.

[quote]There is no permanent damage that human being can make. The Creator I am sure has considered that in His/Her Plans! After all the Creator is the one most and only responsible for what was CREATED? Like that dinner that was cooked with fun and the fun came to those that saw enjoyment in it because they did not have the burden of responsibility! They could participate and yet focus on what was more important! [/quote]
I like this. You have left with a great deal to ponder.  
So have we really created anything from our egos?, or have we changed the Divine creations of the creator?  Taking the ingredients of what is here for us to use, to cook the delightful meals and bring new ways of putting together the various ingredients the world has to offer.  
Interesting idea you put forth.  
More to think about.[/quote]

In that case I would not! Stop that is!!

I see too much talk about egos and accusations from all and sundry about egoism and arrogance and similar refrain, all from individuals marooned on this tiny island of belief that is crumbling at its edges!

Before we attack the ego, we must first come to see it and come to terms with it and once the enemy is identified, described and understood, WELL AT THAT POINT THE BATTLE IS OVER! Isn't it?

I will share with you something tonight. My biggest fear in life was: What if a crazy stranger runs into me and out of his craziness slaps me? Just like that? How will I react? What will I do? What should I do? How should I behave? How should I behave if I was in a country where I was in the minority and a foreigner? What if this happens to me in a temple that is not of my religion and I was just a guest, but accosted by this crazy individual anyway? What if I was trying to seriously teach those who would listen to me and my thoughts and this crazy stranger began his <whatever>?

You are going to laugh at this but I will share it very openly and publicly! This happened/occurred to me oh about 25+ years ago when I migrated to a country that has since become my motherland.

It was a winter night and I needed to get some money from the bank and then tired as I was after a ten hour shift (early days sister!) had to get back home. As I pullled into the only available spot (my turn) someone started honking and calling me names! Well you see, he was keeping that 'spot' for his wife or someone and I destroyed his plans. His partner or wife etc was not there yet! He called me names and I was 28 something then (age of mars!) and I was ready to accost him for a variety of reasons. As I approached him, he looked pathetic and I saw that he was holding his infant in his arms as he sat in the driving seat. The baby smiled at me for some reason even while the irate dad cursed me (for what?).

I went into the teller booth, got my money, the irate guy kept honking and even did a high beam low beam thing (venting is good!). I ignored him completely in other words! I think if I really tried to look his infant would have smiled at me again when I came back, got into my car and drove away!

Each time someone attacks me and many do (sadly) on this mayavini kitchen of internet where all kinds of things brew and get cooked, that real-life experience way back from my "mars year" reminds me that in each madman's lap sits God as an infant who reminds us what is right and what is not! Forget the idiot and embrace the intelligence that matters is my story, sister!

Please note that I tend to talk about experiences I have had in this lifetime and in the here and now. Ordinary stuff mostly! Because first of all we must identify what is ego before we can declare it as the enemy and then proceed to vanquish over it! Most take the shortcut, sadly, even when the GOD is sitting in their lap as an infant beaming gifts of reassuring smiles at strangers who perhaps were not strangers!

L&L

Wonderful story.  Thank you for sharing.

Ego is not my enemy.  Not in the least.  Ego has worked hard to try to make my life wonderful, to find solutions, to heal, to guide.  Ego has worked to take me to many places and to do many things.  What a wonderful friend my ego has been.  The decisions ego has made, the experiences we have had together.  I owe my ego a great deal.  
I also know that my ego to the best of it's ability is trying to take me to the goal I have.  There is one problem.  It doesn't know how no matter how hard it tries.  I have learned in working with my ego, it has the same goals for me.  It just doesn't know how to attain them for me.  It wants the same goals for itself.  To grow, to become more.  
It doesn't know how.  
So....... I think to attain what we both want, we both need to surrender to the Divine.  I know that my Spirit will embrace me and my ego with great love and caring.  I know my ego and all the energy contained within will have opportunities it has not comprehended.  I know this is not what others have said.  I know the ego is thought of as an enemy by many.
I also know that to attain the goals we each have, we must let each other go to become.

That is what I have been discovering in my meditations.

[quote="tourbi"]Wonderful story.  Thank you for sharing.

Ego is not my enemy.  Not in the least.  Ego has worked hard to try to make my life wonderful, to find solutions, to heal, to guide.  Ego has worked to take me to many places and to do many things.  What a wonderful friend my ego has been.  The decisions ego has made, the experiences we have had together.  I owe my ego a great deal.  
I also know that my ego to the best of it's ability is trying to take me to the goal I have.  There is one problem.  It doesn't know how no matter how hard it tries.  I have learned in working with my ego, it has the same goals for me.  It just doesn't know how to attain them for me.  It wants the same goals for itself.  To grow, to become more.  
It doesn't know how.  
So....... I think to attain what we both want, we both need to surrender to the Divine.  I know that my Spirit will embrace me and my ego with great love and caring.  I know my ego and all the energy contained within will have opportunities it has not comprehended.  I know this is not what others have said.  I know the ego is thought of as an enemy by many.
I also know that to attain the goals we each have, we must let each other go to become.

That is what I have been discovering in my meditations.[/quote]

Don't you think that "to surrender TO the divine" creates the very *gap* and distance that breeds separation and ego and loneliness and the rest of the nine yards as it is metaphorically mentioned globally?

Which always intrigued me because I always thought that the 9 yards reference was to the Sari, perhaps the longest dress worn by a human, mostly in India and SE Asia in some countries and only traditionally!

But here I go on one of my tangents again! My apologies!

No.  I don't think so.
Waiting is I guess.  I have been doing surrendering in meditation now for a while and I'm really happy with the results.



A couple of the women in the Bahadur family wore Saris.  They thought it would be funny to put me in one.  I never tried.
I'm 5'10", they just couldn't find material long enough for me, at the time. I also saw that they had a hard time keeping them on flying kites.  If they had a hard time, what was I going to do? They are beautiful!!!
Salwars and kurtas for me.  

Pardon my intrusion, dear Tourbi into your thoughts and post, and respond using the following format just to maintain clarity (call Me obsessive! HAH! You should see my office -- particularly the FLOOR!):
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"my response"
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[quote="tourbi"][quote]Don't you think that "to surrender TO the divine" creates the very *gap* and distance that breeds separation and ego and loneliness and the rest of the nine yards as it is metaphorically mentioned globally?[/quote]
No.  I don't think so.
Waiting is I guess.
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"did you mean //Waiting is, I guess!// But the concept of waiting is like again allowing TIME to become the Manager and the Chronocrator? WHICH by the way is some/many/all traditional religions -- try to impress upon us humans !"
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 I have been doing surrendering in meditation now for a while and I'm really happy with the results.

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"I am with you there only in my case it has not been just surrendering in meditation but ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO SURRENDER! Regardless of what I am doing or thinking! AND if I may share, it has worked wonderfully so far!"
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"DEAR READER, IGNORE THE REST OF THE QUOTE!"
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[quote]Which always intrigued me because I always thought that the 9 yards reference was to the Sari, perhaps the longest dress worn by a human, mostly in India and SE Asia in some countries and only traditionally!

But here I go on one of my tangents again! My apologies![/quote]
A couple of the women in the Bahadur family wore Saris.  They thought it would be funny to put me in one.  I never tried.
I'm 5'10", they just couldn't find material long enough for me, at the time. I also saw that they had a hard time keeping them on flying kites.  If they had a hard time, what was I going to do? They are beautiful!!!
Salwars and kurtas for me.  
[img]http://www.paganscircles.org/smf/Smileys/pagan/Wink.gif[/img][/quote]