In the simplest terms, ego is a person’s mind-made sense of self or self-importance. It is that voice in our heads that tells us negative things. We develop our sense of self over time from our background, upbringing, experiences, choices, etc. This is the person we create with all its complexities, and we present this “me” to the world.

“So how do we know the will of God?” Michael writes. “How do we know the divine will so that we can subordinate our ego-will to the will of God? Zen says that the true divine will is ‘that which is.’ Accepting that which is, whatever is, is following the divine will. Truer words have yet to be heard.”

Chances are you have caught yourself lost in thought numerous times, only to realize that 10 minutes had passed—maybe longer—and you had been reliving an experience, including all the emotion attached to it. If it was a sad experience, you may have even shed a few tears. Or if it was a future situation that concerned you, your heart rate and blood pressure may have gone up, and you felt stressed.