The Robot's ego
Questioner: Sir, I want to ask, Robot doesn’t have ego. So, now what is the intersection between the urge towards freedom and your ego?
Acharya Prashant: You could say, the robot does have an ego planted into it by its designer. Therefore, the ego of the robot is totally in bondage and, therefore choiceless. You could either say, “the robot has no ego.” And, that would be perfectly correct or you could say “the robot has an ego. A sense of I. “What is ego?” A sense of I. The robot has an ego that cannot choose.” We utter ‘I’, we utter ‘I’ exist “I am” and this “I amness” could either be robotic or real. It is robotic, when your “I amness” is dependent on others.
And, if you feel threatened that, if the other disappears or withdraws, the ”I amness” itself will disappear. That’s the slave ego. For example: “I am rich.” What is the ego? “I am” thing is the ego. And, if the ego says, “I am rich.” And, if the riches vanish for some reason, some reason, a stock market crash let’s say, the fellow says, “Oh my God, I’m gone.” Because, who was I? “The rich one.” And the riches have gone. “So, I’m dead.” “I am rich.” now strike out the word rich, what remains nothing. That’s false ego, but most of us choose to live in this kind of false and dependent ego.
Real ego is self-dependent, free! It does not find it necessary to identify itself with something; it does not experience a kind of vacuum, that it must compulsorily fill up with something, anything, some trash. Many of us, for example; might be finding it difficult to just sit silently and listen. Because in the moment of silence, you have to say, “I am” in fact you don’t even say, “I am”, there’s just silence and that’s a threat to the ego. Because the ego must say something, “I am X,” “I am Y.” So, the ego chooses to say, “I am gossiping.” Now gossip makes the ego feel alive. “Oh, I exist!” Otherwise, there is the danger of inner death, obviously a false death. No real danger actually. Do you get this?
The way we are — the way we are born — we are born with the sense of, “I am.” It is this sense of “I am” that works all life to gain fulfilment. Being unfulfilled is our condition, right since birth. But we choose, because of ignorance, fulfilment from the wrong kind, not even wrong, useless kind of sources. We choose to be associated with something, that will fail in delivering fulfilment. “So, I am rich.” Or “I am traveling.” “I’m a tourist.” “I’m a husband.” “I’m a lover.” “I’m educated.” “I’m intelligent.” “I’m Hindu.” “I’m Muslim.” “I am male.” “I’m female.” “I’m smart.”
We want at all moments to associate ourselves with a certain identity, in the hope that the association will bring fulfilment. That Association does not bring fulfilment, because it is an exercise in the wrong direction. We require not association, but actually dissociation. That is called freedom. Freedom is to dissociate yourself from your dependencies. Would you remember this?
Freedom is to dissociate yourself from your dependencies. Whereas the ego is constantly clamouring for more and more dependencies. Even, the things that you call as your assets actually become your dependencies. For example: I own a Rolls Royce. In language, I seem to be implying that, I am the master of the car. But, tell me, one day the Rolls Royce isn’t visible, something has happened. And you need to go from place ‘A’ to place ‘B’ and all that is available, is a humble Hero Splendor, what will happen to you? Think of your condition, now who’s the master? And who’s the slave? Who is the master? Were you the owner of the car? No, the car became so important to you, you got dependent. And now when the car is not there, the car is not suffering; you are suffering. So, who is the master? The car is the master! The ego chooses to associate, associate, achieve, obtain, accomplish, thinking that all these associations will give it fulfilment. No, they don’t!
Freedom comes from dissociation, and dissociation does not mean that you throw your Rolls Royce away. Freedom simply means, that internally you are not dependent on the car for your identity. The car is there; if it needs to be. I don’t think mostly, it needs to be there Rolls Royce kind of thing. But, even if it is there; it is at your periphery, mental periphery, it does not become so important to you, that you keep it at the centre of your life.
Similarly with persons, you start idolizing someone; you call someone as your role model, and that person becomes so important to you. Or, because I’m talking to young people; you fall in love and that person becomes your entire universe, if not the entire universe, at least the centre of your universe.
That’s the way of the ego, to depend, to constantly experience a hollow, and look towards the world to somehow fill up that hollow. “Can this fill up my hollow? I want to attain this. So, I’ll work very hard to earn money to have this, hoping that this will reduce my feeling of being unfulfilled.” Rolls Royce, a higher degree, a better paying job, a bigger house, a new boyfriend — all these are in the same category.
The ego is using them to somehow get rid of its state of incompleteness, but these efforts do not succeed. What the ego really wants; is freedom - not association. More associations will not make you feel better, freedom from associations — is what make you come alive! And, freedom from associations does not mean, being a loner. It simply means, not being a slave. Can’t you be in a relationship, without being a slave? Can’t there be a healthy and free relationship? Or do you really have to become somebody’s pet dog, for the relationship to exist? Right?
So, that’s a choice that you have! Do you want to live in freedom? Or, do you want to chase associations, assets, accomplishments all your life. The more you chase, the more you will be disappointed and suffer.
Is this making sense? Or, is it just too much and too fast? Not sure? I hope this at least gives you a start! You are young, you have a long way to go and, you have time.
