WHERE DOES SELFISHNESS COME FROM?
Master Jun Hong Lu: At times, our temperament can be very subtle. We notice other people’s flaws and overcomplicate our judgements of them, yet we fail to examine ourselves. Some people, for instance, can go on and on about others’ shortcomings, but when asked about their own, they say, “I’m fine — I don’t have any flaws”.
Do you think someone like that is truly flawless? Since they can’t even recognise their own faults, once karma and conditions come into play, their thoughts and actions will habitually turn to self-protection.
That is why they always look for reasons to reject or deny others. Whenever something happens, their first instinct is to protect themselves. Blinded to their own faults, they become trapped in a habitual pattern of self-protection.
When karma and conditions come into play, their first concern is often: “What can I gain from this? What if I make a mistake or suffer a loss?” This is because they fail to recognise the evil thoughts, greed, demonic tendencies, and selfishness within themselves. On the contrary, a person who can consistently see their own flaws is one who is on the path of “awakening”.
Source: Master Jun Hong Lu’s Buddhism In Plain Terms, Episode 24, 29 May 2020