It sounds simple, yet it is among the most difficult practices. Why? Because of one great obstacle: our habit of always putting ourselves first. In Buddhist terms, this is called the self-cherishing attitude, the greatest hindrance to attaining Buddhahood. Even though we take Refuge in the Three Jewels daily and generate Bodhicitta, we often do not truly mean every word. That is why we fail to reach our goal of becoming Buddhas.

Who are the Buddhas? It is said, "Buddhas are those who have comprehended and completed things in the realm of sentient beings.” Our self-cherishing attitude prevents us from comprehending and completing things in this life. Most of the time, we are preoccupied with keeping ourselves satisfied, happy, and comfortable, fulfilling desires, and worrying about our problems. Rarely do we open our hearts to the needs of others. This is because self-cherishing manifests in our minds daily, especially in our interactions with others.

Consider a simple example: sitting at a dinner table. What is our attitude when our favourite dishes are served? Those who love chicken wings may feel angry when others reach for them first. We may feel unhappy when someone else takes the best part of the fish. With awareness, it is easy to see how self-cherishing harms our mind and practice. It operates subtly too—behind irritation, pride, jealousy, anxiety, and depression. Almost every time we are unhappy, it is because we are overly concerned with “ME,” the I-ness we cling to. We believe that unless we take care of ourselves, we cannot be happy. In fact, the opposite is the case.

We forget the teaching: “The ego’s appetite is insatiable; trying to fulfill its wishes is a never-ending task.” No matter how much we have, ego grows restless and seeks more. We never reach a point of ultimate satisfaction where we can say, “Now, I have had enough.” Guru Vajradhara His Holiness the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa explained this beautifully during his first visit to KYCO in 1982: “…when we have one, we want two; when we have two, we want four; and when we have four, we want numberless!”

The Kuan Yin practice turns our mind toward others, attending to their needs first. Those who truly practice this discover the meaning of Peace. There is serenity in cherishing others, though few have experienced it. Yet it is not beyond our reach. By acting in ways that least disturb others, our ego gradually subsides, and our lives and relationships take on new depth. When we sincerely follow Kuan Yin’s Path, we can easily recognise the faults of self-cherishing and develop the will to abandon it. Then we receive Her blessings, which purify our negativities and obscurations. This leads to the arising of Bodhicitta and the complete extinguishing of self-cherishing.

However, cherishing others does not mean disliking ourselves or suppressing our feelings. That would be foolish. If we cannot love ourselves, how can we love others? Suppressing feelings would make life meaningless—or even drive us to madness. Buddhism is not about denial. It teaches us to value life because it is precious and rare. It is precious because with it we can develop ourselves—even to the state of a Buddha. In the process, we learn the true realities of life and acquire great wisdom. Only as human beings can we appreciate and practice the Dharma, which teaches us to recognise our weaknesses and how feelings control us. We learn to reduce these negativities and detach from feelings—not by disliking ourselves, but by understanding them.

How, then, do we learn to cherish others? By gradually recognising that everyone needs love and wants happiness, just as we do. Every being in the universe is part of one great family. We all depend on one another, and self-cherishing is the greatest hindrance to peace of mind. Developing this attitude is not easy—otherwise the world would not be as it is today. Still, there must be a starting point. Kuan Yin P’usa was once like us, and our problems are not unfamiliar to Her. As soon as we begin practicing love and compassion, we will see changes in our lives, and our admiration and devotion to Kuan Yin will grow.

We now understand what the Kuan Yin Practice is and how it can illuminate us. We must not take it up half-heartedly but accept it with full commitment. From this day onward, Kuan Yin must be in our hearts and minds. In this way, we develop Kuan Yin awareness in all our actions. With this Kuan Yin consciousness, we become manifestations of Kuan Yin, behaving rightly and sharing in the joys and sufferings of all beings.

(Extracts from November 1989’s teachings)