haloo steemian greetings of peace ;)
There are two mysteries of the universe that are still a struggle of scientists. The first is the essence of the universe, including how big and what elements make up it. The second is the essence of the self, or ego, including its existence and its constituent elements. The second is more interesting to note.
History of "Ego"
The investigation of the ego has long been in the history of human thought. Ancient Javanese thought, for example, distinguished between the small ego and the big ego. Small ego is a social formation, that is, the result of relationships with family and society at large. The great ego is the universal energy that has always existed, and is the source of the ultimate wisdom of life.
European thought, especially the psychoanalysis of Sigmund Freud, tries to divide the ego into three elements, namely id, ego and superego. Ids are human impulses, including irrational desires and desires. The ego is the element of decision-making and judgment. Superego is a collection of moral teachings of society that governs one's behavior or decisions.
Freud also emphasized that the conscious ego is only a small part of the whole ego itself. Most of the human person is made up of the unconscious element (Unbewusstsein) which actually influences his way of thinking and behavior. This view was continued by Carl Gustav Jung at the social level, namely by formulating the concept of collective unconscious (kollektives Unbewusstsein). Freud and Jung's view is still a reference in doing psychoanalytic therapy as well as social analysis today.
The existence of the ego
In the Eastern wisdom, the ego is considered an illusion. He is not there. The ego, as social formation, is the result of a thought error that develops into a habit. The illusion that continues to be believed will seem to be a fact that can not be denied.
The so-called "self" or ego is a collection of separate elements, such as body and mind. The body itself is not a unity, but also a collection of organs, blood, bones and nerves. The mind is also the result of social conditioning in relation to family and society. The blend of all these forms a selfless ego with no essence.
This view is also supported by neuroscience research. Some of the great thinkers, such as Thomas Metzinger of Germany, Anil Seth of England and Daniel Dennet of the United States, have done an in-depth study of the ego from the point of view of philosophy and neuroscience. They come to a similar conclusion, that the ego is only a formation that has no real nucleus. The ego is like smoke or shadow.
For Our Life
What are the implications of the various theories and research results that have been somewhat alluded to before? If the ego does not exist, then the thoughts and emotions experienced are without the core. They're all empty. They come and go, like smoke.
Problems arise, because people believe in the thoughts and emotions they feel. They thought it was the truth. In fact, both are without core and without essence. The basic form of both is empty and illusive.
If one understands, that his thoughts and emotions are illusory, then the problem no longer becomes heavy. The perceived suffering also ceased to be heavy and long. Everything will just be a passing guest, and will leave soon. Life will be far from unnecessary inner suffering.
This seems to be in accordance with the view of Eastern wisdom, especially Buddhism. The ego, from the Buddhist point of view, is the source of suffering. With the ego, people see the world solely from the point of view of self-interest. Ambition, lust and greed then appear uncontrollable. In fact, this is a futile effort, because the ego, indeed, never existed (Anatta).
Awareness of the absence of the ego makes everything light. Thoughts and emotions no longer suppress so strongly. Suffering comes and goes quickly. Depression and other diseases of mind are no longer emerging and developing. When the ego is perceived as non-existent, the consciousness of the inner universe will naturally grow. This awareness of the universe is the highest source of wisdom that human beings can realize.
When this is experienced, mental health and inner peace are the fruits. People become completely relaxed in living their lives, without falling into laziness and indifference. This is the deepest key to world peace that moves more fundamentally than any political dialogue and policy at the global level. Awareness of the absence of the ego can lead people to inner peace and world peace.