The Ego and Soul Self

The Fragmented Human Self

We are each born with predispositions in our mental, physical, emotional, and energetic makeup that fragment our consciousness. Fragmentation is also caused by social and emotional imprints that create attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs. All of these influences distance us from our pure essence. They merge into a composite personal limited ego lens that determines how we (1) perceive the world and our self, (2) interpret what we think others and the world are saying (and doing) to us, (3) act and react in order to survive, and (4) act and communicate to try to feel supported, safe, and loved.

When some areas of our being are impaired or simply not available to us, the lens through which we see our self and experience the world is distorted. We are not able to operate as functional co-creative human beings. When we operate out of a limited, myopic, and fear-based view of self and the world, we create dysfunctional relationships and self-sabotaging situations where our fragmented self attempts to feel comfortable and where our limited view of the world is supported and confirmed.

"Killing the Ego"

Successfully overcoming our negative programming and limited sense of self through awareness requires and results in the development of an expanded sense of our Soul Self. As we pursue our journey to upgrade our identity, it is critical that we define the concept of ego and understand its different meanings. Traditional spiritual paths espouse "giving up" or "killing" our ego. However, following this advice many result in (1) becoming very confused and frustrated, (2) misunderstanding the nature of our goal to establish our spiritual identity, and (3) misdirecting our spiritual training.

As a child, we develop an ego structure to differentiate our self and to form the foundation for taking action and making decisions for ourselves. In this initial phase of our human development, we experience our identity in relationship to our personality, our body, external authorities, and our environment. Yogi Bhajan called this unaware concept of reality and who we are "limited ego."

To move into spiritual adulthood, our awareness proceeds in stages. Our maturation process begins with identifying the limitations along with the false and self-sabotaging nature of our childhood ego identity. Accordingly, we much first get in touch with the fact that our limited ego was formed in response to childhood challenges and dictated by social conditioning. We also must realize that as a consequence, our limited ego is subject to our subconscious programming, which no longer serves our highest good. By its very nature, it causes us to think, feel, and act in self-destructive and limiting ways that create problems and dramas. It is this limited view of our self and our childhood programming that we are trying to give up or transcend so that we can expand into soul consciousness.

In sum, the concept of ego can be defined as an identity structure that is absolutely necessary to think, operate, make decisions, and take action in the physical world. Our spiritual path helps us cultivate the awareness that enables us to evolve from limited ego to soul consciousness. Thus, to live our life more effectively and with more depth and meaning, we develop aware ego or identity structure that identifies with and is guided from within by our soul.

Upgrading the Ego

The main problem with the "kill the ego" strategy is that it doesn't work. Without an internal identity structure, we can't operate in 3-D. To survive in physical reality, it is absolutely necessary to have a mechanism that is vigilant, discerning, and able to make wise choices, including the choice to listen to our heart and soul and not to our wounded inner child. Again, we will call this discernment our aware ego.

The "kill the go" attitude also reinforces self-criticism, feeds negative subconscious programming, and thus strengthens (rather than reduces or eliminates) our limited ego. Without the self-trust of an aware ego, doubt and fear get the upper hand.

To move from limited ego to aware ego, we must (1) get in touch with the mechanism and forces that are currently guiding our life, (2) understand what motivates us and influences our choices, and (3) identify what we believe about our self and how the world operates. With self-examination, we realize that our limited ego reacts to random thoughts that are set off by subconscious programming, including emotional stories, fear, shame-based conditioning, and inappropriate training. We also realize that there is another voice or authority that operates independently of the forces that control our limited ego.

Awareness of our conditioning and recognition of a voice of consciousness are pivotal steps in building an aware ego. With awareness, we can train ourselves to become more conscious of how we make decisions and to shift our attention from our programmed thoughts and responses to the messages from our heart. We thus empower ourselves from within and gradually extricate ourselves from all forms of victimization, subjugation, and external control.

As we learn to use our intuition/instincts as our inner-guidance system, we can let go of inappropriate external influences and make our soul our trusted authority. We develop an attitude of self-love, self-confidence, and self-acceptance as part of (and a result of) our self-empowerment process. Valuing ourselves is required to experience personal freedom and to connect with, trust, and follow the voice of our soul. Through self-respect and self-love, we liberate our free will to express our soul blueprint and to co-create with cosmic forces. Every drop of consciousness gives us the power to listen within, to trust and follow our intuition, and to serve our soul.

Awakening to Self-Consciousness and Soul-Realization

Our soul is pure consciousness and light. If we could see our electromagnetic field through the pure eye of our soul, we would see a vibrating being of light. However, viewed through the lens of our ego mind, which perceives separation between physical and non-physical realities, we identify with our thoughts, impressions, and images of who we think we are in finite, physical reality. What we perceive as reality is thus limited to the three-dimensional physical world.

In this 3-D human incarnation, our soul lives in a human body. Yet, we are alive because we are animated by a flow of cosmic energy that has individuated as our unique expression. As our awareness expands, so does our concept of self. We realize that we are simultaneously (1) our physical, primate body; (2) our personality self; (3) our subtle Soul Self; and (4) our oneness with the Infinite Source. Our spiritual quest is thus to expand our sense of identity to include our Soul and be guided by it to live productive, satisfying, and heart-centered lives.

Our happiness, inner peace, fulfillment, and contentment all depend upon our experience of the Infinite within our human form. As we become conscious of our Soul Self, we can realize the power and the blessing of being interconnected with all that is. We can heal our self and attract from our true essence instead of from limiting programming and ignorance.

Identity Structure

As we will discuss later, Yogi Bhajan emphasized the importance of developing a strong naval chakra. Our naval center is the physiological foundation for our physiological state. With a strong naval chakra, we are able to grow beyond our limited ego and build a consolidated sense of Soul Self. As noted above, there is much ado about "eliminating the ego" in many traditional spiritual paths. Our goal is to mature out of the ego-based defense mechanisms that we developed as children in order to survive without losing our sense of Self.

A strong naval center supports our internal awakening and activates our will so that we can listen to and follow the intuitive and instinctual messages of our soul. We must be able to trust ourselves to stop believing and submitting to both subconscious and external control. Without a solid identity and internal authority structure in place, we can be taken advantage of in relationships and by exploitive political, economical, and social systems.

A strong naval chakra gives us a self-centering mechanism around which we can create and maintain personal boundaries. We are more able to give up our wounded programming and release guilt, shame, and all the other ways that we feel bad about ourselves. We develop self-confidence and self-esteem.

A strong naval also helps us maintain our personal identity, without getting lost in the expansive "oneness" territory of the upper chakras. We must have a defined sense of self to avoid the pitfalls inherent in traditional spiritual paths that focus on the upper chakras. Without first consolidating our personal integrity, we are vulnerable to abuse and abandonment. With a strong inner authority, we are able to differentiate between "service" and "servitude." We can't be manipulated into doing what is not right for us by rhetoric about "giving up our ego." When we are connected to and directed by our Soul Self, we serve from an authentic and compassionate heart.

Purifying the Lens of Our Mind

Through strengthening and balancing the navel along with all the other chakras, the practice of Kundalini Yoga cleans and purifies the lens of the human mind. As we practice, the mind's focusing power becomes less and less distracted and controlled by external, imprinted, and unconscious stimuli. We begin to see, experience, and know our self as expression of pure consciousness, light, and love. We are bale to live in a state of intuitive, unconditional, and non-judgmental knowing. It is the goal of all spiritual paths to return to this pure state of being and to live our human life from the perspective of soul consciousness and Divine Love.

This expanded state of awareness is possible when all the centers/chakras and systems of our body are fully functional and operate in alignment with each other. As this balanced state is achieved, a chemical/electric/magnetic force -- the Kundalini -- awakens and flows up and down our spine.

The awakening of the Kundalini happens as our chakras, the primary nerve plexuses in our body, activate and open like the petals of a flower. The petals represent the interconnected parts of our human vessel. When each one is functioning and aligned with all the other parts, their charge increases. As the petals activate, their inter-linking open the flower of our soul. Our light shines and the fragrance of love emanates from our heartfelt presence.

Faceting Your Diamond

The path of Kundalini Yoga offers a "faceting your diamond" approach to soul-realization. Evolving from limited ego to soul consciousness takes time and commitment. We have to break through a lot of resistance, experience the struggle, and allow the pain to make the internal shift and transform our energy from a dull piece of coal to a radiant gem. It is an intense process to raise our frequency to the level that matches our soul and liberates us from the lower frequency that feeds our fear and subconscious programming. The nature of the "diamond goal" requires commitment. That is why Yogi Bhajan insisted on a daily sadhana. And that is why making one decision to do our daily sadhana works much better than letting our challenged ego-driven subconscious be in charge of the decision each day.

Do your sadhana, your daily spiritual practice, in spite of the fact that you may or may not life it. In sadhana, we break our patterns and go through changes to build inner stamina and strength. You cannot live intellectually all your life. You have to live by the power of your soul. - Yogi Bhajan

Source: Introduction to Kundalini Yoga and Meditation, Vol. ll - Inner Awareness and Self-Initiation by Guru Rattana, Ph.D.