Hear I refer to my ego, not as some inflated and unrealistic appraisal of myself, but rather, a warped and unrealistic appraisal of myself. Not much difference. My Ego is my identification. It defines what is me and what is you, and never fails to show me that ME ME ME is really the only important target for my energies, money, possessions, etc. My ego is that which says, "this is mine, not yours," and "I protect what is mine!"
Actually, my ego wants really the same thing that the Spirit wants: peace. The ego searches for this by trying to accumulate things, power, position and influence while avoiding discomfort, conflict, fear, and interestingly enough, intimacy. "If I have all the money and all the power I will be at peace." "If I avoid you and don't get into a relationship with you where I would have to give up some of my power, influence or identity, so much the better!"
The only problem with this reasoning is that without other people, without love to give us a focus outside of ourselves, we can never be at peace. The most toys, the most protected life, even that of a hermit, will never allow us to grow and find the peace of God. Whatever the ego wants, it can be taken away. If we base our peace on things, when those things vanish, or change, we loose our peace.
Spirit, on the other hand, is at peace. Peace is it's natural state. While our mind can obscure that peace, convince us that we do not have it, it is still there. Like clouds that cover an always shining sun, our spirit's peace is always available. Spirit doesn't seek after things. Spirit is. Spirit doesn't need anything to make it complete. It is infinite, loving, gentle, and peaceful.
Ego knows that we were made to experience peace. It just doesn't understand how to get there. It was taught to fear, to judge, to accumulate, to avoid, to hide, to push, to pull, to hurt before it is hurt. In fact, the only state in which the ego can find the peace it wants is to find the peace of the grave. Spirit lives forever.
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