THE TREE OF LIFE'S AND THE CHAKRA'S EGO TRIAD 

In the prior blog on the T.O.L.'s Love Triad we talked about Judgment. In Yoga however, Judgment is included in the Third Chakra of Ego together with the other Deadly Sins of Karma.

Ego is about our power and how we make our way in the world. Here we will confine ourselves to the other two deadly sins of Karma related to the Third Chakra -  

Yesod on the T.O.L. - balanced by 

Attachment and Non-Attachment.

                     

“Behind my work was ambition
Behind my love was personality
Behind my purity was fear
Behind my guidance, the thirst for power.
Now they are vanishing and I drift. I come mother, I come in your warm bosom, floating where-so-ever you take me. In the voiceless, in the strange, in the wonderland. I come a spectator, no longer an actor”
Swami Vivekananda

Below is the Hexagon symbolized in the Heart Chakra. The "lower"   mini-triangles point toward the Third Chakra of Ego -

including 

self-Cherishing and Desirous Attachment.  

These signify our survival needs rather than those above which relate to our higher consciousness.

“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

self- Cherishing of the persona, 

this self being the little self and

Desirous Attachment -

 attachment to the object of our desire.

                       

There are some subtle differences in emphasis concerning the Ego of the Third Chakra versus the Ego of Yesod in Kabbalah as noted in the figure below. These will be dealt with first before we arrive at the commonalities.

The T.O.L. emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationship between any of the Four Beings of Nature but especially the Talking Beings. In other words love thy neighbor as thyself (not more or less than oneself.) Namaste - I recognize the divinity within you (and mySelf.) We are all one though not the same.

“The fundamental delusion of humanity is to suppose that I am here and you are out there.” Roshi

... If we cannot embrace the other, do not think to embrace God. The more expectantly we look for Him in the other the more readily does S/He show Himself.  

Reference is also made to the example of a garden and the gardener and applies to any of the other Beings of Nature who deserve to exist not for what they bring to us but for their own sakes.

The sages speak of a garden where plants are treated with tenderness and care for their own sakes alone such that garden and gardener unite as Netzach (Non-Attachment to outcome) flows while one weeds, waters and prunes; nurturing and delighting in the garden itself and not ego and attachment to how the garden may be perceived by others. If the garden is tended like this, then Netzach flows only to those who are to be impressed rather than to the garden itself - the gardener decides. 

But Netzach can be misdirected, resulting in an imbalance in relationships. Netzach is the courage and force to reach out in relationship. Hod (Attachment,) its counterpart on the Tree of Life, is the empathetic balance and effective communicator of Netzach (Non-Attachment.)

If we focused only on Netzach in our relationships we may be taken advantage of. Hod allows us to be wary of this and communicate skillfully so we are not harmed by another's selfish motivations.

Netzach is the key to spiritual evolution - 

ie. to opening up to the Love Triad or the Heart Chakra.

God does not measure results, only the trueness of intent and the fervor of effort. This is why there is such joy in daring one’s best.

All must be done for its own sake, not for reason of an outcome. 
All is a journey not a destination and it is a continual arriving.

Yeats recognizes the "enlightened" implications of doing things for their own sake. The motive, if for its own sake, without consideration for any outcome, is a Higher Self, Spacious Mind intention or motivation. If for the deed alone, it may only be a self-cherishing, ego bound, Narrow Minded agenda related to our Shadow or Evil Inclination.

Do you listen with your heart or are you hearing with your ego.
The possible peril is not a punishment, it is a consequence…

However,

Ulterior motives are greatly under-rated. Acting compassionately to do good for any reason is preferable to not doing good at all.
But determine well the heart’s true desire for in releasing the power of your motivation, its energies will actualize the holiness or unholiness of your intent.

Moreover, even if we do things for their own sake there are no guarantees, and sometimes 

"no good deed remains unpunished..." 

The reward is equanimity and knowing we did the right thing. If we can maintain our serenity and selflessness in the face of all obstacles and challenges and still be non-attached...

 God’s breath can be heard in quietness and felt in stillness. 
Beware the noises and clamor of ego which drown out the Divine whisper.

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

Detachment is not the same as attachment. Detachment 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.

The self-cherishing persona is bound to the following polarities; Pride, Prestige, Fame, Power, and

Information and Knowledge rather than Wisdom or Knowing 

If information or knowledge do not serve justice and compassion they are but a conceit and a hollow sound.

 The value of information resides in its use for transformation.

Pride, Prestige, Fame

"God cannot be realized is there is the slightest trace of pride." Upanishads 

Humility is truthful acknowledgement of the wonders of yourself. It is taking appropriate credit for your part while recognizing the Creator’s gifts to you…

 Concerning false humility ... do not be so humble you are not that important! Unknown

 "... If you can empty your boat (of ego) crossing the river of the world, few will oppose you or seek to harm you."  Unknown

 As fame can enslave, so the costs of money can impoverish. Make sure the need is worth the price. To overpay robs the Self.

"S/he who does good and does not pursue fame or honor, s/he honor overtakes."  Hillel 

As in Mother Theresa and others.

"S/he who loses himself (as in small self) will find himSelf.

 

 "Those that will be first will be last."  Jesus

Let them be king.

Let them come along and shout

 - they will shout their name last. 

The Ancestors

Click, Play and empower your-Self 

 10_Let_Them_Be_King.mp3

…We must beware of anger and pride which are weapons of chaos, connecting us to our destructive instincts…

Power

Nearly all men can stand adversity but if you want to test a man’s character give him power.” A. Lincoln

"Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Sir John Dalberg-Acton

Given full power greed becomes an enslaver of the greedy - fear becomes first a bully, then a torturer and then a killer. 

 We are seeing this more and more today around the world and even in the U.S.A. 

 Click, Play and Meditate 

 03_Warnings_for_the_Way.mp3