Dualism in Understanding Ego

 Non dualism or dualism cannot be decided on theoretical grounds alone.  If the Self is realised, the question will not arise.  Whatever is born must die; whatever is acquired must be lost; but were you born? You are eternally existent.  The Self can never be lost.

Ramana Maharshi

I sat out with my tea in solitude and quiet this morning.  I was so appreciative of that...not only for selfish reasons but because our houseguest is now in rehab, a rehab his life literally depends on.  He seems genuinely determined to do better.  So proud of him. My heart goes out to him and all addicts struggling with this life destroying  condition. 

And I have my house back!  I so need the solitude that having my house to myself in the morning provides. 

"My" house...still ego there, isn't there? "I" am often aware and observe how ego still lingers around.  I am not sure how long I will be able to attach that "my" to this house even in egoic ways...so that hold on my life may soon be gone. I am okay with that.  I am remarkably okay with many things "ego" isn't okay with.

The Distinction Between "I" and "Ego"

Aha...I am making a distinctin between "I" and "ego". So on my journey of waking up... I go from being egocentric...to being dualistic. In my quest to be Self realized, and  non dualistic, I need to be free of ego's hold on my mind. Making this distinction between ego and "I" is a big step.  

Ego, of course, is my little self-identity sculpted by these ideas I have of myself and the world, by my attachment to external things as a measure of who I am, and by overidentification with "form", the most obvious form- my body....the second being "thought".  Ego is the form dancing on, upon, through the  space of stage. Always changing, moving, coming, going...

"I"...is that which remains when ego is no longer active or in the way.  It is awareness, presence, essence, spirit, higher consciousness, Deeper Self, God through 'me', ...whatever you want to call It.  These word-pointers  are not It.  It is everything!"  "I"is the space of stage upon which the form plays. Always still, quiet, eternal, there and observing....

Dualism: A Temporary Measure

So in order to reach the point of  observing the world non-dualistically we use dualism to see ego and to see "I" as two seperate things.  When we reach that state of Self-realizarion, however,  we will realize fully that there was never any  need to seperate the two, to see ego at all...because ego was never anything but a creation of the mind. It  was never real.  

There was, is, and ever will be just the Self. There is  just the Stage.  What "appears" on it is just illusion. 

I am learning.  I am learning!

All is well!

Arthur Osborne (editor) (2002) The Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. Kindle Edition