Self-Indulgence and Its Consequences

Reflecting on a question: If you proudly display yourself in a crowd, whether you receive praise from others, receive no praise, or remain unaware of others' perceptions and attitudes, what do you truly gain from self-promotion?

Some individuals lack self-observation and self-management skills, unable to exercise self-discipline, and always rely on others to supervise and regulate them. This is called lack of awareness, absence of mindful power. Others, driven by the desire to showcase themselves, disregard others' perceptions and emotional reactions, focusing solely on their own display. Even if they frequently provoke aversion in others, they remain indifferent, wholly immersed in self-comfort and satisfaction. This is called selfishness.

Why do these phenomena occur? Because sentient beings universally take vedanā (feeling/sensation) as the self and are universally attached to selfhood. Thus, they all emphasize their own mental experiences, greedily clinging to various sensations and unable to extricate themselves. Even if they gain nothing substantive, as long as their minds feel comfortable and their spirits are satisfied, it suffices. Vedanā is also the food of sentient beings—it is nutriment of consciousness (viññāṇa-āhāra), spiritual sustenance. This spiritual sustenance is difficult to satisfy when merit (puñña) is lacking. Only when merit accumulates sufficiently does one no longer need this nutriment of consciousness, gradually valuing actual benefits and long-term, ultimate interests instead.

Sentient beings feel hunger and desire food—this is material sustenance. When greedily pursuing material enjoyments, they at least obtain the material form (rūpa) of the four great elements, which is relatively tangible. For instance, when eating dumplings, there is at least something concrete entering the stomach, though the pleasure is fleeting and vanishes afterward. Bodily contact (phoṭṭhabba) is also a form of sustenance and relatively tangible, such as massage or moxibustion. These are coarse forms of nutriment, slightly easier to abandon. The subtle nutriment of consciousness, however, is deeply rooted and extremely difficult to relinquish. Some people can accept and endure deprivation of material comforts, but if denied spiritual affirmation and praise, it becomes unbearable. If spiritual nourishment remains unsatisfied, their minds cannot tolerate it.

Transcending the nutriment of consciousness also requires merit. Some individuals, having frequently received praise and experienced many things, possess broad knowledge and wide perspectives. They no longer care about others' evaluations or recognition. Their psychological satisfaction does not come from external people or events, nor do they focus on external matters. This is because their minds are rich—they have abundant internal resources to satisfy themselves, their spiritual sustenance is plentiful. Such people never need to boast, display, or promote themselves before others; their demeanor remains low-key.

Why do some people swell with pride after hearing a few kind words, losing all sense of proportion? Because their merit is meager, their deficiencies are vast—they lack too much and must obtain these things externally to feel satisfied and find spiritual solace. Those who frequently enjoy chattering before others should reflect: What exactly am I lacking? Hasten to replenish it.

Taking vedanā as the self is precisely the view of self (sakkāya-diṭṭhi). Due to this view of self, one becomes fond of pursuing sensations, loves to perform, loves praise, and dislikes criticism. Therefore, all defilements arise from the view of self, without exception. Some people shout all day about "abandoning the view of self"—but what exactly have they abandoned? Continuously nourishing oneself with material food and spiritual food—what is the result? The result is being fattened for slaughter, perpetuating the cycle of birth and death. The accumulation of nutriment (āhāra) is the accumulation of consciousness (viññāṇa). Any arising within the body-mind world is kamma leading to birth and death. Spiritual practice aims to cease this accumulation. The aggregates (khandhas) of form, feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness—their accumulation is all kamma of birth and death. Among these, formations (saṅkhāra) are also volition (cetanā). Within the nutriment of consciousness lies the accumulation of thinking—the ceaseless, disordered thoughts of the mind—also kamma of birth and death. Contemplating the Dharma is not kamma of birth and death, but disorganized and aimless thinking is of no benefit for liberation from birth and death.

Shui Ru: I think since we are human, everyone has flaws. When showing off, if one immediately recognizes one’s own boasting, it indicates insufficient merit, needing others' approval for self-satisfaction. Gradually, merit will increase, and showing off will decrease. Right? Fear not the arising of thoughts, but the delay in awareness. Since experiencing qi sensations, it has become easy to discern from words whether a speaker has genuine practice. I also feel aversion toward repeated discussions of Buddhist theory, discussions about self-nature or Buddha-nature. The transformation of body and mind is paramount. Buddha-nature must be gradually realized through one’s own continuous progress.

Comment: Correct, spiritual practice is a process, but the process should not be prolonged. With reminders from others and self-awareness, the process shortens, reducing the suffering of samsara.