What are the consequences of having a big or small Ego?

While the consequence of having a small ego is peace and harmony, the consequence of having a big ego is restlessness and agony. One having a small ego likes being small in worldly interactions whereas one having a big ego likes to become big and pricy.

Children (the less developed) will always call that which is small, big. Those who are not mature will be impressed by anything and anyone. Whereas the old and matured (the spiritually developed class) place themselves lower and make others feel higher and more important; they are content with that.

One who becomes the most ‘junior’ in the world will be the most ‘senior’ in the whole universe.

~ Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan

Laghu means small, Laghutam means the smallest. There is no living being smaller than me – such is the belief of the one having the intent of laghutam. And the believe
of gurutam has an inner intent of ‘I want to become very big and famous.’

Param Pujya Dada Bhagwan explains:

“To begin with, there is a desire to be guru (big) and then they show their superiority (guruta). He tries to be gurutam - the highest of all, after becoming a superior. But no one has become gurutam this way. What does our Vignan – our spiritual science - say? It says, ‘Laghutam in the relative (outer world) and gurutam in the real (inner Self).’ That is our main thing.

When you’ve to climb a mountain, does it take more effort to climb up the mountain or come down? Laghutam means to come down; that can be done very effortlessly, isn’t it? So always, have an inner intent of laghutam. The more your intent of laghutam, the greater is your progress towards gurutam - the Self (Soul).”

Param Pujya Dadashri discloses the consequences of having a big and small ego:

“Everyone has a desire to be gurutam (the biggest). Everyone wants gurutam. When they get the slightest of respect, they are happy and their gurutam increases. They want liberation and yet they become gurutam. Now isn’t that a contradiction? That is a sign for wandering for countless lives because all those who have tried to be gurutam in the worldly life, have fallen. They all get trapped. Tell me, did they get trapped or not?

Only those who became laghutam were able to swim (through the ocean of life). This path is not for those who want to be gurutam. Those who try to be gurutam take a beating and in the end become senseless, and create obstacles on their path to liberation. Have the inner intent of beings small - then the obstacles will all go away… The obstacles arose from the inner intent of wanting to be gurutam and with intent of becoming laghutam, they will all go away.

What do you need gurutam for? What is the advantage of it? The higher one goes, the harder he falls. Instead, what is wrong with staying at the bottom? Then there will be no problems! Your bliss will remain with you and when it is time for your liberation, the element of motion – will automatically take you there; you do not have to do anything. So be laghutam and everything will be resolved.

Those who try to be laghutam in the relative world will go to a higher life form…

Whose fault is it if people bind karma of a life in the animal kingdom by trying to become gurutam? They try to be gurutam where they should be laghutam and consequently they increase their number of legs; they go from two legs to four and they even get a tail (subsequent birth in the animal kingdom)! This is because in the gurutam state, their certain actions cause them to bind such karmas, due to which in the next life, they will have two extra legs and a tail. Whereas with the laghutam belief, whatever you do will be done wonderfully!

One needs to be laghutam in the relative (outer world). Then he will not fall; there is no suffering or misery in laghutam. Whatever degree of laghutam you have in the relative world, you will attain that much gurutam in the real - in the realm of the Self.

What is the characteristic of being the smallest (with smallest ego)?

Suppose one is invited to sit in the car, and in no time, he is asked to get out of the car, after some time, he is called back to sit in the car, and in few moments, he is asked to get out again. If such a thing happens nine times over and over again, but each time he remains unaffected, then that is the sign of becoming laghutam.

God has manifested within the Gnani Purush!

It’s because the state of Gnani Purush is such, that in matters of worldly interactions, he is laghutam i.e. he is the smallest (humblest) and in matters of the Soul, the real Self, he is gurutam, the highest!!!

The Yoga of gurutam (excelling in worldly life) or the Yoga of laghutam (excelling in realm of Soul)

Param Pujya Dadashri assures:

God will definitely come to you if you take up the laghutam yoga (union with laghutam). People are all in the gurutam yoga (union of gurutam) in this world. ‘I am greater than him, I am greater than them…’

Why don’t you start becoming smaller? He who becomes laghutam in the worldly life, becomes gurutam in the realm of the Self, and thus God becomes very pleased with him. So become laghutam!

With the yoga of gurutam one becomes heavy; he becomes gurutam. Guru means heavy and when something is heavy; it will sink. As he sinks, he also takes down everyone around with him. When does a guru not sink? He will not sink when he has the key that helps him float.

Laghu means light and guru means heavy. Those who want to be big and famous have grabbed on to the gurutam yoga (union with the gurutam). Everyone wants to be big and they have all taken a beating in the process, they have died in such beatings, life after life.

Therefore, everyone in the relative world should try to maintain a state of being small to the smallest. One should not try to be guru i.e. superior.”