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conceit

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 1:50 pm
by befriend
how does one practice dhamma without feeling that they are somehow better, or special. sorry if i already asked this, but as i grow psycho emotionally from practicing morality and what not, i am genuinely afraid of getting a big head about it, as i already have. is there a practice i can do to safeguard me from developing conceit? thanks. befriend

Re: conceit

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 2:50 pm
by Strive4Karuna
What is special? That what may be "special" to a fool who does not see is nothing but the ordinary to the wise person. "Special", "Normal", "Ordinary".....nothing but your own construct.

Your conceit is your stain of ignorance. There is nothing to feel proud about, rather it is something to be ashamed of. Those without it, those who have not yet found faith in the Buddha but are free from this defilement have already accomplished what you have not.

The Lord Buddha...the wisest,the one where no one of the like exist in the entire universe,the tathagata..teacher of all beings and Brahmans...free of defilement's, ignorance,delusion.....dares not look down upon any sentient being.
How can a fool....ignorant, defiled, delusional such as yourself, such as myself... dare look down upon anybody.


I have work to do in this sense and so do you. Good luck.

Re: conceit

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 5:34 pm
by Babadhari
befriend wrote: is there a practice i can do to safeguard me from developing conceit?
"'This body comes into being through conceit. And yet it is by relying on conceit that conceit is to be abandoned.'
Bhikkuni Sutta
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html translated by Thanissaro Bhikku

Re: conceit

Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 6:07 pm
by Mkoll
befriend wrote:how does one practice dhamma without feeling that they are somehow better, or special. sorry if i already asked this, but as i grow psycho emotionally from practicing morality and what not, i am genuinely afraid of getting a big head about it, as i already have. is there a practice i can do to safeguard me from developing conceit? thanks. befriend
You can try noticing when you start praising yourself and disparaging others in your thoughts and then apply one of the five ways of removing unwholesome thoughts from MN 20. Just noticing and thus bringing this kind of mental action into consciousness is helpful by itself and is the prerequisite to doing anything about it.

Of course that's a gross form of conceit which crosses over into ill will. The more subtle forms of conceit must be attenuated much more slowly because the fetter of conceit isn't fully eradicated until arahantship. And as the Bhikkhuni sutta mentions, conceit should be used as a means in the meantime.

Re: conceit

Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 12:16 am
by SarathW
Hi Befriend
Conceit (Mana) is one of the fetters eliminated only by Arahants.
Ven. Thanissaro once said (very old interview) that even he felt subtle Dhamma pride in some occasions.
Awareness that you have conceit and understanding Anatta is the best way to eliminate this.
:)

Re: conceit

Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 1:10 am
by waterchan
befriend wrote:how does one practice dhamma without feeling that they are somehow better, or special.
You don't.

It's a higher fetter, only to be abolished upon full enlightenment. Are you halfway there yet? Are you a saka-dagami, or maybe a sotapanna? If not, then why worry about practicing without conceit? For now, it's enough to acknowledge to yourself that it exists, understand where it comes from — in particular a strong delusion of self — and know that it will weakened as your practice matures.