EGO'S THREE DEADLY SINS #1

THE THREE DEADLY SINS OF KARMA

sELF CHERISHING (of the small self)

DESIROUS ATTACHMENT

JUDGMENT

The search for the Real, True or Higher Self or soul or that part of us made in the image of the divine is at the core of all spiritual motivation whether we know about it or not or do anything about it or not. The Higher Self or Soul cannot be realized in the presence of a dominant ego.   

Until you empty yourself of pride, God cannot be realized.

We discussed this same topic in the prior blog on how to navigate the apocalypse by turning to spirit. The purpose of this blog is to dive more deeply into the subject because it is so important for our karma.  The ego is one of the greatest detergents for those of us on the path. It helps, for ease of explanation, to divide them into the three categories above all of which can overlap with one another. All three are centered around our Third, power Chakra of Ego. Energy maps to spirit can help tell us where we have been, where we are now and where we still need to go. 

EGO’S TRIAD  

“To know the real Self to be one’s own is the greatest attainment… To know wrongly the non-self, such as the ego, to be the Self is no attainment at all. One therefore should denounce this perception of taking the non-self for the Self.” Sri Sankaracharya

"S/he who loses himself, will find himSelf." Matthew

THE YOGA CHAKRAS

The Chakras below the diaphragm comprise our survival Chakras: 

The first; flight or fight. 

The second; regeneration of the species. 

 The third; Ego or the self-cherishing persona 

- our power center and how we make our way in the world. 

These hold us back from moving energy into the heart chakra above. The yogis teach that the heart chakra is the most difficult one to open. 

Kabbalists say that when the student has mastered Tiferet, representing love at the heart of the tree, the student can then teach him/herself. 

Above the diaphragm are our growth chakras:

 The fourth of love.

  The fifth of creative expression. 

The sixth or Third Eye of intuition. 

 The seventh, the Crown, our connection with the Field and divinity.

The symbol of the Heart Chakra in Yoga is a hexagon. The three mini-triangles above on the hexagon relate to our Higher Consciousness, Awareness and Awakening into our "Becoming" slowly closer and closer to the Higher Self.

 The three lower mini-triangles point downwards, towards the lower, survival chakras and Ego below the diaphragm. Ego comprises: 

 self-Cherishing (with a small s)

 Desirous Attachment

Judgment 

These can also be represented as a Triad

and can be affected adversely by Monkey Mind, Shadow (our Evil Inclination) and Tricksters. 

“The Light of lights looks always on the motive, not the deed… the shadow of shadows, on the deed alone.” W.B. Yeats

Non-attachment and realizing the nature of impermanence of all things is key I helping us to subordinate ego to the Higher Self. Everything around us is in the process of being broken.

Keep to the source of living waters.
Do not think to store in cisterns
for they will break, and crumble and the water will be lost.
...

“One day the people came to the master and asked: “How can you be so happy in a world of such impermanence where you cannot protect your loved ones from harm, illness and death.” The master held up a glass and said. Someone gave me this glass and I really like this glass. It holds my water admirably and glistens in the sunlight. One day the wind may blow it off the shelf or my elbow may knock it off the table. I know this glass is already broken so I enjoy it incredibly.” Achaan Chah Stab

Many of the challenges we face arise out of our sentient existence and the temptations of being in a sensory body. When we leave for the "Elsewhere" we lose the sensory body. The yogis teach that we are bound by the yoke of ego and any action linked to ego can have karmic implications. We are born again and again (the continual wheel of samsara) because of the mishandling of our sentient bodies and our sensory bound existence. We are here to enjoy things fully but responsibly.

The Ancestors say that it is better to do good deeds even if linked to ego rather than doing none at all. Nevertheless, these "merits" may be karmically neutral or even negative depending on the intention.

Emperor Wu asked, “I’ve built temples and ordained monastics; what merit is there in this?”
 Bodhidharma replied, “No merit.”

“In the samadhi that comes at the end of reasoning and discrimination no such thing as “I” exists but it is extremely difficult to attain as “I” consciousness lingers so persistently. This is why humans are born again and again.” Sri Rama Krishna

Jung doubted that the Western Mind could ever truly get rid of Ego. It is usually fleeting in the Oneness Experience or Unity Consciousness when the Knower, the Known and the process of Knowing fuse into one thing. Maslow called this a Peak Experience. It cannot be programmed and usually comes for most of us through grace. Whatever the stimulus, this oneness experience, ecstasy or rapture is temporary and we soon come back into a sense of duality. The challenge is to be aware of this duality and still endeavor to see the divinity and our oneness in and with others and all the Beings of nature.

 Doing things for their own sake and without any personal agenda is the crux of ego subordination. Our deeds must be done for the greater good of all, including ourselves, without consideration of any reward or pay back. 

THE TREE OF LIFE

“A net is spread out for the living (the net of temptations) and everything is given on loan...(impermanence).” Rev Akiva

There are Three Triads on the Tree of Life with ten sephirot or energy centers.

The Five Loves designated by the small hearts expand and the other five of Fear restrain or contract. Will and intention in the center hold the balance.  The First Triad above is the Triad of Becoming (Self-realization) and Keter, the Crown is balanced by Wisdom and Understanding.

The Middle Triad of Love is balanced by Judgment and Mercy.

The lowest Triad of Ego is balanced by Attachment and Non-Attachment of the self-Cherishing Persona and Desirous Attachment. 

This Triad, as well as Kingdom below it, comprise our survival Sephirot or energy centers. Kingdom represents the planet and the struggles we have responsibly navigating the challenges of being in a sensory body on earth.

Resignation leads to Detachment. Detachment is not the same as Non-Attachment. Resignation is a giving up as opposed to surrender which is a giving in to something bigger and more important than one’s little self.

 

Concerning detachment, one of its paths leads to a lifeless world without enthusiasm or hope, a place of indifference where one could become ensnared in hidden traps of dejection and despair, where one no longer cares to love nor dares to trust.

 

Detachment can lead to, hopelessness, doubt, disbelief, denial, desperation, depression and despair. 

 "Whoever undertakes to set himself up as a judge of truth and knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.” Goethe

The red lines on the T.O.L. accentuate the pathways involved. Judgment is not part of the T.O.L.'s Ego Triad. (In this blog Judgment  is considered part of Ego's Third Chakra.) Judgment, because its a harder nut to crack, requires heartfelt-ness. Ego's Triad on the T.O.L. is balanced by Attachment and Non-Attachment. Love's Triad is balanced by Judgment and Mercy. It is extremely difficult to discriminate or discern with an open heart and sweeten the judgments as well as ... to walk for a day in another person's moccasins.

 Non-Attachment is key to opening us up to the Love sephira above it in the Tree's center. This is because Non-Attachment does not only apply to self-Cherishing and attachment to "stuff" but also to our relationships. These should be governed for their own sake alone and not for any agenda, hidden or otherwise.

 All of the three deadly sins of karma, however, follow us up the T.O.L and challenge us especially Judgment. For this reason the five fear energy centers are also sometimes called the Five Judgments.