Is it possible to end “the structure of me” totally or “the ego”?

Why are we asking this question? Is it a business that we are doing? How do we do business? First we want to find out whether there is any possibility of profit in the work we are doing. If we see that the possibility of profit is slim, we may decide not to take up the work at all. We are constantly thinking in terms of rewards and profits. Is this the notion with which we are asking the question – reward and profit? If yes, then what are we really interested in? We are not interested in the question but in the pleasure it will give us. Just like we may be in a boring job because that will give us money and we can buy pleasure from money. So the job is a means to an end. The question we are looking at, is it being asked as a means to an end? Or is the question an end in itself?

If the question we are asking is an end in itself, we are not concerned with reward and profit. We do not arrive at this with the notion of success and failure. Then we are genuinely asking the question. This is very important – the real intent behind our question? How far you go with the question depends upon the intent isn’t it?

So if we are looking at the question without the notions of success and failure, then why are we looking at it? We are sure that we are not looking for some pleasure to get at the end. We are not looking at it and trying to assess the possibility of success and failure of meeting this question. Which means, we are not choosing to look at this question out of other available choices in our life. It’s not that I have got a job, a family, my career ambitions, and I am kind of deciding whether I should go into this. Maybe I will go into this question and lose my family, job and status.

Are we asking this question out of a state of total choicelessness? Which means have I come to this question after having seen that there is no other way to live life without conflict? Are we going to go into this question without any notion of reward or fear of failure? Are we seeing it as the most important question of our life? If yes, then how would we go about it?

Then would we go out and ask others for their answers and believe what they say? Some may say yes and some may say no? What would we do? If we are in this question superficially, we would give it up or start believing in someone’s answer. When do we believe someone? When we do not want to do the hard work with this question. When do we not want to do hard work? When we are looking for shortcuts and profit. If one is truly serious, then one would hold the question.

A true friend, who is mature and serious, will come into a dialogue with you. He/she is not going to make you depend upon him/her. Instead, through dialogue, he or she will inquire along with you to see the nature of mind, the structure of mind instead of answering your question with just a yes or no.