The Ego Gorilla
November 27th, 2009 by Wayne (Wirs)
OUTSIDE OZARK, AR–Once upon a time a young gorilla left her baby alone for only a moment and a wolf came along and ate her baby. The mother gorilla was terribly heart-broken and filled with remorse.
A few days later, still in mourning, the gorilla came upon a softly glowing orb laying on the forest floor. Plagued with guilt and a strong maternal instinct, she promptly adopted the radiant orb. 24-hours a day she held it tightly in her arms, protecting it from all dangers. She nurtured the orb, and gave it anything that she thought it might desire. Never again would she leave her new baby!
When she saw danger (or even thought about danger), she would hug the orb tightly to her breast and flee into the forest. When she saw another gorilla with something she thought her orb might want, she would howl and scream and slap at the other gorilla until it relinquished it.
Though it was constantly tugged and pulled and jostled about in all directions by the mother gorilla’s actions, the orb continued to glow serenely.
You of course, are the softly glowing orb. An orb in which a giant, 900-pound, deranged, psychotic, and over-protective mother gorilla has adopted.
A gorilla that has you completely enshrouded in her arms–smothering you, blocking your radiant light. All because she cares too much.
Even though you want nothing, she is constantly trying to acquire new and exciting things for you.
Even though you fear nothing, she is constantly trying to protect you from imaginary dangers.
She is smothering you. She is choking off your life force.
See the gorilla. Feel her. Recognize when she is pulling and tugging and jostling you. See her clearly and you’ll soon be free of her.
You are not the gorilla.
You are the orb. You always have been.
See Also: Personal Self
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November 27th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Great illustration, Wayne; thanks!! I’m a big analogy fan … and this one is awesome. Simple, clear, direct … and oh-so-fitting and pertinent.
November 27th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
@Kirtanman: Glad you liked it–and thanks for re-posting on the AYP site and your blog.
November 28th, 2009 at 7:03 am
question:
What if the gorilla gets replaced by a goddess?
November 28th, 2009 at 11:16 am
@Ketira: This will offend many, but the “Goddess” complex is just another thing the gorilla tries to add to “better” what is already perfect: the Life Force, the Divine Flame, the Radiant Light (which is you).
You (the Life Force) can’t be perfected. You are already perfect. Your STORY can be perfected because your story sucks (as does everyone’s). The story is full of drama, of fear, of loss and hope and joy and regret and anger.
But you, as the Life Force (Enlightenment of Oneness), or as the Divine Flame (Enlightenment of Passion), or as the Radiant Light (Enlightenment of Stillness)–THAT You is what all the drama happens AROUND (or IN), but not TO.
So thinking of oneself as a Goddess is just another coping mechanism for dealing with all the drama of the world. It’s just another toy the deranged gorilla grabs to make her already perfectly happy baby, happy (as I said, the gorilla is deranged).
November 29th, 2009 at 3:04 am
Thanks for giving us all a nice , warm, comfortable blanket as we head into the long nights of winter.
= ) What Joy !