“Doctor, please help me. I think that I’m really sick,” the worried patient said. “My body hurts all over: when I touch my arm, it hurts; when I touch my chest, it hurts; when I touch my head, it hurts.”
After running a battery of tests, the doctor reported to his patient, “I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news is there is absolutely nothing wrong with your body. The bad news is you have a broken finger, so wherever you touch, it hurts!”
An Indian friend recently told us this story, and though we laughed at the punch line, there is also a deeper message in it. When our consciousness is filled with awareness of our union with God, it’s like a happy, healthy body. The broken finger is like the ego, which breaks our connection with a greater reality, and makes us imagine suffering everywhere, when in reality all that hurts, all that is “broken,” is the little self.
Think of it this way. The ego is merely the soul identified with the body and personality. Like blinders on a horse, the ego confines our field of vision to a narrow part of the world around it. Take off the blinders of ego and our awareness grows much broader. Then, as we begin to see things from a God’s-eye view, the world becomes filled with beauty and joy.
“My Polestar” by Nayaswami Jyotish
In a storm, the surface of the ocean knows no peace. Similarly, as long as the storm of ego rages in the mind, a person knows tension and anxiety. As the waves of ego diminish, the devotee relaxes and accepts once again his connection with the peace and happiness of the infinite Spirit.
How do we diminish the hold of the ego and reestablish our divine connection? Swami Kriyananda put it clearly and simply: “Finding God is easy. It’s a matter of two things: longer, deeper meditations, and seeing God as the Doer in all things.”
The broken connection is caused by our ego asserting its independent reality from God. This keeps us forever trapped in the world of suffering and uncertainty. Meditation and surrender of the little self open the door of our soul to true happiness and freedom.
As Paramhansa Yoganandaji said, “With God, life is a feast of happiness, but without Him it is a nest of troubles, pains, and disappointments.”
Let’s strive to heal our broken connection with God, so that everything we see, touch, or hear fills us with His joy.
At His feet,
Nayaswami Devi
16 Comments
Dear Ji’ Pranam
Felt a Propound blessing and thanks for the Guidance.
With Gratitude
R Sundararajan
Thank you..??
Nothing could be as true as this. Taming of the ego is the real Duty. Well written Sir.
Joy to you dear Sister Devi…In Master, Durgadas
Thank you for this beautiful words of wisdom. Joy and blessings.
Thanks to enlighten us…!
Thank you for that, it illustrates so well the trouble with ego and the power of perception to totally shape my experience for good or bad.
The ego can and will sabotage the spiritual life. However, in my experience, the answer is not to fight or try to ‘destroy’ the ego, but to accept it lovingly. As Lahiri Mahasay explains in his Gita interpretation, the ego and ahamkara (Multi-life ego are with us until liberation.
If they are accepted as friends with the right to exist, serving their legitimate purposes, they fight our spiritual aspirations less and less…
Thank you…Blessings ??
Thank you for the reminder. Joy
Great letter, Devi! Thanks so much. :-)
I felt happy reading the blog
So invigorating!
I am happy and grateful now that i can receive such pure wisdom.
Dear Nayaswami Devi Ji,
Thank you for the lovely article.
The “broken finger” story is thought provoking.
Jai Guru
Aum,… Prem
Respected Nayaswami Devi ji,
Namaskar,
A lot of thanks for such a spiritual guidance
Regards
Nawin sharma
As always, simply full of wisdom letters. They inspire me each time I read them. They are positive thoughts provoking.
Aum Guru.