What is the ego

The ego is said to be a negative thing; something that keeps us in thrall; which must die for us to be awakened.

This is a blatant piece of misinformation, since the ego is the one that can actually not die, as long as you are alive and is the only gate thorough which the Brahman is attained.

How is that, well what is the ego, the most consistent definition of this is the feeling of I am.

In every experience that you have there is a ever present feeling of I am.

If you recognize this feeling in all experiences then you can see that this is at its core unchanging.

(At first you may not believe it, but by slow observation of this you will become ever sure of this fact)

All that happens happens outside of it (thoughts/feelings/physical stuff) does not affect the unchanging feeling of I am.

What this is is none other than the reflection of awareness in mind, and thus just like the awareness is ever constant like space and so is its child the ego the same.

By holding onto the ego you realize its source and see it everywhere, in every experience God as awareness is with you. In fact it is not with you but as you.

Enlightened and nonenlightened

Enlightenment is an unfortunate turn of phrase to describe an uncomplicated state of affairs.

Most people live in a state of near constant attachment from one phenomenon to another.

One thought to another, one worry to another, one feeling to another, one object to another.

An uncomplicated state of affairs is in which you stay as you are despite the churning of objects.

You know yourself as you are amidst this changing phenomenon, stable and peaceful.

You only see yourself as awareness of the changing phenomenon, awareness always stays as it is.

It is not changed by the every varying phenomenon.

To create gurus and reverential figures out of those that see this simple fact is highly unfortunate, but perhaps unavoidable due to deep conditioning in us of high vs low, better vs worse.

This deep conditioning operating day in day out causes mind to look in terms of good vs bad, heros vs common folk, rich and poor, enlightened and non-enlightened.

Buddha on his high pedestal vs us mere humans who can never be so great.