Tao Speaks: Re: Ego and Depression

Re: Ego and Depression

Posted by josef on 4/28/2011, 8:21 am, in reply to "Ego and Depression"
24.32.223.x

--Previous Message--
:
: Greetings all,
:
: In the past, it occured to me that my sense
: of self didn't conform to reality. This
: sense of false self produces depression when
: reality confronts the inflated ego.
:
: But where does self confidence stop and
: inflated ego begin?
:
: It seems to me the inflated ego is a product
: of fantasy that tries to keep us feeling
: good about ourselves when our conditioned
: mind tells self it's worthless.
:
: Perhaps in a healthy ego worthlessness is as
: valuable as being worthy.
:
: in peace,
: gar
:
gar, if I understand what you're saying, we are seeing the same dynamic, the same reality, the actual experience. Inflated ego a product of fantasy (thought), yes; conditioned mind (ego) telling self (thinking it), that it's worthless.

Ego is the mind-state working, expressing conditioned ideas of worth and worthlessness. Its dialogue in mind (thoughts) creates a world of emotion, un-reality, illusion, delusion.

So imo, the obvious place to unravel this tangle is the thoughts that are creating it. Stepping back a bit from it and watching the thoughts dispassionately, with no agenda but interest, the whole messy and demoralizing process begins to be clear. And because the thinker is no longer thinking, but is observing, watching, non-attachment to the thoughts occurs.

As you know, in my sense of it all this is the essence of practice and cultivation, understanding mind not by discussion or theorizing, conceptualizing, but by simply being aware of what is going on in one's own mind.

Non-attachment happens naturally as one sees thoughts, doesn't see the world and sense through them.

This my understanding and experience, offerred knowing a hail of disdainful pooh-poohs is likely to come from many voices. I'm disinclined to enter the busy fray of arguing about it. But I had the sense reading your post that you are dealing with this now, and I'm responding to you. As if we ran into each other at Tao Tavern, and sat and talked a while about a subject that interests us both, just friends sharing.

josef

211

Message Thread | Skip to this response ↓

self-interest; not selflessness - wrong 4/24/2011, 1:40 pm
- unnecessary enemies - Steve 4/24/2011, 6:44 pm
  - Re: unnecessary enemies - Nina 4/24/2011, 7:28 pm
    - Re: unnecessary enemies - wrong 4/24/2011, 8:27 pm
    - "unnecessary" thinking - Steve 4/25/2011, 2:02 pm
      - Re: "unnecessary" thinking - Nina 4/25/2011, 8:26 pm
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - Steve 4/25/2011, 9:14 pm
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - gar 4/26/2011, 5:12 am
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - rat 4/26/2011, 10:09 am
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - Nina 4/28/2011, 8:22 pm
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - Nina 4/28/2011, 8:20 pm
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - gar 4/29/2011, 5:45 am
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - Nina 4/29/2011, 6:27 pm
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - Steve 4/29/2011, 8:54 am
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - Nina 4/29/2011, 6:30 pm
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - Steve 4/30/2011, 9:24 am
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - ButchO 4/30/2011, 11:22 am
        
        Re: "unnecessary" thinking - Nina 4/30/2011, 6:10 pm
- Re: self-interest; not selflessness - dagmar 4/24/2011, 8:28 pm
  - Re: self-interest; not selflessness - ButchO 4/25/2011, 8:27 am
    - Re: self-interest; not selflessness - wrong 4/25/2011, 10:56 am
      - Re: self-interest; not selflessness - ButchO 4/25/2011, 3:04 pm
        
        Re: self-interest; not selflessness - rat 4/26/2011, 10:12 am
        
        Re: self-interest; not selflessness - ButchO 4/26/2011, 11:30 pm
        
        Re: self-interest; not selflessness and my BIG EGO - rat 4/27/2011, 9:39 am
        
        Re: self-interest; not selflessness and my BIG EGO - ButchO 4/27/2011, 11:44 am
        
        Re: self-interest; not selflessness and my BIG EGO - rat 4/27/2011, 2:58 pm
        
        Re: self-interest; not selflessness and my BIG EGO - ButchO 4/27/2011, 7:19 pm
        
        Ego and Depression - gar 4/28/2011, 5:14 am
        
        Re: Ego and Depression - josef 4/28/2011, 8:21 am
        
        Re: Ego and Depression - gar 4/28/2011, 8:55 am
        
        Re: Ego and Depression - ButchO 4/28/2011, 6:12 pm
        
        Re: Ego and Depression - josef 4/29/2011, 10:15 am
        
        Re: Ego and Depression - ButchO 4/30/2011, 7:35 am
        
        Erbjudanden - Erbjudanden 2/20/2012, 12:02 am
        
        erbjudanden flygresor - ulfhpd 2/21/2012, 11:28 pm
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--Previous Message-- : : : --Previous Message-- : : Greetings all, : : In the past, it occured to me that my sense : of self didn't conform to reality. This : sense of false self produces depression when : reality confronts the inflated ego. : : But where does self confidence stop and : inflated ego begin? : : It seems to me the inflated ego is a product : of fantasy that tries to keep us feeling : good about ourselves when our conditioned : mind tells self it's worthless. : : Perhaps in a healthy ego worthlessness is as : valuable as being worthy. : : in peace, : gar : : gar, if I understand what you're saying, we : are seeing the same dynamic, the same : reality, the actual experience. Inflated ego : a product of fantasy (thought), yes; : conditioned mind (ego) telling self : (thinking it), that it's worthless. : : Ego is the mind-state working, expressing : conditioned ideas of worth and : worthlessness. Its dialogue in mind : (thoughts) creates a world of emotion, : un-reality, illusion, delusion. : : So imo, the obvious place to unravel this : tangle is the thoughts that are creating it. : Stepping back a bit from it and watching the : thoughts dispassionately, with no agenda but : interest, the whole messy and demoralizing : process begins to be clear. And because the : thinker is no longer thinking, but is : observing, watching, non-attachment to the : thoughts occurs. : : As you know, in my sense of it all this is : the essence of practice and cultivation, : understanding mind not by discussion or : theorizing, conceptualizing, but by simply : being aware of what is going on in one's own : mind. : : Non-attachment happens naturally as one sees : thoughts, doesn't see the world and sense : through them. : : This my understanding and experience, : offerred knowing a hail of disdainful : pooh-poohs is likely to come from many : voices. I'm disinclined to enter the busy : fray of arguing about it. But I had the : sense reading your post that you are dealing : with this now, and I'm responding to you. As : if we ran into each other at Tao Tavern, and : sat and talked a while about a subject that : interests us both, just friends sharing. : : josef :

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