Decline the Ego’s Programs

What really varies from individual to individual is the degree to which one is enslaved by its programs. The degree of dominance is therefore determined by the extent to which one identifies with it. Inherently, it has no power, and the power to decline the ego’s programs increases exponentially as one progresses spiritually.

… When we see how people are dominated by the ego’s programs, we realize that, without awareness or insight, they are relatively unable to help themselves. We say they are ‘driven’ by greed, hate, fear, addiction, or pride. … To be unconscious means just that; thus, ‘sin’ can be seen really as a limitation in the evolution of consciousness. This limitation was termed ‘ignorance’ by both the Buddha and Jesus Christ.

From I: Reality and Subjectivity, p. 112