Can you help me answer my question?

[Spirit of Light]

This morning i listen to a teaching of a sufi master Sheykh Lokman Efendi about satan and God.

He Said something like ( in my words)

Satan is in you represent the Ego
God in you represent your virtue/goodness

What do you think? Is both satan and God in you at the same time, asking you to choose the Ego or virtue to follow?

He continue (in my translations of his words) to say, to remove ego from your being is to remove satan from within.

When you have fully remove ego, all that regain is virtue/god.

Any thoughts?

Adding: OP starter do not have the answer to this question. His understanding may not reflect the full truth.

 

[QuestioningMind]

This morning i listen to a teaching of a sufi master Sheykh Lokman Efendi about satan and God.

He Said something like ( in my words)

Satan is in you represent the Ego
God in you represent your virtue/goodness

What do you think? Is both satan and God in you at the same time, asking you to choose the Ego or virtue to follow?

He continue (in my translations of his words) to say, to remove ego from your being is to remove satan from within.

When you have fully remove ego, all that regain is virtue/god.

Any thoughts?

How exactly are you defining ego? I define ego as a sense of self or personal identity.

 

[JoshuaTree]

That we can remove ego is a paradox I think, once we realize we don't have free will all that remains is the virtue of our purpose.

 

[Spirit of Light]

How exactly are you defining ego? I define ego as a sense of self or personal identity.

I believe ego can be described in many ways, your descrption is one of them

But also the Ego arise when we say/think
I want, I need, I should have, it is mine, I crave it.

So every time we think it belong to me, or should be mine, or I want it.

That coould also be ego. It numing then virtue of not craving anything

 

[Sunstone]

I've thought for decades it was obvious that Satan in Christianity (at least, Christianity) is a special case of the trickster or coyote figure that seems to be inspired by some -- but not all -- of the traits or characteristics of the human ego. But me, I'm almost always wrong about nearly everything, so take what I said with a grain of salt.

On the other hand, god -- or the gods -- seem to be inspired by two separate, very distinctive activities of the human brain. The mystical experience seems responsible for some of the traits we assign to deity, while a whole set of brain modules seem to be responsible for the remaining traits we typically assign to deity.

 

[Spirit of Light]

I've thought for decades it was obvious that Satan in Christianity (at least, Christianity) is a special case of the trickster or coyote figure that seems to be inspired by some -- but not all -- of the traits or characteristics of the human ego. But me, I'm almost always wrong about nearly everything, so take what I said with a grain of salt.

Your humble wisdom is always welcome

 

[Sunstone]

How exactly are you defining ego? I define ego as a sense of self or personal identity.

That accords with how I myself define 'ego' in this sort of context.

 

[Sunstone]

Your humble wisdom is always welcome

Thank you, but you have not been speaking to my two ex-wives. I can tell.

 

[Sunstone]

"Removing evil". So very Western/Middle Eastern of him.

Also, such a joke. At least I think so.

The powers within you that you deny become your demons, bro.

Don't try to kill the beast. You'll only enrage it, make it stronger.

Try to domestic the beast instead. Make it serve you.

Much more realistic and practical.

Begin the taming by non-judgementally understanding it.

Observe it. See how it behaves. Come to know its habits. it's scope. It's nature.

Forget to judge it good or evil. Doing either is a mistake.

Just see it, just understand it. Tame it.

 

[QuestioningMind]

I believe ego can be described in many ways, your descrption is one of them

But also the Ego arise when we say/think
I want, I need, I should have, it is mine, I crave it.

So every time we think it belong to me, or should be mine, or I want it.

That coould also be ego. It numing then virtue of not craving anything

Hmm... I'm not sure I see most of those things as being negatives. We all have basic needs and if we're not aware of them they won't be met and we'll die. And if we don't have wants we won't wants or a craving to do the things necessary to see to our needs and we'll die.

It's when someone is egotistical... that is when they have an inflated sense of themselves... that it can lead them to things like I should have or it's mine.

I'm not trying to be difficult. I've honestly always been confused about the Eastern concept of letting go of needs and wants as a requirement for some kind of enlightenment. It seems to me that needs and wants are essential for survival.

 

[Spirit of Light]

"Removing evil". So very Western/Middle Eastern of him.

Also, such a joke. At least I think so.

The powers within you that you deny become your demons, bro.

Don't try to kill the beast. You'll only enrage it, make it stronger.

Try to domestic the beast instead. Make it serve you.

Much more realistic and practical.

I understand what you say but i think i go with the Sufi teacher on this satan has no place within me

 

[QuestioningMind]

That accords with how I myself define 'ego' in this sort of context.

Do you also have difficulty with the notion of getting rid of your sense of self?

 

[Spirit of Light]

Hmm... I'm not sure I see most of those things as being negatives. We all have basic needs and if we're not aware of them they won't be met and we'll die. And if we don't have wants we won't wants or a craving to do the things necessary to see to our needs and we'll die.

It's when someone is egotistical... that is when they have an inflated sense of themselves... that it can lead them to things like I should have or it's mine.

I'm not trying to be difficult. I've honestly always been confused about the Eastern concept of letting go of needs and wants as a requirement for some kind of enlightenment. It seems to me that needs and wants are essential for survival.

I think each one of us will understand the question in the OP differently, and that is ok. We come from different backgrounds and beliefs, the Sufi teaching is only one way.maybe not correct for everybody

 

[Sunstone]

Do you also have difficulty with the notion of getting rid of your sense of self?

Yes. Please see my post #9.

 

[QuestioningMind]

I think each one of us will understand the question in the OP differently, and that is ok. We come from different backgrounds and beliefs, the Sufi teaching is only one way.maybe not correct for everybody

I was just hoping you could clarify what you mean by removing needs and wants.

 

[stvdv]

Human = Man + Ego
God = Man - Ego

"I want Peace"
"I" is Ego, "Want" is desire. Remove both, and "Peace" is there

"I want God"
"I" is Ego, "Want" is desire. Remove both, and "God" is there

 

[Spirit of Light]

I was just hoping you could clarify what you mean by removing needs and wants.

To remove/let go of the attachments to it.
Example can be, you buy a very Nice bicycle and after one week it get stolen, if you can accept it's gone, and move on in life, your attachments to physical objects has mostly been let go of.

Not that we should throw away everything we have and live on the street, but to accept what happens when it happens

 

[SalixIncendium]

This morning i listen to a teaching of a sufi master Sheykh Lokman Efendi about satan and God.

He Said something like ( in my words)

Satan is in you represent the Ego
God in you represent your virtue/goodness

What do you think? Is both satan and God in you at the same time, asking you to choose the Ego or virtue to follow?

He continue (in my translations of his words) to say, to remove ego from your being is to remove satan from within.

When you have fully remove ego, all that regain is virtue/god.

Any thoughts?

Adding: OP starter do not have the answer to this question. His understanding may not reflect the full truth.

As I understand it, good/evil/virtue/sin are all a part of ego. It is ego that makes one human. To remove it removes what makes one human. Better to learn to manage it than to remove it.

 

[Vinayaka]

Satan is in you represent the Ego
God in you represent your virtue/goodness

What do you think? Is both satan and God in you at the same time, asking you to choose the Ego or virtue to follow?

He continue (in my translations of his words) to say, to remove ego from your being is to remove satan from within.

When you have fully remove ego, all that regain is virtue/god.

Any thoughts?

Adding: OP starter do not have the answer to this question. His understanding may not reflect the full truth.

I have never bought into that sort of polar opposite thinking, where it's either good (God) or bad (Satan). The world is grey, not black and white. Every action has some beneficial effects, and some detrimental effects. But hey, what do I know?

 

[Spirit of Light]

I have never bought into that sort of polar opposite thinking, where it's either good (God) or bad (Satan). The world is grey, not black and white. Every action has some beneficial effects, and some detrimental effects. But hey, what do I know?

Yes the world is gray, we keep both good and bad with in our being.

I realized my words earlier in this thread may been a bit wrong.

Using a word like, letting go og get ridd off, may not say it the right way.
To hold control over our ego may be a better wording.