One might defeat alone in battlea thousand thousand men,
but one who gains self-mastery
is by far the greater hero.
Dhammapada v. 103
This verse is not an endorsement of violence of any kind. It is about recognizing that which is truly worthy. When the ego sees itself as a hero there are problems. Dhamma says none of ego’s achievements are that important. What truly matters is the task of dropping our attachment to, and identification with, the personality structure. If in our practice we demonize ego, we only make the task harder. Self- mastery is not served by merely judging the unhappy experience of limited being. It is about investigating until we come to see the way things actually are. Ego has its place. It is a convention or habit of perception that has a natural function. The mistake we make is to assume that it is who and what we are.
With Metta,
Bhikkhu Munindo
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