Mohini was a regal white tiger who lived for many years at the Washington, D.C. National Zoo. For most of those years her home was in the old lion house – a typical twelve-by-twelve-foot cage with iron bars and a cement floor. Mohini spent her days pacing restlessly back and forth in her cramped quarters. Eventually, biologists and staff worked together to create a natural habitat for her. Covering several acres, it had hills, trees, a pond and a variety of vegetation. With excitement and anticipation they released Mohini into her new and expansive environment. But it was too late. The tiger immediately sought refuge in a corner of the compound, where she lived for the remainder of her life. Mohini paced and paced in that corner until an area twelve by twelve feet was worn bare of grass.
Excerpt from Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life with the Heart of a Buddha by Tara Brach, Ph.D.
There is within us an ego. This ego wants to present to the world a certain image and identity. So it looks like it is protecting us and guiding us. You can know it’s your ego when you have thoughts like:
- “Don’t say that, you’ll embarrass yourself.”
- “Don’t do that, it can be a big mistake.”
- “I’m not good at [fill in something you’d like to be good at].”
- “I am [fill in something that you think limits you].”
But does it really protect us or does it make us afraid to be who we truly are? Does it really guide us or does it keep us in a small area like Mohini? It has the illusion of giving us a solid identity. But we are really creating walls around ourselves. By believing the thoughts produced by our ego, we confine ourselves to that small area and become more afraid to step out of that comfort zone. We then become prisoners of that false self.
If you would like to live fearlessly, try freeing yourself from that ego. Visualize yourself opening the cage and walking away from it. It will help you to see more clearly who you truly are, a limitless being.