The 'character' in the story...

Both the particulars and the whole of all personal suffering stem from overlooking the truth of who you are in favor of the story of who you are, which is ego.

To a two-year-old who is just beginning to sense his or her individualism, that story can start out as very pleasurable or grandiose, inviting the mind to follow it and build on it.

Invariably, in the belief that you are limited to being a character in a story, there will be suffering. It is a lie. You are not just a character in a story. You are the totality of being.

The belief that you are just a character in a story, or perhaps even the main character, takes a tremendous amount of maintenance. It takes holding on to the pleasurable aspects of the story, and then attempting to keep out anything that would destroy that "good" story.

Then there are the attempts to blame others who don't agree with the story or don't somehow validate or contribute to the story of your worth.


~ From: The Diamond In Your Pocket, by Gangaji.