Ego and the Third Noble Truth

Over at Huffpost (a fertile ground for interesting writing on Buddhism), there's an essay by Lewis Richmond about the Third Noble Truth and its relation to ego. He clarified the notion of "getting rid of ego" for me by pointing out that "ego" is a poor translation of what the Buddha was discussing as the root of our problems. Rather, "ego-istic" or "self-ish" appears to be better, in that we all have an ego or self, but that we misuse it by treating it as an unchanging, objective entity that resists change and inevitable loss, ignoring reality and thus creating suffering. We all have an "identity" - and it changes over time and place. Mr. Richmond's words:

There is no need to "get rid of the ego." The ego, the self, the ever-changing landscape of identity -- none of those are the actual problem. The actual problem is that when loss comes we clutch, we tend to respond fearfully and selfishly, with clinging and resistance; we become ego-istic. Paying attention to all of that, examining it closely over and over with the practices of precepts, mindfulness, and meditation, is the nub of Buddhist practice. It is the work of a lifetime. Loss is not all there is. The fundamental spiritual message of Buddhism is upbeat, not downbeat. Joy in the midst of suffering and loss is not only possible, but attainable. That is Buddha's third noble truth: in the midst of suffering, there is release from suffering.

I have often come across the idea of the "authentic self," and I often speak of this. Mr. Richmond clarifies this for me as not some essence which is permanent and separate from life, but as my deepest identity which springs from the deepest notions of Buddhism - that there is something beyond my small self, like unto the relation between the dancer and the dance. Where does one end and the other begin? And where does the dance go when it ends? -


I actually don't know what it means to "get rid of the ego." But I have had cherished good teachers and wise spiritual friends who have transformed ego and identity into a vessel of awakening and compassion, and who dedicate themselves to continuing their spiritual efforts and working for the relief of suffering wherever they can.That is a good identity to have. It's called "Buddha," which means "awake." Buddha is our deepest identity; it is always with us.