#self-satisfaction

She stared. "Not--the Saint?" "None other," said Simon; and it is the chronicler's painful duty to record that he said it as if he was very pleased about it. Which he was.

The self-sufficient does not pray, the self-satisfied will not pray, the self-righteous cannot pray. No man is greater than his prayer life.

One of the great lies of modern life, the bill of goods they’ve tried to sell to us, is that our lives are fundamentally about ourselves. Self-actualization, “finding ourselves”, discovering what’s best for you, the language of “self-care”--none of these things have ever given me happiness or freedom. I know in my heart of hearts that me looking inward and focusing on life in terms of what I want (or think I want) will not give me peace.

There was no argument against being frugal. Even my mom back in Japan did all sorts of things in the name of saving money. She would unplug the TV from the wall to save on the electricity bill, and yet fall asleep with it still on. She’d cut off the water when brushing her teeth to save on water, but leave it on when washing dishes. In other words, my mom taught me the importance of self-satisfaction.

We could become quite satisfied with ourselves because we are sitting in meditation and are endeavoring to practice the spiritual path. Such satisfaction with ourselves is not the same as contentment. Contentment is necessary, self-satisfaction is detrimental. To be content has to include knowing we are in the right place at the right time to facilitate our own growth. But to be self-satisfied means that we no longer realize the need for growth. All these aspects are important parts of our commitment and makes us into one whole being with a one-pointed direction.

46. మన జీవన లక్ష్యం - సంపూర్ణ సంతృప్తి (46. Our goal in life - complete satisfaction)