Letting Go of the False Self to Realise the True Nature

The Sacred Path of Surrender

Namo Amituofo teaches us a profound truth: to let go of the self is to truly serve all beings. We must use this physical body as a vessel for True Cultivation, working diligently to rediscover our original self-nature. Most people live entirely within the confines of their own small, private worlds, dominated by the constant demands of the ego. They are tethered to the idea of 'I'—a false, selfish identity that obscures the light of their true being.

If you wish to practise the Buddha’s teachings, you must begin by learning to let go of this 'I.' This is the false self, the selfish ego that prioritises personal desire above all else. For many, this is an incredibly arduous and challenging process. Because sentient beings have lived within the boundaries of this false self for countless lifetimes, the concept of existing without it feels entirely foreign and even frightening.

The Burden of the Illusory Ego

Even when one begins to study the Buddha’s teachings, the path is not always clear. The Tripitaka—the vast collection of the Buddha’s Sutras, Precepts, and Treatises—is designed to help you understand the nature of this 'I.' These teachings illuminate the illusory nature of the self, the falseness of the physical body, the reality of our self-nature, and the ultimate goal of becoming a Buddha. Yet, one must ask: why is it that throughout history, while so many have studied the Buddha’s teachings, so few have attained the state of Buddhahood?

The answer lies in the heavy, polluted burden of the false self that we carry. We are so weighed down by this illusion that we fail to recognise the true, unburdened 'I'—our original self-nature. We are blinded by the weight of our own attachments, unable to see the clarity that lies beneath the surface of our daily lives.

Caught in the Web of Modernity

In this age of the Dharma’s decline, the situation has become even more complex. The more we immerse ourselves in the modern world of technology, the more we become trapped in the world of the false self. Consider the tools that define our current era: mobile devices, computer games, and the internet. These technologies are specifically engineered to satisfy the demands and desires of the false self. Yet, we fail to realise that this 'I' is merely a temporary construct. It is the 'I' that is subject to the cycle of rebirth, the 'I' that is fleeting, and the 'I' that brings pain to our Body-Mind-Spirit, leading us inevitably toward birth, aging, sickness, and death.

The Vessel of True Cultivation

If you wish to rediscover your self-nature—the only 'I' that can truly be the master of your life—you must learn to put down, and eventually discard, this false self. However, you must use this very body to perform the work of True Cultivation. It is a paradox: you must use the false to find the true. People are so unfamiliar with the concept of letting go. Modern technology, in particular, offers us a way to escape the reality of our suffering. It provides a sense of change, speed, and efficiency that can temporarily numb our pain and fill the emptiness within our hearts. Yet, this is a dangerous distraction. It pulls us further away from the truth and from the people around us, creating a virtual world that feels more 'real' than our actual lives. Because we become addicted to this virtual existence, we begin to believe that this false self is who we truly are, drifting further and further away from our original self-nature.

Awakening the True Self

We cling to this false self so tightly that the mere suggestion of letting go causes us immense suffering. We mistake the shadow for the substance, not knowing that only by discarding the false self can the true self have the opportunity to manifest. Only then can we stop being deceived by our physical sensations and perceptions. As long as we do not let go of the false self, we remain trapped, led astray by our own feelings and desires, subject to the cycle of birth, aging, sickness, and death.

How, then, do we let go of the self? You must stop clinging to the false self. You must stop identifying with its fleeting sensations and perceptions. You must learn to exist without being governed by the demands of the body. Your self-nature is the only true 'I.' It is the only 'I' that can truly be the master, remaining untouched by the cycle of rebirth and the weight of karma. This is what all Buddhist practitioners hope to find. When you let go of the false self, you must place your faith in Namo Amituofo. Do not place your faith in the false self and discard Namo Amituofo. This is the fundamental problem for most beings: their faith in the Buddha is not firm enough. We see this clearly in the current state of Buddhist education. The more deeply one is involved with advanced technology, the further one drifts from their self-nature. The difficulty of the path increases, and one must overcome far more obstacles. You must let go of the false self and use this body for True Cultivation. You must use this body for purification, and then more purification, to remove defilements and attain purity. Only through this process can you shorten the distance between yourself and the Buddha’s teachings, and only then can you successfully rediscover your original self-nature. This is the core focus of our current Buddhist education and practice. Namo Amituofo