Ego- The Root of the Mind

Ego determines how we see and define things in daily life. It is the nature of our perceptions and totally unique from one another like DNA.

If ego is the Root of the mind, then our five senses(sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell) would be the Bark, Branches and Leaves and our emotions/thoughts would be the Fruits.


Like the roots that absorbs nutrients and grows into bark and branches, our ego moulds the world that forms from our senses. Thus even though many of us have eyes, nose and other organs of the five senses functioning similarly, the way we perceive a sight, a smell or sound differs from one another.
Some of us are drawn to classical music while some others are more inspired by up-tempo pop music.

And too like the fruits that decorate and define the type of a tree, our emotions/thoughts form our existences and the type of person we are in life. But no matter how beautiful a fruit may flourish, it's beauty will never outlast the life of its root.

However, the ego is an underlying force like the roots of a tree that lies hidden beneath the ground.
Very few people can detect it, and nearly none find it. People are mostly only aware of the 2nd and 3rd layers, being the senses and the emotions/thoughts. And it is not a surprise to know that many in fact are bleaskly aware of the 2nd layer, which is the senses. They are so tied to their fleeting emotions and thoughts that they act mainly on those bases. Running and running, driven by their fleeting emotions/thoughts, their minds become restless and ravenous.


For those of us who feel lost in life, do not be ashamed or feel that you are lonely. As mentioned, you are a wise traveler who has stopped to regain your bearings, compared to the majority who waste unnecessary energy running about without a clue.

The reason you are feeling lost is because you are beginning to see past your fleeting emotions/thoughts and feel that they are an endless loop that only leads you back and forth.

You may sometimes envy those people who are happy in life. Their happiness in general results from their appeased ego. Ego is 'I', the 'who' you define yourself as. That is why I feel happy when I am appreciated, when I do something and become known for my efforts, become justified for who and how I want others to see me, all that fulfilment.

In principle, the ego can never be satisfied, because the eye of the ego is biased and ignorant. While ego gives us abundant fulfilment when situations come into terms with it, it also heightens our fear of falling outside its demands. Like a person who adores trends, he shows respect and admiration to those who talk, dress and act trendy and upbeat, while at the same time he fears the embarassment of being seen as an offbeat or boring person and will even feel disgust or uneasiness in the company of such people.


A common advice I get to find purpose in life is to focus your mind on something, be it an ambition, a prospect, or a commitment. Once the mind finds something to feed his ego, he will feel energized and motivated in life.
This is absolutely true, but these are only external means which soften the pain of a patient and not cure the disease entirely. Despite there are people whose life change for the better and remain that way after finding ways to keep themselves motivated in life with external means, the ultimate solution lies in the understanding of your self .

Nevertheless, these external means are good starting points.

For we are ever conscious of and living at the 3rd level of the mind, which is the emotions/thoughts level, it takes an extreme effort and deep reflection to return to the deeper and initial levels of the senses and ultimately the ego.

In one of the upcoming posts, we shall touch deeper on how we can live a more fruitful life and the appropriate way back to our origins by slowly unraveling the 3 levels of the mind in hierarchy.