good article about ahankara

[Sachin Joshi]

Came across one good article. Sharing with you....

What is ahankara?

The Bhagavad Gita describes ahankara as follows:

ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate

"Being bewildered by ahankara, the foolish soul thinks 'I am the cause'."

What is ahankara? The conception that "I am (aham) the cause (kara)" Thus when the transcendentalist comes to the point of 'karta aham iti manyate', thinking, "Ultimately I am the cause of all causes," he is factually on the platform of 'ahankara-vimudha atma', a foolish soul completely bewildered by ahankara.

In attempting to become free from the conditionings of ahankara (false ego), the impersonalists have expanded their false identification to the superlative degree, by imagining themselves to be the absolute truth.

In the Bhagavad Gita Lord Krishna explains the ahankara-prakriti:

bhumir apo ’nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva ca
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakrtir astadha

"Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and ahankara - all together these eight constitute My separated material energies."

Ahankara is not just a conception, but a factual subtle element that pollutes the original consciousness of the soul, just as dirt pollutes water. As water may be filtered to return it to its original pure state, so in the same manner the consciousness may be cleansed by the process of sadhana: ceto darpana marjanam. We must cleanse the mirror of the consciousness from the accumulated dust of countless lives. When the ahankara - or false identification is removed - the true conception of self remains. This is atma-vidya, or knowledge of the self.

Those who have not purified themselves of the ahankara remain in the grips of illusion. They are described by Lord Krishna as follows:

ahankaram balam darpam
kamam krodham ca samsritah
mam atma-para-dehesu
pradvisanto ’bhyasuyakah

"Bewildered by ahankara, strength, pride, lust and anger, the demons become envious of Myself, even though I am situated in their own bodies and in the bodies of others, and blaspheme Me."

The conception that 'I am the doer' bewilders the living entity. Why? Because at every moment we are completely at the mercy of the material nature. Factually we are not the doers. This is the illusion of maya.

karya-karana-kartrtve
hetuh prakrtir ucyate
purusah sukha-duhkhanam
bhoktrtve hetur ucyate

"Nature is said to be the cause of all material causes and effects, whereas the living entity is the cause of the various sufferings and enjoyments in this world."

How many people realize the functionings of the modes of nature? When I decide to raise my arm, my arm raises. Thus I am fooled into thinking that I have raised my arm. Factually this is not the case. The gunas are carrying out the movement. The soul conditioned by ahankara desires to raise his hand. The nature then alligns the desire with the individual's karma. If they are compatible, the nature raises the hand of the living entity. If they are not compatible, the desire does not fructify into an action.

prakrteh kriyamanani
gunaih karmani sarvasah
ahankara-vimudhatma
kartaham iti manyate

"The spirit soul bewildered by the influence of ahankara thinks himself the doer of activities that are in actuality carried out by the three modes of material nature."

The soul is actually inactive in the material sphere of existence. That is why he is described in the Gita as 'acalah'. He is a non-mover. Why? Because he is spiritual in nature, he is not a product of the material energy. The soul does not occupy or possess material space (akasha), thus he cannot move. Movement is shifting from one point in space to another. The soul is not situated within material space, and thus cannot move to another space.

Without movement, there is no question of being the doer of action. Therefore the idea that the soul is the 'karta' (or 'I am the cause', aham-kara) is absolutely false. Thus ahankara is a false identification or a false ego.

In the Gita Krishna tells us we must become free from this ahankara in order to attain self-realization:

ahankaram balam darpam
kamam krodham parigraham
vimucya nirmamah santo
brahma-bhuyaya kalpate

"One who is free from false ego, false strength, false pride, lust, anger, and acceptance of material things, free from false proprietorship, and full of peace - such a person is certainly elevated to the position of self-realization."

What is the qualification for self-realization? 'Nirmamah' and 'nirahankarah' - Freedom from false proprietorship and false identification. If one becomes free from the identification with the body, one will be able to sever the false conception that the possessions of the body are mine. This is 'nirmama'.

If one does not become free from ahankara, he will have no hope on the path of self-realization, this is the conclusion of Lord Krishna in the Gita:

mac-cittah sarva-durgani
mat-prasadat tarisyasi
atha cet tvam ahankaran
na srosyasi vinanksyasi

"If you become conscious of Me, you will pass over all the obstacles of conditioned life by My grace. If, however, you do not work in such consciousness but act through false ego, not hearing Me, you will be lost."

The false ego is the concept that I am the doer - aham kara; the true ego is that I am a spirit soul, part and parcel of Krishna - aham brahmasmi. When one comes to the platform of aham brahmasmi, by the purifying process of sadhana, then one is able to attain ultimate peace:

vihaya kaman yah sarvan
pumams carati nihsprhah
nirmamo nirahankarah
sa santim adhigacchati

"A person who has given up all desires for sense gratification, who lives free from desires, who has given up all sense of proprietorship (nirmamah) and is devoid of false ego (nirahankarah) - he alone can attain real peace."

--Sachin
http://sachins-articles.blogspot.com/