Is it really necessary to kill the ego?

Ego is for basic survival. It needs to be suppressed to reach higher levels of enlightenment. Pretty common knowledge...

First of all, the ego can't be killed, because it's not real. It's something you do, rather than some noun to kill. It's you, grasping for the world, pushing away the world, in the form of "I am a person," "I am lazy," "I want a house," "I don't want to feel bad." Stop grasping and pushing away TOTALLY, and that's the end of the myth of the ego. That's when you see that you've made this WHOLE thing up, in totally innocent ignorance.

"Wouldn't killing it defeat the purpose of experiencing a separate reality?"

No, yes, sort of. But when you've been dreaming for millions of years, you're going to want to wake up at some point. Especially when the dream starts to get really shitty.

Or, from another perspective (and one that seems more "like it") the end of the dream of "separate reality" and me vs. you or me vs. the world is the next level of human evolution. Understanding who you are, beyond all of this, and living AS the integral flow of life itself is intelligence defined, transcending anything we currently call intelligence or knowledge.

"Don't higher beings also have an ego of sorts?"

Of sorts. The involuntary and confused grasping/pushing away isn't something they do. They do it knowingly, totally aware that it's just for fun and a game and never, ever serious. It's pretending to be a person with opinions, desires, or ideas - typically for the sake of those who still think they're actually really people with opinions, desires, or ideas. Or just for fun.

Thanks for this explanation. I feel like a lot of things both exist yet at the same time don't exist. It's confusing to explain since things can't really be expressed in simple language.

I see this a lot in certain teachings that talk about killing the ego.

I get that we are all from one source, yet at the same time we are all separated from it.

Wouldn't killing it defeat the purpose of experiencing a separate reality?

Don't higher beings also have an ego of sorts?

I get that many people identify and live strictly from the ego forgetting who they are, but I don't think killing it is the answer or healthy in this reality.

It seems to be a tool for the spirit to express itself and not something that needs to be killed or demonized.

Any thoughts?

Get comfortable with the paradox. Everything about existence is a paradox. You're beyond that, though, beyond, beyond, beyond.

The mind can't grasp the paradoxes and make peace with them - that's why you have to realize you're beyond it. Eventually the mind gives up and goes back to its natural state - as your tool and not as your imagined captor.

I see this a lot in certain teachings that talk about killing the ego.

I get that we are all from one source, yet at the same time we are all separated from it.

Wouldn't killing it defeat the purpose of experiencing a separate reality?

Don't higher beings also have an ego of sorts?

I get that many people identify and live strictly from the ego forgetting who they are, but I don't think killing it is the answer or healthy in this reality.

It seems to be a tool for the spirit to express itself and not something that needs to be killed or demonized.

Any thoughts?

I see this a lot in certain teachings that talk about killing the ego.

I get that we are all from one source, yet at the same time we are all separated from it.

Wouldn't killing it defeat the purpose of experiencing a separate reality?

Don't higher beings also have an ego of sorts?

I get that many people identify and live strictly from the ego forgetting who they are, but I don't think killing it is the answer or healthy in this reality.

It seems to be a tool for the spirit to express itself and not something that needs to be killed or demonized.

Any thoughts?

Having ego is simply denying ones creator.

This only applies to a certain collective presently on the planet. A big one at that!

Makes sense... it's kind of humorous really.

I see this a lot in certain teachings that talk about killing the ego.

I get that we are all from one source, yet at the same time we are all separated from it.

Wouldn't killing it defeat the purpose of experiencing a separate reality?

Don't higher beings also have an ego of sorts?

I get that many people identify and live strictly from the ego forgetting who they are, but I don't think killing it is the answer or healthy in this reality.

It seems to be a tool for the spirit to express itself and not something that needs to be killed or demonized.

Any thoughts?

I don't trust Frued,
I like Dr Szasz He once said,
Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem. That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily; and why older persons, especially if vain or important, cannot learn at all.

I see this a lot in certain teachings that talk about killing the ego.

I get that we are all from one source, yet at the same time we are all separated from it.

Wouldn't killing it defeat the purpose of experiencing a separate reality?

Don't higher beings also have an ego of sorts?

I get that many people identify and live strictly from the ego forgetting who they are, but I don't think killing it is the answer or healthy in this reality.

It seems to be a tool for the spirit to express itself and not something that needs to be killed or demonized.

Any thoughts?

Makes sense... it's kind of humorous really.

It is funny isn't it? Once you're in on the joke, EVERYTHING, becomes infinitely easier.

related: Tao Te Ching Chapter 71

be wary of people that "know" things absolutely, for that is where the ego comes into play

Seems it's best to just let it happen naturally as one gains more awareness.