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To: soc.religion.eastern From: tyagi nagasiva (nagasiva@luckymojo.com) Subj: Egos, Group and Individual; Brainstorm Date: 49930909 My king, raj, asks "Could a religion also have an ego?". I've been considering this for several months now and think that the individual ego may get a bad reputation from groups and traditions which are in competition with it for the attention of the reader/listener. It seems to me that ego in its varying forms is sometimes by its very nature attention-grabbing and exclusive in its desire to be seen and heard. Not only this, but it isn't just individual ego which we are dealing with when we engage society. We also come upon something which I'd call 'group ego' and 'tradition ego'. Personally I don't think that any of these is completely 'bad' or even 'unproductive'. The ego seems to be a very valuable means of supporting continued survival, especially when there is a competition among egos of various sorts. However, more than anything else have I heard and read about the 'evil' of the individual ego. My feeling about this is that groups of people (schools, trads, etc.) have been very influential and seen it was to their benefit to 'demonize' the individual ego for their benefits. Note that I am not saying there was some grand scheme to disempower the individual, just that doing so serves the ego of the group, and this is seen as a 'good thing' by very many writers. My point in writing this article, though, is to point out that group ego is *not* superior to individual ego. Far from it, sometimes it can be very dangerous (such as when we use the identification with the group to support our harm of individuals). This is why raj's question inspires me. I'd like to know more about what ego is, what it does, and how group ego functions. Some random ideas follow: * It seems that group ego often revolves around the name of the group, or the group's founding member. Here I'm thinking about things as diverse as 'cults' and whole traditions such as 'Saivites'. * There seems to be a direct resemblance between individual and group ego, in that it grows and occludes the ego of others around it, if immature/undeveloped. * Ego seems to be a kind of mask which holds together diverse elements of an individual or group psyche. * It's almost like a kind of 'false unity', where that which feels separate (based on differing perceptions, conceptions and experience) works on or at that which it sees around it. This gives it a kind of 'face' (persona), a gate or nexus that the surrounding culture sees. * Group ego seems to absorb the individual ego unless it finds one which serves the group in some very strong way, and then it blows this one into a grand myth (such as Buddha, Christ, Padma-Sambhava, etc.) and uses this for its purposes. * There are helpful and harmful ways that ego is used. Sometimes it is bombastic and destructive (especially when it feels threatened). Sometimes it is supportive and caring (especially when it thinks that it is not the whole). * Group ego seems less visible to the public eye at present. I get the feeling that we just aren't made aware of it in our day-to-day lives, and this may be as a result of people simply not having the idea that such a thing exists, applying what has traditionally been considered an 'individual thing' to groups. * Neither seems like something we must eliminate. I think, as I mentioned above, that both can be used for helpful ends. It seems more important to recognize and watch the ego (individual AND group) to be sure that we don't use it to do something which we don't intend. * Note that we do similar things with individual egos as we do with group ego. We give somebody a 'title' or 'grand name'. I call raj 'my king'. He calls me 'kalinanda'. These reflect how we feel about the other person. They expand upon who they are to us. When others come upon this they may infer thing which are not necessarily true (such as that I worship raj, or that raj is my chela :>). All sorts of misinterpretations and new concepts may arise around a person (or group), and this may allow them to build new ego-structures and learn about themselves (as a group or individual). Ok, brainstorm off. Comments? I really would like to hear a variety of opinion on this. Throw off your knowledge and imagine what this concept (of group ego) might lead us to understand, work toward, etc. Thanks. Tyagi Nagasiva nagasiva@luckymojo.com
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