What is Knowledge : Ch-7.17.

Chapter 7 : Yoga Discipline - 17.

But, all human beings are not so crude in the affirmations of their egoism. This is only a rare occurrence that can be seen with difficulty in certain corners of human behaviour. There are polished forms of egoism, which sometimes take the form and the shape of even what sometimes goes by the name of altruism. Merely because the affirmation of consciousness has gone outside the boundary of the physical body, it need not cease to be egoism.

One can be highly egoistic merely in one’s relationship with one’s family. There are people who are terribly attached to their family, and their concern is only what they consider as a sort of well-being and security of their family, even if another family goes to the dogs. They can hang another, if only it would conduce to the secure existence of their family and the relations with whom they are connected.

There can be egoism of various types. We are well acquainted with what is known as communal tension arising in human circles; and what can be this tension except a result following from a clash of interests among communities? A clash of egos is what we call war or battle, and a war can take any shape and can cover any area of operation. Sometimes war takes place even within our own selves.

A little battle continuously goes on in most of us, so that we do not know what to do with our own selves. Psychologists call this a non-alignment of the inner layers of personality, which may sometimes require psycho-pathological treatment; or it may be a very serious mental case requiring hospitalisation – a clash of the inner layers.

Swami Krishnananda
 To be continued  .....