Forgetting the Self

Teachings from Teacher Practitioner Xia Lianju, recorded by the chief writer, Venerable HaiZe.

14 May 2023

The self that we speak of here refers to the self that is governed by the karma of reincarnation. In our daily lives within this dusty world, we have become so accustomed to being tightly attached to this ego that it feels like a second skin. But how can we truly learn to forget this self and let go of the self entirely?

The Flow of Selflessness

Have you ever experienced a moment where you were so wholeheartedly and intensely focused on a task that you completely lost track of time? In those rare and precious moments, you did not feel the seconds ticking away, nor did you feel your life force slowly slipping through your fingers. At that specific moment, you had forgotten yourself; you had let go of the self. There was nothing left but the task at hand, performed with absolute, unwavering concentration.

The Path of Compassionate Sacrifice

Saving beings requires this same level of total, wholehearted dedication. It means giving everything you have to offer, including the very body you inhabit. This is the essence of true service. When you are fully committed to the welfare of others, you are no longer acting out of personal desire, but out of a profound, selfless compassion that transcends the boundaries of the ego.

Fiercely Diligent Practice

Before one can rediscover their true self-nature, one must engage in fiercely diligent practice. This involves pouring all of your attention into the purification of your heart and the constant chanting of Namo Amituofo. When you reach a state where you do not allow even a single trace of impurity to arise, you have truly forgotten yourself and let go of the self.

True Cultivation and the True Self

Practitioners engage in True Cultivation, which is the process of using the temporary to reach the eternal. This is the act of forgetting the self and letting go of the self. Only under the state of no-self can one truly offer selfless service to all beings. Only then can one rediscover their true self-nature, because the true self is not governed by the karma of reincarnation or the weight of karma.

The true self is free from all obstacles, cool, at ease, stable, and pure. This is the self that can only be found when you have completely transcended the ego and embraced a life of selfless devotion. Namo Amituofo.