Comments on: Online marketing and the ego

By: Joe Langen

Joe Langen — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:55:54 +0000

Thanks for your honesty and thoughtful comments. I write full time and often find myself juggling my priorities: unraveling life’s mysteries for myself, encouraging readers to examine the purpose of their lives and effect on others and commercial considerations. Sometimes it’s hard to keep everything in perspective. I lived in a monastery once and had a chance to spend hour after hour considering the meaning of life. Now I appreciate any moments I have to use for this purpose. I look forward to following your reflections.

By: Saint Brian

Saint Brian — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:47:41 +0000

The ego is the enemy of spirituality, and even being a decent person.

Ironic how Christianity made Pride one of only seven “deadly” sins, and yet they mostly fall victim to it without even any realization that they are doing so….

It’s something to guard against. All you have to do is to realize how the most obnoxiously proud people that you know are always completely unaware that they are that way, and would accuse you if the same thing if you were to mention it to them in passing.

I don’t want to be a victim like that.

By: Saint Brian

Saint Brian — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 01:06:37 +0000

I ran across your blog here on the Blog Catalog…

Great place you have here. And a theosophist as well. HPB is deep stuff.

Interesting read.

Saint Brian the Godless

By: Katinka Hesselink - All Considering

Katinka Hesselink - All Considering — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 07:45:05 +0000

I do think the more purified consciousness gets, the more it is free (literally liberated). So why should it NOT be able to decide to help all sentient beings?

By: Daphne

Daphne — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 02:49:39 +0000

Hi Katinka,

I could identify with this post as a blogger myself. Yes we want page views and subscribers, and it feels good to see the numbers increase. Yet how do we maintain balance and remain centered amidst all this? Your distinction between wanting the numbers for ego and wanting it for business was very valid. It made me feel a little clearer about why I want what i want for my blog. Thanks!

By: Annedien

Annedien — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 16:59:01 +0000

Apart from the theoretical discussion: I feel a great difference in my own system when I state “May all sentient beings live in happiness and peace.” I think it’s a non-linear process: one may not be an enlightened being yet, but being dedicated to one own’s enlightenment may have a different quality to it, depending on whether you are doing it for your own sake or for the sake of all living beings. A bit like if you walk a sponsor run just for you you get € 1 per mile, and if you do it for the benefit of all you get € 10 per mile (energetically/karmically speaking).
Or can you only decide to not cross the river and return for the sake of all once you have reached that state?
I do think, however, that the trick is that the ego might cling to the notion of doing it for the benefit of all as being more beneficial.

And: Vigorously taking responsibility for the well-being of all living beings dwarfs a job