The path to Tranquility (summer)
91. Looking for our true self
If we constantly act out of habit, lack understanding of our experiences, and
have no clear life goals, it is easy to lose our true self. This type of
lifestyle may initially feel easy and enjoyable, but in the long run, it can
easily lead to suffering. Sometimes it is not because we have no pursuit, but
because we find that what we do lacks an acceptable reason.
When we lose our true self, we often muddle along or worry about gains and losses, and are in a state of boredom or anxiety. Excessive emotional behavior and lack of conscious protection, make us vulnerable and lonely, unable to feel joy. Because we forget the nature of life and our true value and need.
The essence of life is connection. Without connection, we will also lack a sense of worth and joy, and suffering will arise in all aspects of life. Therefore, experiencing love is an essential part of life. However, love must be experienced by our true self, which means we must act consciously, so we need to find our true self.
The true self is actually our consciousness, that is, the correct understanding of ourselves, others, and the world, as well as a full grasp of the relationships and development laws of these things. Relative to the ego, this complete consciousness is the true self. Life is the necessary carrier and tool for the true self. Only when our senses and emotions function normally can we have an accurate understanding of the world.
Just because our true self needs life, we must maintain a healthy body and mind. Because life is our only need, we must maintain a healthy body and mind. We need to choose food that benefits our physical and mental health, satisfy the various needs of life at the appropriate time, rid ourselves of desires and cultivate a healthy true self. The healthier our true self is, the more it can grow, become stronger, and cherish its existence. This is also why our true self loves life, and provides strong support for it.
In order to survive and realize its value, we also need other people, so we need to love others and keep each other connected. Although the true self of different people is different, the essence is the same, so there is no conflict between the true selves and it is easy to establish a connection. Only by experiencing love with our true selves can we experience true love, obtain full joy, and feel that life is valuable.
It can be seen that all our activities actually revolve around our own lives. However, we develop a false self from childhood. This false self defeats the true self, seizes control of life, and fuels its desires. Therefore, to find our true self, we need to go through a difficult process.
We must realize that although the world is constantly changing, everything follows the law of cause and effect, which means that we are the creators of our own destiny, and everything we do will inevitably affect our future. Therefore, we need to review our lives from time to time, clarify our responsibilities for life, and use this as a guide to meet the needs of life, so that we can better control our life.
So we first need to accept the status quo. Because it is the result of actions, and regardless of whether it is good or bad, we must bear it. For this reason, we also need to think seriously and plant some seeds of kindness for our future self. Only by accepting the present situation and analyzing our hearts layer by layer like peeling an onion can we find our true self.
There are many layers of packaging in our hearts, including habits, desires, stubbornness and wrong perceptions developed since childhood, which form a false self. The false self is what is called the ego. The ego distracts us from the track of life and even goes against life itself, and fills us with inner contradictions, causing the body to be restless. If we can temporarily ignore this ego and try to consider everything in detail for our own life, we can discover our true self. When we understand the importance of letting our true self control our body and mind and protect our life, we can completely free ourselves from the bondage of the ego.
Our true self is very simple, it only needs to survive and develop, living for a better life. By living around these needs, we will no longer lose our true self, but will be able to make clearer life plans, develop more life skills and interests, and have richer experiences. By understanding the past, being aware of the present, and predicting the future, we can find our true self and better protect our life, and fully enjoy all that life brings us.
90. Observing thoughts to discover and solve problems
92. Combination of emotion and reason
