THE ILLUSORY EGO

There is an interesting anecdote concerning the Buddha. Lord Buddha's directive to his disciples was:"Be a light unto yourself". King Prasenajit came to see the Buddha. He saw a large number of bhikshu-s bowing to him, saying Buddham Sharanam Gacchami  (I surrender to the feet of Buddha). Prasenajit found a contradiction in this. He asked Buddha, "Master! You tell people, "Be a light unto yourself". But even after this, when they say surrender to you and touch your feet, you don't prevent them. If you say "Be a light unto yourself'', there is no need to surrender to anybody else, so why should they fall at your feet?"

The Buddha laughed and said, 'These  are not my feet. They are not surrendering to me because there is nobody inside me as the ego who can claim surrender. The disciples are simply surrendering. It is not surrender to me. Since they are not fully evolved yet, they are not capable of surrender without an excuse. My feet are just an excuse. I, as a person, do not exist!"

The Buddha as a manifestation of ego doesn't exist. But the Supreme Self, He is; you are not. The ego is an illusory entity and it is used till the real Self is known. Then it naturally falls away.

 

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"HAPPINESS IS YOUR OWN NATURE, HENCE IT IS NOT WRONG TO DESIRE IT. WHAT IS WRONG IS SEEKING IT OUTSIDE, BECAUSE IT IS WITHIN".

 

                                                 --SRI RAMANA MAHARISHI