The ‘I want’ vs The ‘I Shouldn’t’

Question: You said if we want to do something, we should do it right away. But what is the criteria for discerning between what we want to do and what we shouldn’t?

Zen Master Tan Wol: Who is the one who desires, and who exactly is the one who says it should not be done? We say ‘I,’ yet we cannot truly answer who this ‘I’ is. Is it the mind currently feeling desire? Or is it our name, or perhaps our body?

Most of us don’t know who we really are. We mistake many things for ‘I’ and judge based on that. In Buddhism, this is called the ‘Delusional Self’. Because this delusional self is the one judging and seeking the way, no matter how hard you strive, you will never find the answer.

The reason we study and practice is clear: to find that ‘True Self.’

Only when you discover the real you does it finally become clear what you truly desire to do and what you ought not to do.

Find that True Self. That is why you have come here to practice.

Welcome to the club!