During a group meditation, a fellow initiate asked this question. Master, could You speak a little bit about the fact that our ego gets in the way of our close relationship with the God within? How to get rid of it?

That's how we get into the habits, to manage things the way we want so that we get the spotlight. And that is what we call the ego. There is no ego to begin with. And then we are so used to with failure and success, we are proud of ourselves. We think, "Ah! I have accomplished this, and I have done that. I out did him, I tricked them, and things like that." And then we get prouder and prouder, and that is the so-called ego. Habit Is The Information
Collected By The Mind

Actually, it is all habit. We are not born with the ego. That's why I told you that the environment is very important to the individuals. Two persons with the same level of intelligence if brought up in different environments will react differently to the same situation that they are confronted with because of the habit they acquired, because the things they learned during their childhood and their lives. So there is no ego really. Now we try to deal with the habit only.

For example, now you want to meditate, but you're so used to with running around - at 7 o'clock you go to coffee and 8 o'clock you go dancing and now I tell you to sit here. Miserable thing, and don't even see God sometimes, not always, yeah? Some lucky fellows see God all the time, and take it for granted, and some sit there, the bottom nearly falls off and don't see anything! So of course, these things will make you feel unhappy. And then it is difficult for you to believe that there is such thing as God, and that He is even loving at all. If He is loving, why doesn't he come to me, why He comes to the neighbors?

Because you tend to learn as you grow up to compare things the way the worldly people do.

The people who are pure in the heart, they are more simple. They get to God quickly, because they don't have too many thinkings and too many comparisons, too many studies to overcome. The more intellectual people, or sometimes the more accomplished people, they are more complicated, because they have to be in this kind of field to succeed, for example like that. Therefore, they become habitual to thinking, analyzing pro and con and success and failure - "If I sit in meditation, what do I get from God? Do I get anything at all? Is that worth it? You know, time is money" (laughter), and things like that, sometimes. And then subconsciously, we obstruct ourselves the way to heaven. That's what we call ego. Actually, there is none.

For example, many children who grew up in a battered home, grow up to become criminals. They were not loved as a child. They grew up don't love anybody. They only know violence. They only know force, using muscle force or whatever force they can get to win the enemy, to become a stronger guy. Most of them are unloved, and then it's very difficult for them to change that. Then you would say that's their ego. Actually, I would say it's just a habit. When we say "habit", it's easier to understand, and also seems easier to reach and to correct, than to say "ego". It sounds so frightening, like an entity or something like that, that we have to fight with. It's not that difficult.

Even brushing the teeth, many people don't brush three times a day because they don't have the habit, and they can't bother to change. I didn't brush three times a day when I was young, but when I grew up I understand it hurts my teeth, and I want to be beautiful. (Laughter) Then I start to realize the importance of this habit, brushing the teeth after a meal, and I do it along. That's it, just a habit. A habit, okay?! So forgive yourself and try to change.