Clear Out the Notion of "Self" with Righteous Thoughts

(Clearwisdom.net) Because of our selfishness, we generate many thoughts, words and deeds to protect and defend ourselves. This is an expression of our notion of "self." Recently, while sharing experiences with fellow practitioners, I suddenly realized another form of our notion of "self:" being attached to our own views on everything.

During the course of studying the Fa and practicing cultivation, we practitioners elevate our minds and realms, and our perspectives on everything improve as well, becoming closer and closer to the truth. However, as we are still cultivating amidst everyday people, we still more or less have human mentalities. Thus, we are likely to hold fast to our own understanding, forming a notion or even an attachment. This new notion of "self" or attachment will hinder our continued improvement, yet it is hardly noticeable, and we may magnify it unwittingly. Consequently, a new attachment will develop and become another obstacle to our improvement in cultivation.

These notions of "self" manifest in such areas as forming opinions toward fellow practitioners, either good or bad; being attached to one's own way of doing things and turning a deaf ear to different opinions; being attached to one's understanding of the Fa at a certain level, or even regarding oneself as superb; feeling delighted and pleased with oneself, or demanding others to do this or that, etc.

We should keep our main consciousness strong, maintain righteous thoughts at all times and study the Fa diligently, so that our minds will always be pure and clear. Only when we continue to discover and eliminate our newly developed notions of "self" during Fa-rectification can we do well in the things we ought to do.

The above is my personal understanding. Please point out anything improper.

December 18, 2001