“Let not the wise disrupt the minds of the ignorant who are attached to fruitive action. They should not be encouraged to refrain from work, but to engage in work in the spirit of devotion.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.26)

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न बुद्धिभेदं जनयेदज्ञानां कर्मसङ्गिनाम्
जोषयेत्सर्वकर्माणि विद्वान् युक्तः समाचरन्

na buddhibhedaṃ janayedajñānāṃ karmasaṅginām
joṣayetsarvakarmāṇi vidvān yuktaḥ samācaran

1. They are so haughty

“We got a new leader for our department. Did I tell you? The previous leader was amazing. I could not believe it when I started. The colleagues kept singing his praises. They said that this leader really cared about the people under him. He was one of them, you see. He rose up the ranks because of his job performance, of his concern, of his diligence, and so forth.

“Well, that leader eventually had enough of the pressure. They quit. They voluntarily left. You could see the relief on their face at the time of the announcement. They were kind enough to stay on for a while, to help with finding a replacement.

“Let me tell you, this new guy is exactly the opposite. He is such a weasel. I would never share that with anyone else, since my job might be in jeopardy, as a result. But this guy is all about image. I can tell. He doesn’t even send his own emails. He has his executive assistant write them. What a loser!”

2. They are so interested in what others think

“I don’t know, maybe it is just me, but I can’t stand it when people behave differently simply for the sake of others. Especially when those other people are not really close to them. To me, friends and family come first. They will be there when I am in trouble. They will share the good times with me, as well.

“This new leader does not care about any of the employees. They only care about themselves. They want to be accepted into the upper classes. They want to sit in those executive class lounges at the sporting events. They make sure that their children attend the top-rated schools. This is not for the sake of the children; they are more or less viewed as fashion accessories. Like if I buy a new car and show it off to my friends.”

3. They are so interested in where they live

“This new leader made sure to pick the most expensive area in the city to live. The place of residence is a status symbol, you see. This person is diligent in their attendance. They are always at the office. Now they are subtly compelling others to do the same. They present this fake kindness about the need for collaboration, but underneath the surface there is this resentment. It is like this leader hates people who are happy in life, who have no issues working from home and spending time with their families.”

4. They are so interested in profit

“This new leader only cares about making money. He is one of those types. He probably dreams about dollar signs and balance sheets. It is what consumes him day and night. He has no other interests. He has a family, but they are more or less decorative. It boggles my mind, since at some point you would think you have enough money. Why are you constantly competing with others?”

5. They behave nicely only towards those with status

“The most sickening aspect of this new leader is how fake he is with the higher ups. He is incredibly nice to them. He turns on the charm. With the rest of us, there is this elitism. He looks down at us. There is no reason to, either, but that is the kind of person he is. I hate those kinds of people. They are only friendly with those who can offer some benefit in return.”

…

To the person familiar with the science of self-realization, having studied the Vedas and their derivatives, the root cause to such supposed blemishes is obvious. Ahankara has taken over. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada translates this Sanskrit word as “false ego.” Ego is otherwise one of the three subtle elements of material nature.

भूमिर् आपो ऽनलो वायुः
खं मनो बुद्धिर् एव च
अहङ्कार इतीयं मे
भिन्ना प्रकृतिर् अष्टधा

bhūmir āpo ‘nalo vāyuḥ
khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca
ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me
bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā

“Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego – altogether these eight comprise My separated material energies.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.4)

Ahankara is a false version of ego since the identification is with the temporary. To some extent, we cannot help it. If we do not know better, if no one has taught us, we will only identify with the present. In the right now, we are living as we are, with a certain visual, a certain status, a certain occupation, and a certain level of ability. Why would we not identify with these characteristics?

The perspective of intelligence says that the individual remains the same, but the circumstances keep changing. The change is steady, if we want to have some fun with the terms. The external factors have steadily changed ever since we took birth. The individual inside, the atma, which is who we truly are, has not changed.

देहिनो ऽस्मिन् यथा देहे
कौमारं यौवनं जरा
तथा देहान्तर-प्राप्तिर्
धीरस् तत्र न मुह्यति

dehino ‘smin yathā dehe
kaumāraṁ yauvanaṁ jarā
tathā dehāntara-prāptir
dhīras tatra na muhyati

“As the embodied soul continually passes, in this body, from boyhood to youth to old age, the soul similarly passes into another body at death. The self-realized soul is not bewildered by such a change.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 2.13)

Ahankara is a deluding force. The characterization of the ego as specifically false is demeaning or derogatory, but there is another side. The “false” prefix can be removed. There is the potential to experience real ego. This is the end-state after full immersion into the science of self-realization. When jnana is fully assimilated, there is vijnana of the true identity of the individual.

Otherwise, ahankara protrudes and deludes. It fools the individual into identifying with their circumstances. The targets are also then in illusion. The chase after honor, distinction, and adoration from society is also in illusion. The same people we are trying to impress will one day not remember who we are. The same status we are trying to reach will one day mean nothing. The same profit we desperately seek will one day fail to bring happiness.

प्रकृतेः क्रियमाणानि
गुणैः कर्माणि सर्वशः
अहङ्कार-विमूढात्मा
कर्ताहम् इति मन्यते

prakṛteḥ kriyamāṇāni
guṇaiḥ karmāṇi sarvaśaḥ
ahaṅkāra-vimūḍhātmā
kartāham iti manyate

“The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 3.27)

At the same time, there is another perspective which views ahankara in this case as a motivating force that produces some benefit for society, at large. Instead of prodding the affected individual with harsh words, we can simply ask that they sacrifice the results of their work. The karma with which they are involved, take the phala and use it for a good cause. Try to be disassociated from the outcomes.

Under this viewpoint, the ahankara becomes almost beneficial. Through the influence of false ego, a person assumes the role of leader. Their leadership might help to produce goods and services that are of value to the rest of society. Though we may think that such an individual is flawed, just see what they are able to accomplish when under the influence of ahankara.

If only the results are linked to transcendence, then the nature of the work can change. It might be the exact same steps and procedures. It might be the same visit to the office on a daily basis, but now armed with knowledge, through a connection with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna, the intention behind the work is rooted in real ego instead of the false kind.

गतसङ्गस्य मुक्तस्य ज्ञानावस्थितचेतसः
यज्ञायाचरतः कर्म समग्रं प्रविलीयते

gata-saṅgasya muktasya
jñānāvasthita-cetasaḥ
yajñāyācarataḥ karma
samagraṁ pravilīyate

“The work of a man who is unattached to the modes of material nature and who is fully situated in transcendental knowledge merges entirely into transcendence.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 4.23)

In Closing:

Leader’s behavior carefully saw,
Identifying many a flaw.

Under influence it seems,
Of ahankara’s dreams.

But rather than with critical eye to burn,
See benefits from outcomes to churn.

Then after only a simple shift to make,
Sacrifice results for Krishna’s sake.

Categories: the five

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