Real Ego - I am Krsna's Servant

The Real Ego is the soul's permanent, spiritual identity. It is the purified and true sense of "I am" that exists eternally, even in the liberated state. Śrīla Prabhupāda unequivocally teaches that the spiritual path is not about giving up egoism entirely, but about replacing the false, material designation with the real, constitutional designation of being the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa (Kṛṣṇa dāsa).

False Ego is Condemned, Not Real Ego

The ego itself is the law of identity—Ahankāra—the simple fact that one exists as an individual. When the conditioned soul accepts the temporary material body as the self ("I am this body") and its possessions as "mine," that is called the False Ego, which is condemned. The Real Ego is the eternal identity of the spirit soul.

• False ego is condemned, but not real ego.
• 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.

Since the ego means identity, one cannot exist without it. The moment the soul becomes "uncovered" from the material energies, the false ego dissolves, and the real ego naturally comes back into existence, proving its permanence.

The Servant's Identity: Kṛṣṇa Dāsa

The Real Ego is realized in two stages: first, the philosophical realization, Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, which means "I am spirit soul"; and second, the functional realization, Kṛṣṇa dāsa, which means "I am the eternal servant of Kṛṣṇa."

• The real ego is Ahaṁ brahmāsmi: "I am spirit soul." But on account of being in touch, being born in this material world, my kriyā-śakti, my activities, are being done under different designation.
• Real ego is "I am servant of Kṛṣṇa." So there is no necessity of giving up egotism or egoism, but it must be real.

The entire Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement exists to bring people to this real constitutional position, ending the false designation of, "I am American, I am Indian," etc.

The Basis of Eternal Happiness

The acceptance of the Real Ego is the sole key to happiness, because the material designations, or the false ego, are the cause of all unhappiness. By accepting the designation "I am Kṛṣṇa's servant," the soul is freed from the burden of proprietorship and action.

• When you come to your real ego, then you become happy. And because you are in false ego, you are unhappy.
• When one thinks, "I am this body," he's a rascal. If one thinks that "I am servant of God," that is real ego.

The spiritual egoism of being Kṛṣṇa's servant is the real pride, which is always tolerated by the Lord. This simple identity purifies the mind, intelligence, and ego, and ensures that one's identity remains fully intact in the liberated state.

Conclusion

The Real Ego is the permanent identity of the soul as a spiritual being, Ahaṁ brahmāsmi, functionally defined as the eternal servant of the Lord, I am Kṛṣṇa's Servant (Kṛṣṇa dāsa). When this constitutional position is realized, all material misconceptions and the subsequent miseries are immediately dissipated, and the living entity gains complete freedom from all false, bodily designations.

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 Real Ego. We invite you to visit this link to study the complete compilation and experience Śrīla Prabhupāda's teachings in their direct, verbatim form.