A video looking at aspects of pride and giving some observations on inner silence in the awareness of the present moment.
This was from the third day of talks in Quebec in July 2004.
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Thanks Chris, that’s a great video, I very much enjoyed watching it again. Great insights and how very true that pride make us very stupid.
I also love the way Belsebuub describes the value of inner silence free of egos.
Pride certainly needs a lot of inner work, and for us spiritual seekers we always need to be on watch for spiritual pride.
This video has been very helpful. It has given me some important points to reflect on.
I liked that you have mentioned that being humble is in seeing reality. I can see how misleading the ego of pride can be within myself.
Thankyou Belsebuub for sharing this valuable video.
Thanks for drawing my attention to this video Chris, as always Belsebuub speaks straight to my heart and manages to dissolve illusions. He describes so well the labyrinth of pride, fear and the will to dominate that governs so much of our ‘human’ behaviour. Imagine the sweetness of being totally free from those awful mental traps.
Thank you for the video.
Been humble is something that religions and spiritual movements promote a lot and looks like a great trap because someone could easily pretend be humble and believe and make others believe that is humble without actually be (some times at all)
It’s great that you point out clearly that is the absence of bride that makes this virtue to appear.
I have noticed to myself how easy is to wear this garment of the spiritual attitude and way of living. At “New age” is when it became a fashion, I think. Is like the darkness found a back door to attack the light, and looks like it did it very well.
I like how you point things and simplify them. Helps me to take a distance from my beliefs and not religion-alise these teachings.
I can also relate to that Fotis… When one tries to act humbly driven by subconscious drives, it is just a form of pride and self-deceit. It was great to learn about it from Mark, I was quite surprised by the simplicity of that thought, yet wisdom, and relevance to my life.
Sure it is so much better “just” to be aware and try to be clear and act with that clarity. And I find this principle can apply to other egos too. When one tries to act tough, it is usually the expression of fear, when one shows how easily they can spend money – a form of greed, showing a lack of sexual interest – lust, etc.
Egos can manipulate our perception and shape our understanding of reality in a second, if we are not aware.
Great video, thanks for posting and making it available for all of us that weren’t there in person. Pride and also the false sense of humility is something I face all the time. The point Mark made about seeing things as they are without the filter of the egos is the key – a great reminder.
Thanks so much for posting this video. It seems like such an important area to keep working on.
I think the point about pride making us stupid is so important to consider. I have seen this many times.
Even when I should be focusing on understanding other states that are coming up, learning from unique situations, the pride can come in and prevent that learning from taking place, through justifications and skewing my perception. It is like being in a classroom and trying to observe and learn, and this pride puts up distractions like a class clown.
I can see why you would say pride is crippling.
Mark, I am pleased that you have posted these video’s of your talks.
You taught me at Bondi Junction from early 1997. Many thanks.
On occasion I have tried to explain to people on your talks, especially ego annihilation. Trial and experience – a bitter teacher – has taught me to shut my mouth and let the Master do the teaching. (Laughs).
You video talks and articles in the Daily Observance and Ego Annihilation are both priceless and required.
I really appreciate you posting them as the are a daily motivator and assist when I feel I am getting lost.
It was nice seeing this video again. Any insights into pride are greatly appreciated. More and more I’m seeing how terrible an obstacle pride is to spiritual progress. It can be such an inherent part of our psyche, so close to ‘home.’ It can be quite shocking to see sometimes.
Even our earnest efforts towards the spiritual can be hijacked. Those moments where we feel love, or an inkling of a virtue, or gain an insight of knowledge, these can be stolen/used by pride as a confirmation and stepping stone towards its own goal and direction. And instead of going to the real, the spiritual, the learning we can be deceived and our efforts averted to the egotistical direction of pride. This really hampers learning. And pride can really threaten the success of the inner work.
It’s a pretty big topic, but thanks a lot for sharing this and highlighting this obstacle.
I’ve also had some funny moments with pride. Where something happened and I felt proud, but then observed this pride within, but then there was a proud thought of seeing that pride, and then I saw that as well and was proud of seeing that double deception. And in various forms these tricks of pride just went on and on, haha :D really ridiculous. To get out of it I couldn’t go to any other thought, I really had to step out of thoughts and just be in the present moment. Where I was free a bit of all that nonsense.
Another great video which highlights these monsters within. Looking forward to fight for clarity and to be able to reject the pleasures of pride.
Thanks for putting up the video, I will hunt down this terrible ego within.
I also feel very grateful for all theses value posted videos posted lately here. It’s an unbelievable guidance!
As Layla says, they help me to grasp information to a new level and that gives me the push and interest I need to try to search further.
Pride characterizes my psychology so strongly. It’s almost behind everything in me and it prevents me of being able to truly be honest with my self so I can make my next step, like as the unbelievable circle Mark describes, where you think you are not acting with pride because you admit you have it or trying to be humility, etc., a illusory prison, where you can’t see the truth. As Mark highlights all theses details about how pride functions and it’s results, these things are being exposed in me, working like a strong reminder.
“If you got to a moment of silence you see there is something of a value there”
Mark’s words always speak so directly in me, inspiring and healing. Many thanks deeply for this valuable help and it always comes when I most need it.
The aspects of pride you describe were very helpful and the way you put it was so funny, that it also showed the ridiculousness of this ego. In the Indian Classic, Vishnupuran, the worst and most destructive ego is pride, it caused the most harm, damage and suffering.
Very grateful for the insight into humility, kind of stopped the illusions of pride in its tracks; very refreshing and real – a breath of fresh air!
The videos are just so helpful. Hearing and seeing you speak just takes the grasp of information to a new level! Many, many thanks!
Thanks for another important video.
These were great talks, and very useful feedback and advice Mark gave in response to hearing of people’s experiences and efforts with the exercises. It really helped me back then to open my eyes and see the layers and depth to which egos like pride can hold us back. Thanks for posting it.
Great video. The ease in which Mark speaks of these topics is quite remarkable.
Thanks for sharing.
These videos are such a great ‘reality check’, thank-you. I love the part about humility is seeing reality.
I was applying for some work recently and I could really feel the compeitive nature of the work place, and the same ego rise within me, jostling for its place in the world of survival of the fittest. Really upleasant. There must be a way to be within these places but live by different internal rules.
I am very grateful for the videos posted lately. The more I listen to the talks, the better I seem to understand them and the more information I am able to pick up. Information that is priceless and timeless. Thank you!
I feel the same way Ozlem, these amazing insights from Mark are like a flower that keeps opening, petal by petal, revealing more with each listen!
Thank you so much for these videos, they are really inspiring. I can really relate to that description of pride and fear. Those inner states make it feel like you’re living in a self imposed cage, in my experience. What a relief it would be to have that inner silence more and more and those difficult states less and less.
This is a wonderful video, thank you. It makes me yearn to see reality.
These videos are just so good! You watch them and then when you watch them again, they don’t loos their freshness. Thanks a lot for sharing, I felt quite sad of missing that retreat which was very close to the place where I live – great to see now these videos.