Letting Go of the Attachment to Prioritizing “Self” Above All

(Minghui.org) My younger sister and I went out together to help a relative. After we returned home, my sister pointed out that I shouldn’t have offered my opinion about the relative’s matter, because I was meddling in other people’s business. I was upset to hear that, but I held back and didn’t defend myself. In retrospect, I just said something casually and did not consider the feelings of the person involved, nor did I consider whether others could accept it.

I found the root of my problem while studying the Fa that night. I was inclined to act like a teacher. I liked to give others advice and thought of myself as being superior and knowledgeable, having the right ideas, and being smart. I myself have a serious problem of being self-centered, but I have always thought that I am not self-centered and I often advise fellow practitioners to let go of “self” and not be attached to “self.”

I knew that I must let go of this attachment. It was imposed on me by the old forces during my growing up and I only realized it now.

My mother (a practitioner) also showed her attachment to “self” recently and did not change. My sister often complained about her to me, but I never looked within, at myself. I thought that my mother was obsessed to “self,” she thought she was right about everything and should always have the final say. It turns out that this was shown to me, but I didn’t realize that it was a mirror for me to look at myself.

I also encountered several practitioners recently who were attached to “self.” No matter how we communicated, they did not listen. They insisted that they were right and others were wrong. It seems that they were all reminding me that I had the same attachment.

I am sorry that I have missed so many opportunities and only looked within after hearing my sister’s blunt words. I promise to be diligent in cultivation and to make progress.