I Am Not This Body - The Science of False Ego

The entire cosmic creation is meant for the perpetually illusioned living entities hovering on the mental plane. The root cause of all material bondage, suffering, and anxiety is the False Ego (Ahaṅkāra). Śrīla Prabhupāda defines this false identification as the junction where the spirit soul comes into contact with matter and forgets its real identity, creating the misconception, "I am this body." Liberation is achieved not by giving up the ego, but by shifting from the false ego to the real ego.

Cosmological Origin and Composition

The material world is composed of eight separated energies of the Lord: five gross elements (earth, water, fire, air, ether) and three subtle elements (mind, intelligence, and false ego). False ego is a fractional portion of the total energy (Mahat-tattva) and is the first manifestation of darkness.

• From the total energy, the mahat-tattva, I have manifested the false ego, the three modes of material nature, the five material elements, the individual consciousness, the eleven senses & the material body.
• False ego is the demarcation between spiritual and material existence, just as the moving cloud is the demarcation between moonlight and darkness.

False ego is therefore the subtle substance that determines the mental plane and is categorized as serene, active, or dull, according to its influence from the modes of goodness, passion, and ignorance.

The Twofold Delusion: Ahaṅtā and Mamatā

False ego is characterized by two defining attitudes which form the basic principle of material existence: ahanta ("I am this body") and mamata ("Everything in my bodily relationships belongs to me"). This is the moment the soul is imprisoned.

• False ego is typified by two attitudes: "I am this body" (ahanta), and "Everything in my bodily relationships belongs to me" (mamata).
• This false egoistic consciousness of "I am this body" at once develops after the child comes out of the womb.

Due to this false ego, the bewildered living entity wrongly thinks himself the author or doer of all his activities, unaware that he is merely acting under the dictation of the modes of material nature.

The Knot of Material Entanglement

False ego acts as the "tight knot" of the heart, which is due to ignorance of one's identity. This knot is the fundamental cause of all material miseries, as it makes one accept all dualities (pleasure and pain) and forces the soul into perpetual transmigration.

• This tight knot of false ego is due to ignorance. As long as one is ignorant about his identity, he is sure to act wrongly and thereby become entangled in material contamination.
• False egoism carries one from one species of life into another perpetually, and there is no rest in any species of life.

The most extreme symptom of this false ego is the Māyāvādī philosophy—the last snare of illusion—where one falsely thinks oneself to be God or equal to the Supreme Lord.

Liberation: Realizing the True Ego

The beginning of liberation (mukti) is when the false ego is removed and one is situated in one’s real constitutional position. This is the realization of Real Ego—Ahaṁ brahmāsmi (I am spirit soul).

• False ego means accepting this body as oneself. When one understands that he is not his body and is spirit soul, that is real ego. Ego is there. False ego is condemned, but not real ego.
• Liberation means when you are out of this false ego. What is that status? Ahaṁ brahmāsmi. I am Brahman, I am spirit. That is the beginning of liberation.

When one is freed from false ego, one understands one's real superior position as a spirit soul, part and parcel of the pleasure potency of the Lord, and all material desire vanishes.

The Process of Purifying False Egotism

The tight knot of false ego is cut easily only by the devotees engaged in Kṛṣṇa consciousness. This process of purification involves engaging the senses in the service of the Lord, which removes the false identification of the body with the self.

• It is the duty of everyone to engage himself in the activities of Kṛṣṇa consciousness in order to be freed from the tight knot of false ego and engagement in material activities.
• Real service of the Lord begins when the senses are purified. One does not have to stop the activities of the senses, but the false ego of identifying with the body has to be removed.

This devotional service automatically frees one from all false pride, proprietorship claims, and the desire to be the master.

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.

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