Evolution of Consciusness(Post-11)-Escape from Prison

Escape from the Prison. 

Gurdjieff compares Ego-Self to a Prison.

To escape from this prison is not easy and he expressed this clearly:

 "If a man in prison was at any time to have a chance of escape, then he must first of all realize that he is in prison."

Gurdjieff also maintains, realizing that one is in prison is the first

step, also the hardest and most significant .

Firstly, Why it is so hard to realize that one is in prison?

When a child is born, it is all ESSENCE( Innate real qualities)

As it grows, it gradually develops Ego-Self while acquiring skills,

values and traits from the society in order to find  Safety, Recognition

and a place, which is normal and necessary.

But in time, ‘Essence’/Rea-Self are pushed back and Ego-Self is

taken as the Real-Self.

Now a man is all Ego-Self, no idea of Real-Self and that makes it

 hard to realize that one is in ‘prison’.

And also the ‘Prison’ has its own charms and attractions that will

retain the person in the ‘Prison’

Secondly, why it is very difficult to give up the ego-self?

Let us see how the ‘Ego-Self’ or the Mind works.

Mind always projects FUTURE in terms of its PAST, better or worse. 

And, it can project FUTURE only in terms of the known that is its

 PAST.

Let us leave the WORSE and take the BETTER future that is what

one work towards.

For instance,

Mind knows what a Car is and so it can project a BETTER Car.

That is one will give up the old car for a BETTER one.

 Similarly, Mind can project BETTER House, Job or Status etc.

To put it generally,

Mind is ready to give up what it has for a BETTER one.

So, it can give up the Ego-Self   for a BETTER Ego-Self.

In fact people have even sacrificed their life for a cause, to have a

BETTER nation, society etc.

The word ‘BETTER’ is the key here.

When we say better, it is always with respect to the past or what one

already has.

So,   

If mind can have some idea about the future outcome based on what

it has, it is ready to give up what it has.

The shape of future outcome (modified past) must be known to the

mind.

That is why,

Mind can give up the Ego-Self for a BETTER Ego-Self (Behavior

Modification stuff).

But, now the demand is,

Give up the Ego-Self for the Real-Self , Soul or Uni-Being or

whatever.

Real-Self is not a better Ego-Self, in a sense it is Ego-less-Self,

antithesis of Ego-Self.

If Ego-Self tries to project Ego-less-Self, it can project only

Nothingness because there can not be any ego-element in ego-less-self.

In other words personal Mind can project non-personal Mind as

emptiness  because Non-personal mind can not contain personal elements.

Since Mind is all Ego-Self, if at all it projects anything, it can project

only a BETTER of  'ego-elements' or Nothing.

So the Mind is caught in uncertainty, confusion and fear.

It can’t leap into nothingness.

It can’t give up what it has for nothing.

It is better to hold onto what it has.

That is, it is not easy to give up the Ego-Self without facing the

Nothingness.

If the Mind refuses to face the nothingness, it will remain in prison,

working and hoping for a BETTER prison.

Anyway, It is not so hopeless, because everyone one time or other would 

have acted without the interference of ego-elements. Perhaps that will open 

the window.