347. Ego, Purusha, Psychic Being

Man lives in his ego. The Rishis withdraws into the Purusha, during meditation. The Psychic being is a new spiritual concept to the world. When Churchill joined the British Cabinet, his aunt wrote him advising him to run his department and not the entire Cabinet. Ego has the philosophy that what it is is sacred, and everyone should worship it. An egoistic corrupt official does not expect his family and department to condone his guilt. He insists that they proclaim him to be a personification of integrity. That is the rationality of ego. USA exterminated the American Indian population but now champions the cause of human rights, and does not allow parents to discipline their own children. The change is welcome, but it must come as a reversal of the earlier barbarism. Instead, USA insists on being hailed as the hero of human rights. It is said of them that they want to be the first anywhere, even in a wedding, claiming precedence over the groom.

We can call Purusha as Manomaya Purusha, Jivatma, Soul, witness Purusha, etc. The Jnani withdraws into it, into its Timeless aspect during meditation. When he emerges out of meditation, his ego resumes its rule with an added intensity to make up for the loss of its reign during the meditation. Hence, the ferocity of his curse if his path is crossed. Still his meditation can take him to Samadhi and to moksha. His moksha is a realisation of his ego. Purusha is the immutable, changeless Soul, but in the domain of Nature it is powerless. It remains a witness. However, Nature cannot exist without a soul. The deputy of Jivatma in Nature is the Psychic Being. As Nature works, the psychic Being evolves. Tradition does not have this concept, though they know of the Psychic Being. It was born on earth when Lord Krishna came on earth. In all Bhakti cults, the soul that leads is the Psychic Being.

One major characteristic of the Psychic Being is, it cannot curse. As it refuses to curse, the world tries to destroy it, just as Rana, the husband of Mirabai, tried to kill her by poisoning. It exudes Love, compassion, and sweetness. It has been there in our tradition, but our tradition honoured the Purusha as they sought moksha. The Psychic can transform the human being or offer moksha if the devotee desires. Sri Aurobindo denied Himself moksha, sought transformation in human life so that the entire earth consciousness - all of humanity - would be transformed, shedding disease, pain and death. As long as one clings to his ego, he cannot enter the realms of Sri Aurobindo's yoga. One single LIE will wipe off the entire yoga done up to that point, as a lie strengthens the ego. Sri Aurobindo's yoga demands the surrender of ego by the soul to the Divine. Invocation of the Spirit demands an egoless Soul.