The answer might surprise you : Most people are misdiagnosing the problem.

Let me give you an example…

If you have a toothache, would you visit a brain surgeon?

No, you’d go to a dentist—someone who understands your specific problem.

Yet, in spirituality, many of us make this exact mistake.

Across traditions, we all agree that the root of our troubles is the ego.

But instead of working on the ego, we focus on calming the mind.

Most meditation techniques—yogic pranayamas, mantra recitations, or simply sitting quietly—are all designed to still the mind.

They help slow it down, give it rest, and break its obsessive outward movement, providing some relief from the perpetual flow of thoughts. But here’s the catch :

 

The mind is just an instrument, following the ego’s instructions.

Simply slowing down the mind doesn’t deal with the core issue from where the problem arises.

On the ego itself.

 

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒈𝒐…

There are two key tendencies of the ego that cause us suffering. You can observe these in your own experience:

You are either:

Seeking Pleasure or Comfort

Seeking Tension or Worry

If you look closely, you’ll see that almost every thought, emotion, or action is driven by one of these two motivations.

 

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒐𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑰𝒔 𝑺𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌…

All you need to do is become aware of these two tendencies.

The real cause of suffering is our lack of awareness.

When awareness shines on these ego-driven patterns, the emotional charge behind them drops.

Freedom is realized—not by eliminating the ego, or by stopping all seeking, but by dissolving our emotional investment in the ego’s endless pursuits.

 

In the 222 Self-Inquiry Teachings™ we simplify the path by targeting the ego’s two core tendencies: seeking pleasure or creating tension.

By filtering out distractions, this focused approach delivers noticeable results in a short time, guiding you to realize the true Self with clarity and ease.