Master Patana’s Teachings:
The seed of selfishness is born in every person and every living thing. It is the natural state of the “will to survive” that exists in all living things.
Selfishness is the center of all births. It is an instinctive state for survival. There is nothing wrong to be selfish.
Different level of selfishness determine different level of intelligence and spiritual conscious level.
There is nothing wrong to be selfish, but it is important to be aware of the selfishness that is functioning within.
The state of selfishness is instinctive, it is for survival’s sake. What it all also means is that selfishness is an unconscious state. There is nothing wrong to be selfish as it is a natural state but unconscious to our minds.
Many moralists of different religions would tell you that selfishness is sinful and we have to live selflessly. How can it be wrong to be selfish when these preachers were breathing while teaching this? Maybe they should selflessly stop breathing, stop drinking and stop eating to stand by what they are preaching about selflessness. It is absolute nonsense.
Selfishness is only regarded as negative or sinful by an unconscious mind.
There is no such thing as right or wrong with selfishness.
It was only given a negative perception by those manipulative, 0r, totally unconscious preachers.
Stay true to ourselves first! Then you will see the truth! If humans continue to be self-denial, we will only get into a deeper state of unconsciousness!
Defining the fine lines…
The Physical State of Selfishness:
First, recognize that selfishness is only a natural state. It functions whether or not you like it.
At the physical level, for the survival of the body, the mechanism of selfishness functions. It breathes and eats. To breathe and to eat is selfish. Isn’t it?
If to survive is selfish, and selfishness is a sin, then shouldn’t commit suicide and murder be a virtue?
To keep preaching about selflessness is totally unholy and unreligious.
The Mental State of Selfishness:
When there is no self, there is no need to teach about selflessness. The self in the mental state is the ego. The ego that gives a false identity. If the self is only an ego state, selfishness could only exist with the ego. And if the ego is dropped, and the “false self” disappears, then selfishness becomes irrelevant to even talk about.
Through the realization of one’s selfishness, we can recognize the state of ego. And it is only through selfishness, selflessness can exist. How can selflessness exist without selfishness? If not, what is selflessness being compared to?
It is only out of selfishness, selflessness happens. How can it not? If it is so, how can selfishness be a sin?
It was out of extreme selfishness, Buddha shared all the good he had with people around him because he realized he would be more joyful when others around him were joyful.
It’s impossible to be happy to have all the abundance by yourself, when the surrounding people are in misery.
So in thinking of your well-being, you have to think of others’ well-being.
Love yourself first and be all filled with love first before you could share the love with others.
But love yourself with self responsibility, and never be at the expense of others.
And this is a form of selfishness that transcends into selflessness.
It’s a selfishness with great consciousness and morality.
If love seeking is at the expense of others, such seeking would only turn into miseries for yourself and others. Such selfishness is unconscious, which gets frowned upon.
There should not be guilt when you cannot help others because of your own limitations. Help yourself first, before you can help others. There is absolutely nothing wrong with helping yourself first.
Higher awareness of the selfish dimension is far more important than the action itself to start with. So stay aware of it on the direction it is going, go ahead and share the good with others when you can, and don’t feel guilty when you cannot because of your limitations. Stay aware and stay true.