Ego - Its Real Constitutional Identity

The term Ego describes the living entity's permanent sense of "I am." It is the core of identity and is constitutionally present in every soul. Śrīla Prabhupāda clarifies that the purpose of spiritual life is not to destroy the ego—which is impossible and would result in inert matter—but to purify it. The distinction between the temporary False Ego (Ahankāra) and the eternal Real Ego is the definitive science of liberation.

Ego: The Inherent Sense of I Am

Ego is the fundamental sense of identity. It means "I am." When this identity is misapplied to the temporary material body, it becomes the false ego; when it is applied to reality, it is the real ego.

• This sense of "I am" is ego, but when the sense of "I am" is applied to this false body it is false ego. When the sense of self is applied to reality, that is real ego.
• There are some philosophers who say we should give up our ego, but we cannot give up our ego because ego means identity. We ought, of course, to give up the false identification with the body.

This purified identity (Real Ego) is permanent; thus, even in the liberated state, the mind, intelligence, and ego are not dissolved, but their quality is changed to spiritual.

The Cosmological Role of Ego

From a scientific perspective, the ego is a material element. It is one of the eight separated energies of the Lord (earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence, and ego) that comprise the material manifestation. Ego is a product of the Mahat-tattva and is the subtle material covering that encases the soul.

• All activities begin with the creation of the total energy, the mahat-tattva, then, by the agitation of the three guṇas, the physical elements are created, as well as the mind, ego and the controllers of the senses.
• A part of ego is the sky, a part of which is air, a part of which is fire, a part of which is water, a part of which is earth. Thus one universe inflates to an area of four billion miles in diameter.

The presiding Deity of the total ego is Aniruddha, one of the quadruple expansions of the Lord, confirming that even the egoistic principle is ultimately controlled by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

The False Egotistic Mindset

The contamination of the ego is the acceptance of a designation—a temporary material covering—which leads to the false sense of proprietorship. This misconception that "I am the doer of everything" and "This is mine" is the root cause of all suffering.

• A living entity has constitutionally mind, intelligence, and ego, but they are contaminated in contact with matter. At the present moment, our ego is working under some designation.
• Actually, he is nothing but a small particle. This egotism (I am the doer of everything) is the root cause of suffering.

This false egotistic mindset is the reason why people undergo severe, unauthorized austerities, performing them out of pride and egotism rather than for spiritual purification.

Achieving the Real Ego: Kṛṣṇa Dāsa

The purification of the ego is accomplished through bhakti-yoga—the devotional process that restores the soul's constitutional function. When the false ego is removed, the soul is no longer lost but returns to its real identity.

• We forget this material nonsense. That's all. But don't forget ourself. Our identity is there. We are all servants of God, Kṛṣṇa dāsa. And this is real ego. So ego is not dissolved. Ego is there, but it is purified.
• He (Balarama) is the predominating Deity of egotism, and by the will of Kṛṣṇa and the power of the spiritual energy, He creates the spiritual world, which consists of the planet Goloka Vṛndāvana and the Vaikuṇṭhaplanets.

This realization—that everything belongs to Kṛṣṇa and the self is His servant—frees one from the burden of proprietorship and the struggle for existence.

Conclusion

False Ego is the worst enemy of surrender and the root cause of the blazing fire of material existence. The science of spiritual culture ensures the gradual disappearance of this materialistic ego. By realizing "I am not this body" and engaging fully in the service of Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the soul is liberated from the tight knot of ahaṅkāra, ensuring renewed awareness of its eternal relationship with the Absolute Truth.

Dive Deeper into Śrīla Prabhupāda's Vani

Śrīla Prabhupāda lives within his instructions. This article is a summary of the profound truths found in the Vaniquotes category Ego. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.