THE RIGHT VIEW WILL STEER YOU CLEAR FROM MINEFIELDS
Master Jun Hong Lu: You must transform all evil views, malicious thoughts, vexations and ignorance into the Right View, that is, to look at things from the lens of righteousness. Let’s say today, someone tells you that your neighbour is spreading rumours about your family and your immediate reaction is to think negatively which then upsets you. In that case, how can you bring yourself to see the situation with the Right View?
First of all, think of it this way, “My neighbour has nothing against me, why would he even spread rumours about me?”
Secondly, “Could it have been misheard?”
Thirdly, “Even if he gossips about me, I might have done something inappropriate. I won’t hold it against him”. This is how you give rise to the Right View.
Conversely, if a passing criticism about you causes you to jump up and down and pick fights with others, it shows that you have strayed from the path or fallen prey to delusive thoughts. Hence, when someone tells you something, you should maintain a proper perspective and not let those words cloud your mind. If you fly into a rage by what you hear, you are said to have been led by delusive thoughts.
Don’t blindly believe in the words uttered by your spouse or child only because of who they are to you.
Think about it, our attachment to the notion of ‘self’ and ‘others’ causes us to make countless mistakes throughout life. Frankly speaking, we are fooled by ourselves, not by others, owing to our erroneous understanding of things, causing us to have a wrong perspective, and misjudge the matter in hand. Don’t you think we are inflicting harm upon ourselves?
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Volume 8 Chapter 25