3 October 2012 - QA 1

Is there a relationship between ego and possessiveness, and how do we get out of both?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes.
Ego, possessiveness, jealousy, anger, greed are all linked. They are linked to the ego. Now, how to get rid of the ego? This is a big problem.
Actually the solution is very simple. Just agree to be crazy for one day. Just act like a crazy person for one day. That is good enough.

Ego means that you are trying to impress others. You need the other for ego to be there. When you are alone in a place, there cannot be any ego.
Ego pops up when the other is there. If you are like a child, if you are natural and feeling at home, that is the best antidote for ego.
Ego cannot sustain or survive when naturalness takes over, and when you feel at home with everybody and have a sense of belongingness with everyone. All these qualities can transform you. If the ego still says, ‘I am’, then that ego should be expanded.

One is a Transparent Ego; the other is an Expanded Ego. Both mean the same.
The Expanded Ego means – everyone is included – everyone belongs to me. I am everything. That is very good.
So, either pump your ego and make it very big, or transform it with simple acts of simplicity and innocence. That just makes ego transparent.