I once read that we need to be entirely ready to have God remove all of our defects of character. This sort of advice is hard for me to follow, especially given my disbelief in any sort of deity. However, i think the use of the word God here indicates that it is not by a conscious act of self-will that we will eliminate or reduce our character defects. It is not by a constant self-policing that we will be free of them, but rather we need to gradually practice living spiritually. Meditating daily helps, certainly. After I started writing my daily actions in a journal yesterday, it occurred to me that I actually have reduced many of my character defects, and I hadn't really appreciated it. For example, I believe that I am far less egotistical than I was.
The main point here, of this advice, as far as I can see, is to not cling to one's character defects. Accept the fact that you can live without them. This is the first step toward living without them, or reducing them anyway. Some defects we will never be rid of. That's okay too. We are just people, and that's the way we are. It's interesting how I can be very charitable towards other people's flaws, but I tend to be more self-critical and hold myself to a higher standard. if only I held myself to the same standard I hold everyone else to. Then I could accept my own flaws. That doesn't mean that I cling to them and refuse to let them go. it means that I am ready to let them go, but if they prove to be hard to get rid of, I am not going to beat myself up over it.
This is very Buddhist advice. I am not going to cling to this. I am not going to cling to that. I will live with what i have without being attached to it.
1 comment:
even the word flaws seems to be a bit reproachful to me.
But I do know what you mean. Why is charity so much easier to practice with others than with ourselves?
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