Pleasure and Pain Principal.

Our presumed "self" seems often to be a conditioned self. Born [i]here[/i], born at a certain time, the self is created by all that is around us. Our views and opinions, our allegiances - sometimes fought over and defended to the death - would in all probability have been different had we been born [i]there[/i], at another time. Which side of the trench we end up firing from is just a matter of chance.

I'd say that it is such a "self" that will seek its pleasures, seek to avoid its pains. Yes, one will inevitable involve the other and yet a degree of [i]true[/i] self knowledge is required to recognise this. Will true self knowledge evade us?

The "great way" is one of having no such preferences. Which appears to leave us as purely passive. Yet as the Hsin Hsin Ming says, [i]When the deep meaning of things is not understood, the mind's essential peace is disturbed to no avail.[/i] All to no avail. The true way is in fact transformative.

There is a little verse of Chuang Tzu that I think refers to this in some obscure fashion - but not really sure. Like much I read I often find it difficult to grasp the actual point, maybe seeing things from my own conditioned self.....😀

The verse goes:-

[i]When a hideous man becomes a father
And a son is born to him
In the middle of the night
He trembles and lights a lamp
And runs to look in anguish
On that child’s face
To see whom he resembles.[/i]

I just think that we can spend far too much time thinking of ourselves, of what and who we are. Let's face it, once determined it inevitable leads to judgement of others (rather than acceptance) Acceptance is the key. As Dogen says, [i]to study the self is to forget the self[/i], then everything takes on a greater clarity.

"Praise be to God that I am not good"

Sorry, I'm waffling.