Baba's Storytime - The Ghost in the Forest

Once a little boy and his father were going to the next village.  On the way they had to cross a dense forest.  As they were about to enter the forest, the boy said, with a frightened look in his eyes, "I don't want to go in there. I have heard from my friends that there is a ghost in the forest."  The father smiled and said, "Don't be afraid.  I am with you, and if the ghost comes I will protect you and chase the ghost away!"

The boy felt reassured and they continued their walk and crossed the forest.  The next time the boy had to cross the forest, his teacher was accompanying him.  Again the fear of the ghost gripped the mind of the boy and he expressed his fear to the teacher.  The teacher told him, "Look my boy!  There is no such thing as a ghost.  There never was one in this forest.  So there is nothing for you to be afraid of."

The boy was convinced and the fear of the ghost once and for all left his mind.

The ghost is the ego.  Many of our well-wishers, like the scriptures, will tell us, "Yes, there is an ego, but we will show you how to deal with it and show you different paths to erase it."  But only a true teacher of a spiritual master will tell you the direct path.  "There is no such thing as ego."  All is Atma and there is no second to cause the feeling of separation from IT.

(From the book "I am I" by Ratan Lal)