*SELFISH - also see SELF,
Antonyms: SELFLESS
Man's greatest victory is the conquest of himself. When man is selfish, he is incapable of unselfishly serving and loving others. We must lose our selfishness to find our eternal destiny. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/913101/5th-Epochal-Revelation)
The new self longs to escape from the perceived hatefulness of [ugly and imperfect] selfhood and to conform to Reality, the Perfect which it has seen under the aspect of Goodness, of Beauty, or of Love. (Mysticism, p242)
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is stregth; mastering yourself is true power. If you realize that you have enough, you are truly rich. (Taoism, Wisdom, p163)
Learn to know thyself, who knows himself, knows his Lord. (Islam, Wisdom, p321)
What is this observing self? The observing self goes straight to God, straight to God, straight to Divine. In the ultimate depths of our own awareness we intersect infinity. The observing self is usually called the Self, or Witness, or pure presence, or consciousness. The ultimate I is Christ, is Buddha, is Emptiness itself. The mind is no longer merely a subject; it is starting to become an object. An object of the observing Self, the Witness. Mystics, contemplatives, and yogi pick up with the observing Self as it begins to transcend the mind. What do we find if we push deeper and deeper into the SOURCE OF AWARENESS ITSELF? "There is a subtle essence that pervades all reality. It is the reality of all thatis, and the foundation of all that is. That essence is all. That essence is the real. And thou, thou art that." The observing Self eventually discloses its own source, which is Spirit itself. Our very Self intersects a Supreme Identity that undoes the knot of the separate self and buries it in splendor. (Everything, p197-9)
Contemplative prayer is a process of liberation from everything that prevents us from being completely honest with ourselves. The more confidence you have in God, the more you can face the truth about yourself. When you are in perfect prayer, the surrender of the false self to God is death to the false self. (Open Mind, p90-1)
The fundamental goodness of human nature is a mystery of faith. This basic core of goodness is capable of unlimited development; of becoming transformed into Christ and deified. Our basic core of goodness is our true Self. Its center of gravity is God. The acceptance of our basic goodness is a quantum leap in the spiritual journey. God and our true Self are not separate. Though we are not God, God and our true Self are the same thing. (Open Mind, p127)
The disintegrating and dying of our false self is our participation in the passion and death of Jesus. The building of our new self, based on the transforming power of divine love, is our participation in his risen life. (Open Mind, p132)
No man can find the way by himself, but by trust (faith), obedience, and humility (and therefore repentance) in God. (Tozer)
The Self is the veil that hides the Face of God [Truth] from us. (Pursuit of God by A W Tozer)
Recalling the teaching of "The Cloud of Unknowing" that there are mystical moments when self totally disappears and only God remains. A DENIAL OF DUALISM IS AN APPROACH TO GOD. (Zen, p8)
*SELFISH/*SELFISHNESS - also see -*6
Understanding others is knowledge
Understanding oneself is enlightenment
Conquering others is power
Conquering oneself is strength
Contentment is wealth. (Lao Tzu)
The lesser jihad (conflict) is the struggle with an external enemy, while the true or greater jihad is the struggle with oneself. The most excellent jihad is that for the conquest of self. (Islam, Wisdom, p300,316)
In our self-concern and self-righteousness we miss the point of life, that of whole, rather than self. Even my desires for salvation are selfishly motivated. Must know ourselves - we should use and be grateful for our blessings and should overcome our shortcomings. (96?) The only way to transcend our own selves is by having genuine love and concern for others by remembering and living the great commandment. (4/97) (Randy) Also see BLESSINGS and SHORTCOMINGS.