My morning email contained an announcement from Google about improvements in its Gemini AI engine. I tried it out with two requests:
An image I’ve requested from various graphic AI services—a ruby red hill with a winding path up it, a tree and person at the top, and a blue sky with wispy white clouds.
An explanation of the ego from a Vajrayana Buddhist perspective.
Here’s the image it generated in a few seconds:
The woman in a white gown is a nice touch that no other image engine had “thought” of. It also made her more significant than I had come to expect. I like it.
The result of the second test was even better. There’s some solid teaching here:
In Vajrayana Buddhism, the concept of "ego" is understood differently than in Western psychology. It's not seen as a healthy, functional part of the psyche that needs to be strengthened, but rather as an illusory sense of a separate, inherently existing self that is the root of suffering.
Here's a breakdown of the Vajrayana understanding of ego:
Self-grasping ignorance (or self-clinging): This is the primary Buddhist understanding of ego. It's the fundamental ignorance that misconstrues the nature of reality, believing in a solid, independent "self" or "I" when, in fact, all phenomena, including the self, are empty of inherent existence (anatta/anatman). This self-grasping is the root cause of cyclic existence (samsara) and suffering.
Self-centeredness: While related to self-grasping, self-centeredness is the attitude that prioritizes one's own happiness above all others. It fuels disturbing emotions and prevents the development of impartial love, compassion, and bodhicitta (the altruistic aspiration to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings).
Conventional vs. False "me": Vajrayana acknowledges a conventional "me" – the functional self that sits, eats, and meditates. This conventional self exists as an imputation based on the continuous, ever-changing moments of experience. However, the "false me" is the belief in a truly existent, findable, concrete self, which is the object of self-grasping.
The Five Skandhas: In Buddhist psychology, the "ego" or "self" is often understood as a collection of mental and physical aggregates (the five skandhas: form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness). There is no permanent, independent "self" residing within or apart from these constantly changing elements.
Vajra Pride: This is a unique and important concept in Vajrayana. Unlike ordinary pride, which is based on insecurity and a desire to prove oneself, Vajra Pride (or primordial self-esteem) is rooted in the recognition of one's inherent Buddha-nature. It's an unshakable confidence, wisdom, and compassion that arises from realizing the true nature of reality and one's non-duality with enlightened beings. Practitioners cultivate this by visualizing themselves as deities, embodying enlightened qualities to transform their perception of reality.
Transformation, not annihilation: While the illusory ego, born from self-grasping, needs to be dissolved, Vajrayana does not advocate for the annihilation of healthy psychological functioning. Instead, it aims for a transformation of energy. The very energies that fuel desires and fears are transmuted into fuel for awakening through precise methods like visualization, mantra recitation, and yogic techniques.
So, I asked Gemini for another image.
May you be well and happy.
»>TOMORROW!«<
Mel’s book, The New Middle Way: A Buddhist Path Between Secular and Ossified - Enlightenment for Regular Folks, is available from Amazon. Instead of a book release party, he’s hosting 90 minutes of meditation, prayer, and talks to heal the world. It’s a free Zoom webinar that starts Sunday, June 1, at 1 P.M. New York City time. Registration is required.
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