Your repeated use of the term "killing the ego" bothers me. It's not a disease that needs to be gotten rid of. It's a part of us that has been doing a good job of helping us to function and survive. If a more mature part of you is ready to take over, all you have to do is thank the ego, love it, and give it a well deserved rest. Internal harmony, not conflict, is what gives us peace.

Ah yes... that is a tough one. But isn't it true that being at peace with life is not exactly like saying that there is no wrong in the world. The ego loves the resistance so that it can keep you striving... because if you identify with a cause - equality, say or women's rights - then you will always have reasons to be unhappy, to keep striving for the aim. The ego only likes the reaching and never likes to land so no matter what accomplishment you can never be happy. We have such a culture of reaching that it is hard to parse out those messages from the egoic behavior. But Tolle said tonight something I thought was pretty relevant to your question, that if you are present in the now that you will be able to see the situation more clearly. Or something like that?

"Killing" describes some kind of violent action against a part of the self. I found Eckhart's description of not resisting/fighting but rather being friendly with the world, being in acceptance of the situation to cause the changes we would like to see in our lives very helpful. The visual of being stuck in the mud, knowing that we need to get out of the situation, but first accepting it (not the liking it kind of acceptance, but awareness), then with the energy of acceptance which is positive (versus resistance or hostility, negative energy), moving out of the situation into something better. With resistance/fighting and negativity, the situation is likely to repeat itself instead of change for the better.

Another aspect of being present is that it relieves the need to be going somewhere else. Acceptance is a far off place if you put it in the future. Accept now, and let the best come forward unblocked by a rehash of the past. Martin Luther King said "I have seen the promised land" and "I may not be there with you". He was in the promised land, just as Jesus was, living among us, accepting the present, as was Ghandi, as is the Dalai Lama, as are many of us, when we are not distracted by the past or anxious of the future.