When you praise yourself,
you forget to improve yourself.
When you blame others,
you forget to help others.– Stonepeace | Books
“One can say that the habit of praising oneself and looking down on others is common to most people. That is why wherever we go, if we do not hear a person praise himself, we can hear him speak ill of others. Seldom do we hear anyone speak about his own shortcomings while praising the good points of others. That is why, since ancient times, it has never been easy to create an atmosphere of non-contention and happiness between individuals on this earth. If people got into the habit of “returning the light and looking within”, aware every minute, every hour that they still have many shortcomings, while others have many good qualities, there would never be self-congratulation or criticism of others.
This is particularly true in the case of Bodhisattvas, who should always admit their own mistakes and never entertain the thought of hiding them. If they were to hide their mistakes, those mistakes would not only not disappear, they would, on the contrary increase in intensity until in time they would control everything. By then, to extinguish them would be ‘impossible’. Moreover, not only should Bodhisattvas not hide their shortcomings, they should not boast of their achievements either. To do so would lessen the value of these achievements until in time they would disappear entirely. Then, even if they wanted to boast, they could no longer do so.” (Master Yen-p’ei)
“To praise oneself and speak ill of others necessarily makes other people suffer. Not only that, such action tends to raise the ego — the very opposite of the goal of cultivation. Furthermore, in the Avatamsaka Sutra (chapter 49), sentient beings are compared to the roots of a tree growing in the rocks and sand of the barren wilderness, while the Bodhisattvas and Buddhas are the flowers and fruits. Therefore, Bodhisattvas need sentient beings. How can they go about criticizing them, unless it is for the purpose of helping them correct their mistakes?” (Rev. Minh Duc)
Brahma Net Sutra: Moral Code Of The Bodhisattvas
Sutra Translation Committee Of The United States And Canada
