Hay-Ku of the Day (Conquest of Mind)

The ego is a
Linguistic self-reference
I believe I am.

An ego born of
Linguistic self-reference
Imagines being.

[Rich Note: By way of introduction, the following came in response to an AA friend who had read many of Bill's books in depth, recognized that most of what Bill had written concerned overcoming or conquering one's ego, and was puzzled by Bill's failing to do so before he died:

Conquering Ego and/or Overcoming Mind

To fight the ego (which is really just a linguistic self-reference energized by one's identification with it) is to make it real (and powerful) in your mind (mental space actually, for mind is really just another name for ego - see how tricky this can be?). It ("ego, mind, me, myself or I") is thus overcome by "not paying it any mind"; ergo, Jesus' admonition to "turn the other cheek" as a kind of mental judo or non-resistance that de-potentiates ego energization at the root. So what is really needed is an indirect approach that removes one's condition belief and sense of "being separate"; and, with that, the ground the "egoic thought structure" stands upon.

As an example, a favorite Sri Nisargadatta "in-direct approach": "Keep in mind the feeling I Am, merge in it, till mind and feeling become one." Ultimately, this brings about a conscious (Mother and Child) re-union of "Head and Heart"; or more truly the Direct, Quantum Light of the Heart with the In-Direct, Particle or Self-Reflective Light of the Head. This can also be seen as a wedding (harmonizing is better) of primal feminine (DC) and masculine (AC) energy, that seemingly produces a whole greater than the sum of it's apparent parts (and a non-directional, laser-like field of pure coherent light, with a similarly mind-boggling potential (Absolute Mindfulness or Non-Relative Self-Awareness).]

[Rich Note: (Photo Caption) Ouroboros Tattoo (2009, Kenneth Freeman, Wikimedia Commons); A perfect image of any personal attempt on the part egocentric thought to eliminate itself through self-effort; not to mention, the “mutual eating society world” it inevitably leads to; Companion haiku: Accompanying.]