Dismantling The Self

The problem is simple, but it’s not easy. Ego,  

self-centeredness,  survival,  are all words that

point to the problem. The simple fact that we 

all die is ignored by most everyone.  That

ignorance is the basis of the competitive 

struggle that creates factions, nations, political

groups,  manifestos, organized religions, belief 

systems, and other self-referential forms.

 

It is possible to produce enough food to 

feed the world,  to house and clothe it’s people,

to avoid environmental  catastrophe, 

to control population so that one species does not

dominate the planet…but this will not happen 

unless a complete about face of world view

occurs for humanity…an about face from the 

delusion of control, dominance and social

Darwinism  that is just an excuse for humans 

to behave like animals.

 

It’s doubtful that such an about face will occur.  

It took two World Wars for Europe

to tire of senseless slaughter and go into union. 

At this point, it’s likely the entire world

will experience that painful lesson. The only 

question is will there be anyone left when

school lets out?

 

The problem is organic. The evolution of 

intelligence leads to self awareness…a  useful

mechanism in that it creates questioning 

that leads to discovery and mind’s ability to

function in the phenomenal  world. With the 

arising of self consciousness co-emerges

the illusion of a “thing” called “me”, which 

is a shadow or “gel” that overlays sense

perceptions and creates a bias for the reference 

point.  This bias selects experience  that

enhances the reference point and avoids that 

which is detrimental  to it. Pure, unbiased

perception is captivated and used to ensure 

the continuity of the reference point, which

clouds mind’s ability to see things as they are.  

The self-referential entities that  appear

are sophisticated enough to form relationships 

which seem to enhance survival.  Every

possible manifestation then ensues.

 

2500 years ago, Lord Buddha taught 

the path of liberation from the dictatorship 

of the ego.  Enlightenment  is not some high 

state where you can experience what you’ve

been longing for.  Enlightenment is merely 

the absence of  ego,  the  illusion of self-

centeredness…. that which keeps 

us from our natural lives.

 

Face it,  Baby,  it’s a tough illusion…

like when you walked in that bar that night and

she was sitting there like a reason to live.  

It clicked in your heart like a bear trap.  You

had to do what you did.  Enough said.  You 

couldn’t just look at it. It seemed too real.

 

The self has to be dismantled in order to 

recover  the simple direct perception of

phenomena,  which is wisdom.  The process of 

the path is like taking a loaded revolver

from a baby that has accidentally found it.  

All kinds of emotions come up;  anger,

resentment,  betrayal  as one gives up, 

 lets go of,  looses it’s favorite toy.

"What no one is allowed to consider is the distressing possibility that no amount of tinkering and changing and greening and teaching the kindergartners to plant trees and recycle Dad’s beer cans will ever really matter if our assumptions about what it means to be prosperous, what it means to be “developed,” what it means to live in “progress,” and what it means to be “free” remain what they have been for the last four hundred years under the evergrowing weight of capitalist markets and capitalist social relations. As Marx put it, under capitalism we carry our relation to others in our pockets. Marx would now have to add, sadly, that those “others” must now include the animals of the field and the birds of the sky (Daniel, 2:38) as well as the fields and sky themselves."–“A Good Without Light,” Curtis White, Tin House