The source of creation is only one, which according to the wisdom of the ancient culture of Bharat (Sanatana Dharma) is Brahman. There is nothing mystic about it, but it is that which is all-inclusive, nothing exists outside of it, and it is constantly expanding. This One limited itself to become many individuals. This first individuation is called Creation. This has not happened just once and then stopped at one point in time. Eternal means it is a process that is happening all the time. This individuation we call as Ego. In the Sanskrit language, we have two words for this ego. They are Asmitha and Ahamkara. This pure individuation is called Asmitha.
This Asmitha has three directions and logically also there can be only three ways for the transaction.
1. Experiencer Asmitha- Bhoktrutva (derived from Bhoga) or Iccha Shakti
2. Doer Asmitha- Kartrutva. (derived from Karma) Kriya Shakti
3. Identifier Asmitha - Jnatritva. (derived from Jnana) Jnana Shakti
These three are necessary and sufficient for transaction purposes. Therefore, these are recognized as powers and are indicated as three forms of Shakti or divine mother forms. These are present in everything in this creation, right from an inert stone to a highly sensitive Human being. A stone identifies, behaves, and does all activities as stone irrespective of anything outside. Just because it falls on an innocent child it does not behave differently. A plant also has its identification and gives the leaves, flowers, fruits as per its identification. An animal has to have this identification so that it is useful for species maintenance. A dog will recognize a dog and an earthworm recognizes an earthworm which is necessary for the species maintenance. A plant also experiences heat and cold, rain or sun, and the same way a bird or an animal also experiences these things and accordingly they also do things which are necessary for them to do. Like some Siberian birds travel miles across the continents according to weather changes from cold to warm, and back to cold weather.
When it comes to human beings, we are much more complex and sensitive in our transactions.
Doer Asmitha- how it is born:
Let us try to understand them more clearly. Until the child is in the womb of the mother, whatever is going on in the mother, the child is growing as another limb of the mother. But the moment child comes out, the doer ego sets in, and the child now starts breathing on its own, and digestion, etc. all start functioning simultaneously. Also, the child is experiencing seeing with the help of eyes, hearing with the help of the ears and the touching sensation on the skin is experienced. These doer and experiencer Asmitha are important for the child to integrate into this creation.
Jnatru Asmitha- identifier:
Then as the child grows, the Jnatru Asmitha or the identification comes about. As the identification comes about in the species, like in the case of animals, Human beings or a child also start recognizing the other human being. Since the human being is a complex creation, the Jnatru is also equally complex. Man or woman, son or daughter, father, mother, brothers, known people, unknown people, and this list goes on increasing.
All these forms of Asmitha are very important for the growth of an individual. They become very strong over some time.
Child’s Doer Asmitha is mistaken: In this journey of growth, you can see the child has this ‘Asmitha of doer’ working. A child tries to do it on his own. Mother is trying to tie the shoelace. The child says No, and tries on his or her own. When it is unsuccessful, he comes to his mother but again and again he does until he succeeds. This doer Asmitha helps one to experiment and achieve. This Asmitha is very important and we should never give it up. Some parents do not understand that and tell children that “I already told you that I will tie and you didn’t listen”.
It is not parenting Asmitha speaking but what speaks is parent Ahamkara!
We can also notice that these Asmitha flowers in individual according to his nature Satva, Rajas, or Tamas, and they are not wrong. Similarly, identifier Asmitha also finds expression in the form of relationship and there also one can find the reflection of Satva Rajas and Tamas ways.
Asmitha is common: Further, all these three egos are there for the activities outside in animals and plants too. That is how Indian wisdom integrates the individual into society.
As the individual experiences, he too feels that the whole nature experiences, and therefore we need to care for them. My mother always used to say that after sunset doesn’t disturb the plants or don’t pluck flowers or fruits because the plant will be sleeping and it will hurt.
The work also has Asmitha of its own. A position is having its own Asmitha. A king has king’s Asmitha and a teacher has teacher’s Asmitha while a student has student’s Asmitha. When you are in that role, it is your responsibility to take care or honor that Asmitha. It does not matter whether you are young or old, whether you are otherwise related or not, if you are a student, you respect the student Asmitha so that process of learning takes place. Not only that, you give value to a student for the student Asmitha. We can create a beautiful and harmonious world where everyone knows the role of Asmitha and respects the Asmitha of the other!
Bhoktru or experiencer Asmitha:
The third one is the ‘experiencer Asmitha’ or the Bhoktrutwa Asmitha. From the time there is life in the womb, simultaneously mother’s experiencer Asmitha comes up. The child in the mother’s womb also experiences pain and pleasure, irritation and rest, uneasiness, and desire to do any activity.
This experiencer Asmitha is giving us information as long as we are conscious and we immediately respond. This can be a nice and pleasant experience or a painful and unpleasant or dangerous experience. It can be through any of the senses, but the experiencer is the pure consciousness which is in the form of Bhoktrutwa Asmitha. We need not deny it and it is not bad or wrong.
All these three aspects are necessary for our existence and are sufficient to take care of it. I went for eye testing in my childhood when all this technology was not developed, the doctor put a frame and adjusted the lenses, and asked me whether I can see it clearly or not. His decision is based purely on whether I can see or not. This experiencer is important. Recently after all this sophisticated technology was developed, now also the doctor keeps the computerized things ready and finally asks how is the image that I am seeing. Again, the decision is based on my Asmitha or experiencer.
Doer Asmitha - Activity and Action:
This ego Asmitha is both implicit and explicit. Let me give an example. Manifest Brahman or Nature is characterized by activity. There are two terms for this, one we call as activity, and the other we say as action. In Sanskrit there are two usages, one is called Karma and the other is Kriya. We take the food in our mouth and chew it, that is action or Karma, and after masticating in mouth we gulp it. Then we don’t do anything consciously but the food is processed by us only! The first portion is called Karma and the second part is called Kriya. In this context, digestion is called Pacana kriya. Activity has the doer dormant or implicit behind it. This is Asmitha, whereas the actions of selecting the right kind of food, the right way of taking food, and the right time of taking food are all called Karma, where the doer is clearly and explicitly there. But once you gulp it and the process goes on, it is called kriya and not karma, activity, and not action.
Similarly, when you look at the bird it goes around to collect early morning worms to feed the little chick before feeding itself. It is the implicit Asmitha or the mother that prompts the mother bird to act so. This is a positive ego.
Kriya has a positive ego while Karma can be in two ways.
One way can be that the mother bird’s identity and responsibility are to take care of the little one, that is its Asmitha. You can never find a mother bird egotistic about her child.
Nature has created Asmitha form of ego and Ahamkara form of ego in humans sadfully. If you look at the human mother and child relationship, there is Asmitha ego of the mother. Mother has the responsibility to see that the child is provided with all the things necessary for the child. But unconsciously there is also Ahamkara form of ego which comes up saying ‘my child’.
I will give a few common examples to show the subtle difference in it. When the child does something wrong, the father shouts at the child saying “why did you do that wrong, being my son. You are not supposed to do. What will happen to my prestige’? It's Ahamkara ego speaking!
A mother says, “Oh my god, what an accident it was with the school bus skidding, but I tell you God is so great, that though every child was hurt or bruised, my child is well and not at all hurt.” It is the Ahamkara ego that is speaking!
In another common dialogue, we hear the father telling the son, “How much I have done for you when you were growing up, and now you have no gratitude for me!” When the father takes care of the son, if that was the father’s Asmitha, then he will not ask for gratitude.
Asmitha gives us fulfillment in doing and Ahamkara leaves bitterness!!
Here are two types of Ahamkara, one is doer Ahamkara or ‘ Kartrutva’ and the other, father’s Ahamkara which is ‘Jnatrutva ‘
Other forms of Ahamkara: Asmitha is also ‘will power’, a strong determination, and a positive sense. Asmitha is an expression of honest experience which is protecting us from dangers. Asmitha is helping us to realize our capacities and responsibilities. Asmitha is also proactive.
Ahamkara on the other hand is burdensome for oneself and for the others who are dealing with you and is negative even though many times appears to be positive.
Asmitha is nature made while Ahamkara is manmade.
In Gita there are interesting discussions about the expression of the ego - Ahankara, one is Dambha and the other is Darpa. These are also similar looking but deep inside they are different. Let me illustrate it with examples.
When someone says, I have my car I shall send it for picking you up, immediately the other person says I also have it or I have a better one. If that person says, I visited Paris last month, immediately the other says, my uncle also visited Paris several times! I am not saying it was not true but it indicates that it is ego talking. This is called a Darpa form of ego in a subtle way.
The second manifestation of ego is Dambha. saying “I can do it even when nobody asked you”, or even saying you should not have done it or you should have asked me before doing it, etc. wants to indicate I am better than you. Krishna directly calls them ‘Asurisampath’ or demonic qualities.
According to Bhakti yoga, the main hurdle in the path of the spiritual journey is Ahamkara, or the ‘bad ego’. Love is the greatest alchemy to dissolve this ego. All these ideas, please note are not to find what is going on in other people, but for the sake of putting them into practice for self. These may take your life from darkness to light, and ignorance to wisdom.
Written by ,
Raghuramji