Understanding Ego

 

I wish to summarize my understanding of “sorrow” based on a talk given by Swami Sarvapriyananda ji.

Causes of Sorrow

The cause of sorrow can be traced to three levels: physical, mental, and ego.

Physical: There are 3 sources from where sorrow at physical level may be caused:

Nature: Examples: extreme weather (heat/cold/dust/rain/snow); extreme events (earthquakes/tsunami/epidemics/storms/thunder & lightning).

Other Beings/things: Examples: People assaulting, abusing, insulting, deceiving, OR Stock market crash, insects/animal attack, property loss.

Within own body: Examples: sickness, accidents, ageing.

Mental: Any sorrow is experienced in the mind alone. Therefore, a thought of suffering or pain must arise in the mind for experiencing the sorrow. Under the effect of anesthesia or coma, no sorrow is experienced because the mind doesn’t receive any signal to trigger the thought of pain or suffering. If someone abuses you in a language that you don’t know, no thought of hurt will arise in the mind.

Ego: At the deepest level, we experience sorrow only when we identify with the thought of pain or suffering in the mind. Although it is my mind that experiences pain, my ego identifying with my mind tends to say “I am in pain”.

In conclusion, anything happening in the outside world or even in my own body must give rise to a thought of uneasiness or anxiety in the mind, and I must identify myself with this thought to become sorrowful. In reality, I can’t be what I experience. I am witness of an experience in my mind. No one can make me unhappy without my permission.

What is Sorrow?

Sorrow can be defined as:

Sorrow is modification in nature: Nature is made up of Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas which are constantly in dynamic motion. Predominance of Rajas is designed to give both pleasure and pain. Thus sorrow is an inherent aspect of nature.

Sorrow is appearance in Brahman (Maya): In dream we experience sorrow. While in the dream-world the sorrow is real but on waking up we dismiss it as an illusionary appearance in the mind. Similarly, when one transcends the waking-world it is realized that whatever is experienced in the waking also is an appearance in the Consciousness. You appear to yourself as sorrow.

Sorrow is Brahman: Everything in the universe is nothing apart from Brahman. Brahman or God manifests in a variety of ways, including sorrow.

Ways to overcome Sorrow (Spiritual Practices)

Devotee: Sorrow is grace of God. It brings me closer to God (Kunti asking Krisna for the boon of sorrow).

Karma yogi: Sorrow is erasing my bad karma of the past. I am becoming free of my bad karma.

Yogi: Shuts down (transcends) the mind and senses through meditation.

Gyani: It is an offence to complain about sorrow if I have realized the truth. If Brahman alone is, where is any place for sorrow?