The Ego is Not The Enemy
There is truth to the notion that ego serves as the source of suffering since we do have the final say in the way we 
think and feel. Yet, the ego is not the sole cause of our personal pain. The ego serves as the original of our sense of self. As such, the ego is the key to where happiness and contentment is found.
“I-ness” is at the core of the definition of the ego. All thoughts, memories, beliefs, and emotions – the good and the bad – are found in the ego. Also, the neurology found in the body-brain (the heart and the gut) does not just generate consciousness, also designs the consciousness itself.
A great many wise teachings suggest we do what is necessary to “transcend our ego” or to allow the ego to die a figurative death. Such attitudes are not very helpful and are misguided. As long as we are alive, it is even impossible. The ego remains a mechanism that filters our individualized snapshots that capture versions we experience on our own.
Consider the ego an ally and not an enemy.
The things we should being doing is taking the ego and empowering and enlightening it. Don’t pretend the ego can transcend itself. Anyone who believes it is necessary to “overcome the ego” should avoid using our ego to create some sort of judgment. Doing so is illogical. Without ego, there is no context to base any beliefs on.
In the purest of forms, a judgment may be defined as a basic assessment and conclusion. This, there is nothing purely good or bad about judging. We retain the ability to make determinations about the realism or healthy nature of our conclusions. Or, for that matter, we can look at things from the opposite perspective. To call a duck a duck would absolutely be accurate and fair. A simple analysis was performed and we deemed the creature a duck. If, however, we make a conclusion that condemns it for being a duck, then we have imported a very unhealthy ego element into our judgement.
Regardless, all the bashing of the ego has to cease. All experiences – with no exception – is filtered through the lens of our ego. It matters not what someone may be talking about. Everything is filtered through the anchor of the human ego.
Transcending or removing aspects of the ego – i.e. personal beliefs, cultural conditioning, and so on – are possible through such practices as mediation, but the ego is always going to remain in its proper fundamental place. Consider the ego a human snapshot of infinity. Until the day we die, we will always have our egos intact.
In truth, we are interdependently connected with all life no matter how we view it or what lens we choose to view life through. Examining things through different perspectives is fine as long as we do so for a good purpose. From all human experience, we are able to grow and learn.
Fire can be used as an analogy to arrive at a better understanding. Fire reflects the complete nature of our reality. The flame reflects our soul and energy blueprint and the heat of the flames are representative of ego. Fire reflect the unity of reality of which there are scores of different terms. The terms could be energy, cosmic consciousness, mind power, and more. All different descriptions are just as valid.
