Gurunathar’s Divine Message Ashwini Pooja 18-07-2006
I heard a good question and decided to give an explanation in this manner. The question is about our concept of I and mine, our sense of identity. The question is “If I is equated to ego or arrogance how should we behave in our normal day to day life?”.
When we speak about ourselves we say, “This is my name, this is what I do etc.”, whatever our identity or profession might be. How can we live in this world without such an identity? We cannot do so. “Then how should we live?”, is the question.
There is no defect in the concept or word ‘I’. It is when our personalities or attitudes influence this concept that the flaws begin to exist. When we put ourselves on par with others we should not think ourselves superior to them. This would be wrong and become the beginning of arrogance. If we are able to recognize the presence of God in other living beings and realize their level of divinity there is no room for the growth of arrogance. Hence there is nothing wrong in our acknowledging our individual identities. For instance when I came with Lord Ganesha, it would not have been wrong to say “You are Vinayakar. I am Moolan”, because I am fully aware of His state of divinity and strength when I mention my identity.
I am superior-others are all inferior.
I am special-others are ordinary.
I am rich-others are poor.
I am a great scholar-others are ignorant.
To think in all these ways causes the growth of arrogance. It is not wrong to maintain our identity. It is the attitudes we adopt that make the difference.
[Translation of Gurunathar’s divine message given to and read by Guruji Shri K.V. Narayanan]