Seeing True Nature
April 6, 2007
Venerable Wuling in Selfishness, True Nature

Our practice as Buddhists is to see our true nature. Before we see our true nature, our viewpoints, speech, and behavior flow from our afflictions and residual habits. At this point, our viewpoints, speech, and behavior are still selfish and dictated by our greed, anger, and ignorance. There is no selfishness or greed, anger, and ignorance in Buddhas’ and bodhisattvas of the highest ranks viewpoints, speech, and behavior.

We should ask ourselves if we are still selfish, or if we still have greed, anger, ignorance, and arrogance. If we still like this or dislike that, we still have an ego that likes and dislikes. When we have an ego, then we still have selfishness. Even if there is only a trace of any of those in us, we are not yet awakened. We still have not seen our true nature.

One who has seen true nature is completely free of selfishness, greed, anger, ignorance, and arrogance.

 

Article originally appeared on a buddhist perspective (http://www.abuddhistperspective.org/).
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