Overcoming the Ego

Swami Kriyananda reads the second stanza (sloka) of the Bhagavad Gita and discusses the power of habits. Habits of course can be constructive or negative but all too often habits are destructive forces that bind us to detrimental behaviors. Kriyananda shares a few stories that demonstrate how bad habits can be overcome through the power of strong affirmation and by supplanting bad habits with good ones. Kriyananda also clarifies the enduring struggle to overcome the ego and explains that self-forgetting not deprecation is the essence of humility. He explains that in recognizing the insignificance of the ego compared to the power and bliss of the divine, we can transcend the ego, the little self. Kriyananda reminds us that God is the Doer (we are His instruments) and advises us to think of others, help others, and through that selflessness we will feel the deepest satisfaction. Kriyananda explains that we will have to move beyond habit bound behaviors and the limitations of the ego to reach our full potential because the ultimate aspiration is to merge with the Divine and become One with it.