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It is ego which is the cause of our sufferings, to hide our real nature, and pull us down to the animal level. Egoistic people not only destroy themselves but are always ready to pounce upon other beings, harming them and robbing them of their peace and happiness. Mahabharata describes three types of ego.
Vidyamado dhanamadah trittyobhijano madah;
Ete Mada avaliptanam eta eva satam damah —
"Inebriation of knowledge, inebriation of wealth; and inebriation of genetic pedigree; these are the inebriations only for the unrefined or uncultured; but to the righteous, these become dama (perfect digestion and discipline of the sensory energies)"
The Gita describes the technique of converting all 'mada' into 'dama', by the steady unfolding of one's inherent spiritual energy resources; and that technique is covered by the single word, namely, yoga, Be not merely a mechanical worker, be a creative worker, be a yogi, says the Gita (VI. 40) : tasmat yogi bhavarjuna— 'therefore, be a yogi, O Arjuna.' Whoever you are, whatever be your field of work - farmer, industrial worker, administrator, politician, housewife - be a yogi, exhorts Sri Krishna. Combine your physical and mental energies with your inborn spiritual energy resources; and give that combined energy system a human orientation, and work for the good of all. That is the energy of character - efficiency, the best form of human energy fructifying in human excellence.
A group of four people set out together seeking fotune. On their way through a dense forest, they saw bones of a dead animal, scattered.
One of the first three could arrange the bones by applying his power, second one could grow flesh and skin on those bones. When they managed to put together the bones and grow flesh and skin on them, they realised that it was a carcass of a dead tiger. The third one showed his superiority and prowess in restoring life to the body. Here those three are compared to uncultured people, who do not know how to exercise power but are slaves to the power.
The fourth one is Swami Vivekananda who could transform all these powers into dama. Swami Vivekananda's literature has that power to transform 'mada' into 'dama'. Many Maharaja sand wealthy people such as Rockfeller and Maharajas of Mysore were transformed into noble men of righteous discretion with the touch of his personality.
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