Aptavani-6
69
state of, ‘I am pure Soul (Shuddhatma)’ is the egoless
(nirahamkar) state. ‘I am a Patel,’ ‘I am 50 years old,’ ‘I am
a collector,’ ‘I am a lawyer,’ etc.; it is all ego.
Questioner: That which prompts one to do good, is that
the ego too?
Dadashri: Yes, that too is ego. Even that which prompts
one to do wrong is also ego. One can never tell when the ego
will do wrong from right because it is blind.
You might be giving someone some alms and if that man
happens to say something wrong, you may turn around and beat
him up. This is because of the ego that gets hurt.
Questioner: When a soldier says he is fighting for India,
is that also ego?
Dadashri: Yes, that is all ego and in the final analysis, it
is of no benefit to him. He binds some merit karma. There is no
telling when a ‘do-good’ ego will do something wrong. He might
be fighting for India today and tomorrow he may even start
fighting with his captain. There is no telling about him. The ego
is shameless. You never know when it will turn negative. It is a
thing that has no goal or aim. When the ego is used for the right
goal with persistence, it brings worldly success and fame.
Questioner: But is the ego not necessary for progress?
Dadashri: That ego is naturally there. The ego is not
something that you can keep at will, even if you try to. It will
somehow manage to slip back in on its own.
Questioner: It is written in psychology texts that some
ego is necessary for personality development, is that true?
Dadashri: Such ego is naturally present. It is a law of
nature that the ego arises for proper development and one grows.
And as the development approaches a certain level (life after