I Want to Talk about "Selfishness," Too

By a practitioner in China

(Clearwisdom.net)

I was inspired by a practitioner's article on "selfishness" and would like to talk about it, too.

Selfishness is the primary characteristic of human beings in the old universe. Along the way we have dropped down from the high levels, and our selfishness has been reinforced, has accumulated, and has expanded. The attachment of sentimentality has also been generated in the midst of selfishness. Teacher says in Zhuan Falun:

"Since human beings have sentimentality, being upset is sentimentality, so are happiness, love, hatred, enjoying doing one thing, resenting doing another thing, preferring one person to another, hobbies, and dislikes. Everything belongs to sentimentality, and everyday people just live for it.." (Lecture Six )

Let us think about it: Isn't the heart of selfishness the true reason that we generate the attachment of sentimentality? I think so. A certain person or matter or some external factors are what cause us to feel happy or unhappy, and the same factors cause our emotions to be unstable. It is all for sentimentality. Thus, sentimentality is a form of selfishness. I have always regarded selfishness as my own selfishness alone, rather than from the level of the Fa, so that primary issues were not addressed. I have been viewing myself with a certain attachment.

What we have encountered, seen, heard, or thought about is directly related to our attachment of selfishness. For example, when fellow practitioners and I have conflicts in discussions that lead to arguments, the arguments seem to be caused by the attachment of competition, but indeed it is because of the attachment of selfishness. I don't agree with others but require others to agree with me - this is to promote my own opinions and benefits and to emphasize myself, which is the essence of human nature. I have tried every possible strategy to hide my selfishness and to obtain personal benefits. There is a self-protecting layer around the heart of selfishness. Once it is touched, other attachments will appear to conceal it. With sentimentality woven into the situation, it is the most primary human nature - selfishness.

Teacher said:

"If you've got a good idea, well, you came up with it, you're being responsible to the Fa, and it's not important whether your idea is adopted or whether your approach is used. If another person's idea can achieve the same effect and you aren't attached to your own idea and instead you go along with his, then whether you've shared your approach or not, Gods will all see this and think, 'Look, he isn't attached, and he's able to be so tolerant and broadminded.'" ("Teaching the Fa at the 2002 Fa Conference in Philadelphia, U.S.A.")

Tolerance is an expression of compassion. The prerequisite of tolerance is to let go - let go of everyday people's attachments, let go of self, let go of our own attachments, let go of the attachment of self - these are the keys to letting go of selfishness. I should consider and discuss things from others' viewpoint, truly understand others, and treat others with kindness. Teacher told us "Without 'nothing,' it is a human feeling. If it is a human feeling, then it's not bei (compassion)." ("Teaching the Fa at the 2004 Western U.S. Fa Conference") When we can let go of human feelings, it is true compassion.

March 27, 2005

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