Messages from Twelve Wise Ones

The Ego’s Concept of Judgment Day October 30, 2009

Because the tiny, fearful ego is so judgmental of itself and others, it must also project the same judgment onto the all-loving Creator. The ego throughout its life is gradually attempting to build up defenses in preparation for its unavoidable destination—its ultimate fear—Judgment Day.

The ego instinctively knows it will never survive after physical death, even though it longs to believe it will go to the everlasting place, the hereafter it wants to enter. And indeed, it dreams of the Promised Land for that very reason, the resting it needs because, quite frankly, the ego is exhausted from all the energy expended in the big chess game of life. The ego has spent a lifetime in the ever-vigilant roles it has created for itself over an entire lifetime.

But the ego doesn’t believe it deserves heaven.  The ego is only an actor and knows it is not worthy of a final resting place of any kind . . . not even in the ground. So the ego sees the point of death, the Day of Judgment, as its greatest fear coming to fruition.  As it comes before the Creator, it will finally be found out.  The jig is up. It will finally be exposed that the ego is a fraud.

And from this terrible position, met by the Maker Himself, the only choice, the only justice would be everlasting hell: to have to remain eternally in the pain it has been in all its life, only amplified a thousand times. The ego will now be with the pain and suffering it has tried to deny all its life, but it is now its never-ending future. This is the justice the guilty ego believes is its only reprisal.  It is its just dessert for a job well done of fearing and preying on others for its sustenance.

This is the final conflict: How can the ego give up its defenses in the face of the Creator, the One who knows how much of a fraud the ego is?  Here, the ego comes face to face with its greatest fear. The fear is so great and so terrifying all other perceived threats pale in comparison. Hence, come all the stories of dying if you see the face of God, the fire and brimstone of hell, the whole concept of Judgment Day, and the endless admonitions from the leaders of the churches throughout centuries of fear.

The fear is unconscious, but it is so great the ego has found ways to attempt to lessen the fear: Confess your sins, do good work, give your money to churches and other worthy causes, and finally, project your guilt onto others. Disconnect from it, go to counselors, take seminars, read the Bible and self- help books. Seek answers to find peace and relief from the pain and stress of living a lie.

But every attempt, even the admirable paths, all lead to fear at some point because the ego knows it will be confronted in the end . . . and then its powerlessness will be exposed.  So once again, the ego plays one more game: it bargains with God.

The ego promises to be good and righteous “if you’ll only let me go to Heaven” when time, on the planet, is up.  But “good” is a relative term.  How good is good enough?  How many sins can you commit? Therein lies the ego’s challenge: trying to appear “good” enough for God, but really never measuring up. The ego knows, ultimately, it is not worthy.

So the fear encountered, which unconsciously resides within every soul, is a pain deeply embedded in the psyche.  There is no escape.  Hell becomes a reality because it isn’t someday—it is now!

Life is a living hell for the ego.  Moments of clarity and joy occur, but the massive consciousness of the ego’s world is so great it is difficult to not be swallowed by it in almost every step of the way.

So where is the door out of this painful maze of self- deception and fear?

The only possibility is in opening the door to that which has never seen the light of day, the door the ego has locked shut and thrown away the key.  But the key is right here.  You must have the courage to challenge your ego, your false self-created identity, which has never given you anything but pain and exhaustion. You have the key.  Great teachers like Jesus, Ghandi, the Buddha, and other spiritual leaders cannot give it to you.  They can only point the way.

The way home points back to yourself:  the judge, the jury, and the warden of your self-imposed prison.  Only you can set yourself free.  You must challenge the seemingly powerful ego to finally give up the battle, surrender to the incredible inner spiritual greatness residing beneath the shabby imitation of your true self.

 It takes great attention, it requires fearless dedication, and it demands focus and awareness in the present moment of every passing day. You are waking up from a deep, deep sleep and the desire to go back to sleep is almost overwhelming. You must fight the urge to sleep by challenging the ego’s attempts to hook you, to make you believe it is real, to lead you back down the familiar path of perpetual pain and misery.  The process of facing your ego would be extremely difficult if it wasn’t so powerfully reinforced by your soul.

Your soul wants you to awaken.

Many of you are now trying to wake up because the terror and demons of the nightmare are becoming too painful and unbearable.  The fracturing of the old system is becoming intolerable.  And just as a nightmare wakes you out of a sound sleep, so can a crisis or painful experience wake you up from the ego’s dream.  You can decide right now to wake up, to be restored to your true identity and beautiful soul that you are.

-The Twelve Wise Ones