Digesting the False Ego

"When an intelligent person engages constantly in worshiping Me through loving devotional service as described by Me, his heart becomes firmly situated in Me. Thus all material desires within the heart are destroyed. The knot in the heart is pierced, all misgivings are cut to pieces and the chain of fruitive actions is terminated when I am seen as the Supreme Personality of Godhead." (Srimad-Bhagavatam, 11.20.29-30)

This is the power of bhakti: it can, so to say, ‘digest’ the ego. What happens when something is digested? After the stomach burns the food, the good portions go into the blood stream and the unnecessary ones are eliminated and leave the body in the bathroom. This happens automatically, you don’t have to analyze what happens, you don’t have to think about it to make it happen. It works by the power of digestion.

So, the Bhagavatam states that bhakti, devotional service, dissolves the subtle body including the ego, without any separate effort, just as the fire of digestion digests everything we eat. If you have ego problems, this means your spiritual digestion is not strong enough.

In such moments, ask yourself: ‘How can I step up my practices of bhakti? How can I chant? What can I do today that is just for Krishna’s pleasure, without having my own selfish desires in my mind?’ Then offer service with feelings and you will see how your spiritual digestion will become ablaze.